Collard Rolls in Spiced Tomato Sauce

From http://www.carolinagrown.com

 Ingredients:

• 8-12 collard leaves (could use cabbage instead of collards)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• minced salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. hot curry powder
• about 1/4 tsp. saffron
• 14-16 oz fresh tomatoes, chopped in large chunks (about 10 tomatoes)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup cooked Cannellini beans
• 1/4 slivered almonds
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Wash collards and, with a sharp knife, shave off thickest part of the stem from each leaf. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add collard leaves and blanch for about 3 minutes. Remove leaves from water and drain in a colander. 
3. Place a saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil, onions, and garlic. Saute until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, turmeric, curry powder, saffron, tomatoes, and water. Simmer for 10 minutes, breaking up tomatoes with a spoon as they cook. Turn off the heat and set sauce aside.
4. In a large bowl, mix together rice, raisins, beans, almonds, and lemon juice. Add about 1/2 cup of the reserved tomato sauce to the mixture and gently stir until mixed together. Spread remaining tomato sauce evenly in a square baking dish.
5. To make collard rolls: Place a collard leaf stem-side down on a flat surface. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the rice filling onto the bottom (stem end) of the leaf. Fold the left and right sides inward over the filling and roll the leaf from the stem-side up to the top. Place roll into the tomato sauce in the baking dish. Repeat until collard leaves are all used.
6. Bake for 40 minutes. To serve, place cooked roll on a plate and spoon sauce on top. (I like my collard or cabbage rolls a bit crispy, but if you could cover the pan with tin foil prior to baking to prevent crisp leaves.)

Serves 4