I love to make well known, classic recipes even healthier. Like for example everyone’s favorite dish, lasagna. In this recipe, I have substituted the pasta with a very Nordic ingredient, cabbage. And it is actually surprisingly good! I use ricotta instead of bechamel sauce to make the lasagna more firm, because the cabbage will make the lasagna a bit more watery than a normal lasagna.
Ingredients
14 oz. minced beef
1 onion
1 stalk celery
2 garlic cloves
¾ cup diced tomatoes
1 small dash tomato concentrate
¾ cup water
1 tbsp . oregano
1 tbsp . thyme
1 tbsp . balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp . apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
½ red chilli, finely chopped
16 oz ricotta
Nutmeg
Black Pepper to taste
5 oz grated mozzarella
1 cabbage
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375 °F
2. Take out the bottom of the core of the cabbage. Place the whole cabbage into a large pot of simmering water. Every 45 to a minute, the leaves will start to separate from the whole cabbage. Go through the leaves and pick out the best ones to us, should be around 15 leaves. Transfer them to paper towel to drain. Let cool.
3. Put olive oil in a pan, a swirl or two around the pan is good. Add the onion, celery and garlic (Hint, do not burn the garlic, it will add a very bitter taste to the dish) and sauté slowing until transparent in colour.
4. Add the minced beef and brown well. Add chopped tomatoes, tomato concentrate and a little water. Add the dried spices, finely chopped chilli and let simmer for 5-10 minutes.
5. Season to taste with apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, salt and sugar and simmer until cooked through.
6. Meanwhile mix the ricotta with fresh grated nutmeg and black pepper. Layer the ingredients in this pattern. Layer the meat sauce in the bottom of an ovenproof dish. Add a layer of cabbage leaves. Add a layer of ricotta. Another layer of meat sauce, etc.. Continue the same procedure until you finish off with a layer of meat sauce.
7. Bake lasagna in the oven for approx. 35 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the lasagna and sprinkle with grated mozarella cheese. Put the lasagna back in the oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes more. Take lasagna out and let stand for approx. 10 minutes. Serve with a sprig of fresh oregano, pea sprouts and top it off with a few drops of good olive oil. Yield 4 Servings.
Credit: Foodista