Saturday Share Recipe, Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls

Everyone hears how cabbage is good for your health, but many people don't have a lot of recipes using cabbage.

Sure, you can make cole slaw, throw some in a tossed salad or a stir fry, or boil it the way your grandmother did. 

If you're really a great cook, you probably know how to make cabbage rolls, but who has the time for this complicated dish?

You can ferment cabbage, but how many of you actually want to do that?

Here's a quick, easy casserole you can throw together. It's kind of like deconstructed cabbage rolls. This recipe serves 6 to 8 hungry people.

Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients

1 medium cabbage

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 1/2 pounds of lean ground beef

1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes

1 can Rotel tomatoes (if you don't want it spicy, use 2 cans of the diced tomatoes)

1 8 ounce can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cooked rice

Directions

1. Remove the outer damaged leaves of the cabbage and cut out the core.

2. Cut the cabbage in half lengthwise then cut each half crosswise into thin strips.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the onion. Saute until soft and translucent. Don't let it brown.

4. Reduce the heat a little and add the minced garlic. Saute a couple of minutes. Again, don't let it brown. When garlic overcooks, it becomes bitter. Remove the onion and garlic and reserve. 

5. Add the ground beef to the pan and turn the heat back up. Brown the beef, stirring to break it up. 

6. Drain the excess fat from the pan and add the cabbage and mix to combine with the beef.

7. Add the onions and garlic back to the pan along with all the other ingredients.

8. Reduce the heat, place a lid over the saute pan, and simmer for 30 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture gets dry, add up to 1/2 cup water. Why 30 to 60 minutes? The shorter the length of time it's cooked, the firmer the cabbage will be. Some like it where the cabbage holds more definition. If you like it really soft, cook it the full length of time.

9. Serve hot over rice.

Takeaway Truth

This is a great dish that takes little prep time and little attention once you've got it cooking. Perfect for a busy author or busy anyone. Great for a busy evening's meal.