BEEF FILLED CABBAGE ROLLS

INGREDIENTS: 2 cups cooked rice 1 tablespoon butter 1 medium onion, finely diced 2 cups celery, diced 4 middle bacon rashers, diced 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped 1kg beef mince 1 tablespoon chopped thyme 1/2 cup chopped parsley 1/4 cup pine nuts 1 cup grated parmesan cheese 2 teaspoons sea salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 large green cabbage head 400ml tomato pasta sauce 2 tablespoons sour cream

METHOD: Preheat oven to 180°C.

Place large frying pan over medium heat, add butter and once melted add onion, celery and bacon and cook for 5 min- utes. Add garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Set aside.

Place beef mince in a large mixing bowl, add thyme, parsley, pine nuts, parmesan, rice, the onion and bacon mixture, then season with the salt and pepper. Mix well.

Place a large stock pot filled 2/3rds with water over high heat and bring to the boil.

Place cabbage on flat surface and remove core by taking a paring knife and deeply cutting around the edge of the core in a square shape and remove.

Place cabbage in boiling water, as the leaves become soft they will be easily removed.

You will need 12 whole cabbage leaves.

Place a cabbage leaf on a flat surface, take about 1/2 cup of mince mixture and form a log at the base of the leaf then roll in edges and roll the leaf onto itself to enclose mixture completely. Place in casserole dish.

Repeat with remaining mixture until there is no more space left in the casserole dish.

Mix tomato pasta sauce with about 2 cups of boiling water, depending on the size of your casserole dish, mix and pour over the cabbage rolls, immersing them completely in the liquid.

Top with extra cabbage leaves. Place lid on casserole dish, place in oven and bake for at least 60 minutes to around 90 minutes.

Cabbage leaves should be soft when ready.

To serve, mix 2 cups of tomato juice from the casserole with sour cream. Pour over cabbage rolls, garnish with parsley, serve warm. SERVES: 6 TIME: 2 hours