Grannies in blankets

"Meatballs are one of my ultimate comfort foods, and in this dish I've snuggled them into blanched cabbage leaves and smothered them with a creamy lemony sauce," says cookbook author Jane-Anne Hobbs. "Cabbage is underrated, if it's cooked imaginatively the pickiest child will show interest."

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

12 outer leaves from a cabbage

(or baby savoy leaves)

2 lemons

Salt and milled pepper, to taste

1 large onion, peeled

900g beef mince

1 extra-large free-range egg, lightly beaten

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely grated

45ml (3 tbsp) Greek yoghurt

7.5ml (1½ tsp) nutmeg

15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil

30ml (2 tbsp) white wine vinegar

250ml (1 cup) cream

60ml (4 tbsp) finely chopped parsley

Butter, for greasing

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Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 170°C.

2) Trim the lower ribs of the cabbage leaves. Bring a saucepan of water to a rolling boil, then add a wedge of lemon and a pinch of salt. Plunge the leaves in, partially cover with a lid and blanch for 7-9 minutes or until the leaves are wilted. Drain (reserving the poaching water), then run the leaves under cold water and set aside to drain further.

3) Grate the onion to create a soft, juicy pulp. Tip into a mixing bowl and add the mince, egg, garlic, yoghurt, nutmeg and the zest of 1 lemon, plus seasoning. Combine well then roll into 12 balls the size of a golf ball.

4) Heat olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and brown the meatballs over a medium-high heat - they should be nicely caramelised, but still raw on the inside. Set the meatballs aside.

5) Turn up the heat and add the vinegar, plus half a cup of the cabbage poaching liquid. Let this bubble vigorously for 3-5 minutes, or until it has reduced by half. Remove the pan from the heat, wait a minute, then stir in the cream.

6) Return the pan to a medium heat and let the sauce bubble for 1 minute, stirring now and then, until it has slightly thickened. Now stir in the juice of half a lemon and the parsley and set aside.

7) Pat the cabbage leaves very dry on kitchen paper. Tuck a leaf around each meatball and arrange in a buttered baking dish. Pour the sauce around and over the cabbage parcels and cover the dish loosely with tin foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the "grannies" are cooked right through.

Nutritional value per serving:

Energy 514 kcal

Protein 33g

Fat 39g

Carbs 7g

Ratio 1.0:1

Recipe and images courtesy of ‘Real Food, Healthy, Happy Children: the low-carb solution for the whole family’, by Kath Megaw (Quivertree, R335)