Easy Roll Cabbage

Have you heard of cabbage being soporific, meaning you can actually sleep better upon eating a lot of cabbage?   Well, i don't quite feel it that way when i eate cabbage.  I like cabbage because it contains lots of vitamins and here in Japan cabbage is a popular vegetables in early spring, usually cooked in soup or other hot dishes - believed to have a positive effect on skin and boost antibody against cold or minor illness.

Serve 2

Ingredients

6 slices of cabbage (big and round)

200 gram of minced pork (choose a less fatty one if you are concerned about fat level)

1/2 finely cut onions

4-6 pcs of shiitake mushrooms (alternatively you can use other type of mushrooms available)

1 tbsp of butter

1/4 tsp of salt

a little pepper

a slice of laurel (leave)

100 ml of water (i prefer using 200 ml of chicken broth or Japanese broth)

100 ml of tomato puree (use fresh tomatoes if you like, but it takes time, i usually use canned tomato puree)

variation: half boiled broccoli, white radish

salt and pepper to season the soup

1 tbsp of butter at the end of cooking for creamier taste 

How to make:

1. Prepare 6 slices (or more if  you like) cabbage leaves, by first cutting the core of cabbage, then peel out the cabbage leaves slowly so that you do not break the leaves unnecessarily

2. Boil these slices of cabbages in water until it becomes softer (but make sure you do not overcook it in boiling water)

3. Prepare minced meat, finely chop/mince mushrooms and onions -> put all these mixture together and add seasoning

4. Take each cabbage leave and wrap about two tablespoon of mixture nicely so that when you boil them the roll cabbage will stay in its shape.  Place them into a pot.

5. Pour the soup and bring it to boil then pour tomato pure into the pot.  For variation, you can add already half boiled broccoli and white radish, and a few sausages will make the soup taste even better

6. Taste it and adjust with seasoning at the end