Prepping and cooking the cabbage leaves:

1. In a large stockpot, boil cabbage for 10-15 minutes, rotating to cook all sides.  This takes 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your cabbage head(s) so keep an eye.
2. When done, carefully remove and let cool.
3. When cool, remove and discard the outermost leaves. Remove the next single most outermost leaf and use a clean towel to remove the excess water by patting the leaf. 
4. Shave down the rib of the leaf. Do this for all the leaves until we get down to the core of the head which is the size of an apple. Set aside the rib trimmings as we will use this for the sauce. Chop up the rest of the cabbage leaves from the tiny core that would be too small to roll and roughly chop them into ½” pieces. Set aside and put them separately in air tight containers in the fridge.

Making the sauce:

1. Bring a large pot to medium heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom. When oil is hot, cook the leeks for 5-7 minutes until they’re a light golden color. Add the garlic and cook for another 3  minutes until garlic is very aromatic – don’t brown. Then add the carrots and cabbage trim and cook for another 3 minutes until everything has been throughly mixed and cooked.
2. Add the crushed tomatoes and cranberry sauce along with the ¼ cup of water. Mix the contents of the pot thoroughly. Properly salt to taste, bring the mixture to a boil and immediately bring it down to a simmer for 20 minutes. While sauce is simmering, work on the cabbage roll filling.

Making the cabbage roll filling:

1. Bring a large pan to medium heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom. Add the the leeks and cook for 10 minutes until they’ve broken down. Because leek leaves tend to be fibrous, we want this to break down as much as it can now even though this sauce will bake in the oven later.
2. Add the garlic and oyster mushrooms and cook for another 20 minutes until almost caramelized. This takes a while because of the moisture from the mushrooms.
3. Bring pan and contents to cool then add the cooked rice and parsley (or cilantro). As always, properly salt to taste. 

Assembling the cabbage rolls:

1. Take each cabbage leaf and lay it out flat in front of you vertically. 
2. Add 1/4 or 1/3 cup of filling to the bottom of the leaf and start rolling up. Fold the sides in as you go to help tuck the filling. Gently stretch the end of the cabbage leaf to ensure a tight roll. Do this for the rest of the cabbage leaves and filling.

Finally cooking the cabbage rolls:

1. Preheat the oven at 400° F and add a third of the cranberry sauce to the bottom of the dutch oven creating a bed of sauce. Set aside but still on the stove where it’s close enough. Will need it as we fry our cabbage rolls.
2. Bring a large pan to medium high heat and add oil. When oil is hot, carefully add the cabbage rolls. I try not to crowd the pan so much and the size of the cabbage rolls matter. I can cook 5-8 pieces at a time without crowding. Cook each side for 3-4 minutes. 
3. When the cabbage rolls are done frying, add to the dutch oven, creating a single layer or cabbage rolls. Cover the cabbage rolls with sauce. 
4. Repeat the process with the rest of the cabbage rolls and sauce. If there is excess sauce, just add it to the rest of the contents in the pot, making sure it’s evenly distributed.
5. Cover the dutch oven with the lid and set on middle rack in oven. Bake for one hour. Then reduce heat to 350° F and bake for another hour. 

Serving:

1. When cabbage rolls are done, serve two or three at a time. Top with vegan sour cream and fresh torn cilantro or dill.