Bacon-stuffed Cabbage

(SERVES 4)

• 12 large cabbage leaves
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 8 lean rashers (slices) streaky bacon, rinded and finely chopped
• 225 g/8 oz mushrooms, chopped
• 25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp low-fat spread
• 75 g/3 oz/ 1/3 cup long-grain rice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2.5 ml/ ½ tsp dried mixed herbs
• 2 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
• 300 ml/ ½ pt/ ¼ cups water
• 300 ml/ ½ pt/ ¼ cups passata (sieved tomatoes)
• 60 ml/4 tbsp very low-fat quark

To Serve:

• 450 g/1 1b potatoes, plain boiled

Cook the cabbage leaves in slightly salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Cut out any very thick central stalk. Fry (sauté) the onion, bacon and mushrooms in the low-fat spread in a large flameproof casserole (Dutch oven) for 5 minutes. Add the rice, a little salt and pepper, the herbs, tomatoes and half the water and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring, until all the water has been absorbed. Divide the filling between the cabbage leaves. Fold in the sides and roll up. Pack into the casserole in a single layer. Blend the passata with the remaining water and pour over. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour or until the cabbage parcels are really tender and the rice has absorbed a lot of the liquid so the parcels are bathed in a rich sauce. Spoon on to warmed plates and garnish each with 15ml/1 tbsp quark. Serve with plain boiled potatoes.