Recipe: Almost No Fuss Stuffed Cabbage (using ground beef and rice)

ALMOST NO FUSS STUFFED CABBAGE

1 cabbage
3 to 4 onions, sliced in half-rings
Oil
1 lb ground beef
1 cup uncooked rice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (1 lb) can whole tomatoes, mashed
Water (as needed)
Juice from 1 lemon

Wrap cabbage well in microwaveable plastic (the same sort used to cover dishes). Microwave for 7-10 minutes, depends on your microwave power. The cabbage should soften but not by too cooked. Leave to cool until can be handled.

Saute onions until in oil very light golden; keep the oil.

In a bowl, mix meat with uncooked rice, seasoning, onion and some of the oil used for frying the onions; set aside.

Separate carefully cabbage leaves, trying not to wound them. Put aside about 15-20 leaves. Chop coarsely the remaining cabbage, and spread at the bottom of a wide pot.

Put 1 to 2 tablespoons of meat mixture into each leaf. Roll, fold in sides, and then roll to the end. (The idea is that the rolled leaves will be compact, but not too tight, to make room for rice to expand.) Arrange rolled leaves on chopped cabbage in pot.

If any meat mixture is left over, make meat balls and arrange inside pot as well. If any leaves are left over, it means you over indulged on filling, nevertheless chop them and fill in pot.

Pour tomatoes over everything. Cover with water. Cook on very low heat - the longer the better - at least 1 1/2 hours. About 1/2 hour before the end, squeeze juice form 1 lemon (or more if you like) over.

Makes about 15-20 stuffed leaves
Source: Food Down Under