Grub and Grubs

Stuffed cabbage

  • 1 cabbage (green or white)
  • 100g bulgar wheat
  • 500ml vegetable stock (or 1 stock cube and 500ml water)
  • 2 onions
  • 3-5 garlic cloves
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1tbsp thyme
  • 1tbsp rosemary
  • 1tbsp sage
  • 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
  • 100g cashew nuts
  • 1tbsp cashew butter (or peanut butter if that’s all you have)
  • 1.5 tsps fresh cracked black pepper or half a chilli pepper
  1. Bring the stock to the boil and add the bulgar wheat. Simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, then drain
  2. Preheat the oven to 180c
  3. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and prepare a bowl of cold water – add ice if you have it handy
  4. When the water is boiling put in the entire cabbage. Simmer for 5 minutes, then turn upside down and simmer again before removing it and letting it cool slightly
  5. Remove the first 10 leaves and cut a thin V an inch into the thick stalk running up the middle of each. This will help it roll neatly later
  6. Dice one of the onions as finely as you can and fry in some oil on a medium heat for a couple of minutes until just softened.
  7. Chop 2 of the garlic cloves, the red pepper, thyme and sage – again as fine as you can – and add it to the garlic. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes, then mix into the bulgar wheat and add salt to taste
  8. Take a large tablespoon of the mix and put in the middle of the cabbage. Fold the cut end of the leaf on top, then each side, then roll the rest of the way, ending up with a sausage roll shape
  9. Do this with the rest of the leaves and place them in an oven proof dish
  10. Dice the other onion and lightly fry in some oil until soft
  11. Add the remaining garlic, rosemary, black pepper (or chilli) and the cashews, and cook for about 5 minutes on medium until the garlic is just turning colour.
  12. Add the tinned tomatoes and cashew butter and cook on medium for another 5 minutes, then pour this sauce over the stuffed cabbage leaves
  13. Bake for 20 minutes