Saturday Dinner: Stuffed cabbage

This stuffed cabbage was probably the first real food that I made, which means I've made this dish many many times since then. Every time, I do something little different, but tonight's stuffed cabbage was really really good.

Stuffed cabbage (for 4 people):
Cabbage (1 medium) - You need 8 nice size leaves.
Ground beef (1 pound)
Onion (1-1/2 medium)
Carrot (1 large)
Celery (1 stalk)
Button mushrooms (1/2 cup sliced)
Bacon (3 pieces)
Olive oil (1/2 Tbsp, 1/2 Tbsp)
Salt
Pepper
Dried oregano (1 tsp)
Garlic (1 clove, 2 cloves)
Nutmeg (1/2 tsp)
Bay leaf (1 large)
Grated Parmesan cheese - freshly grated is the best
Egg (1)
Bread crumbs (1/4 cup)
Canned tomatoes, whole or diced (2 cups)
Water (2 cups)

1. Boil a potful of water. Make incisions on the stem part of the cabbage and take off 8 leaves, being careful not to tear them. Boil cabbage leaves in the boiling water until tender. Be careful not to boil them too much. You just wanted them to be soft enough so you can roll them up.
2. Dice 3/4 of the onion finely. Peel and dice 1 clove of garlic. It's easy if you use a food processor. Saute the oinon in a pan with a pinch of salt, diced garlic, and 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil until tender. Let cool.
3. Peel and cut the carrot into 1/3 inch thick pieces. Cut the celery stalk into 1/3 inch thick pieces. Slice the rest of the onion. Slice bacons into 1/3 inch pieces.
4. Mix sauteed onion, egg, bread crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, ground beef, a good pinch of salt, pepper, dried oregano, and nutmeg. Mix really well with hands until the mixture is kind of sticky. Divide into 8 equal portions.
5. Spread a cabbage leaf out. Place one portion of the meat mixture on the cabbage leaf and wrap it up. You want to roll up the leaf, tucking in the edges of the leaf. Make 8 stuffed cabbages.
6. Peel and dice 2 cloves of garlic. In a large dutch oven, heat 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil and diced garlic. When you start to smell the garlic in the air, put bacons in. When you start to smell the bacon, add the sliced onion. Keep sauteing until the onion is really tender. Add carrots and celery. Saute for a minute or two.
7. Place all the stuffed cabbage in, making sure they are not on top of each other. Put canned tomatoes, water, and a bay leaf. Once the soup comes to boil, turn the heat down. Add a teaspoon of salt, a pinch of pepper, and mushrooms. Simmer for as long as you can until the cabbage is really tender.

For the side dish, I grilled fennel and spring onions and marinaded them with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Very simple, but really flavorful. Stuffed cabbage goes well with rice, but you can serve it with baguette or pasta. Enjoy!

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