Friday 9 February 2007

Cabbage and Bacon Gratin


One of the great things about having your veggies delivered is that you never quite know what you're going to be having for dinner that week - I struck it lucky this time with red onions and a savoy cabbage. Cabbage is extremely high in Vitamins, especially C, K, B1, B2 and B6. It is also very high in folic acid, omega 3 oils, dietary fibre and a whole host of minerals including calcium and potassium. Using the leftover bacon in the fridge after making soup, this has to be one of my favourite ways of cooking cabbage and it goes really nicely with sausages and gravy - mine were Waitrose gluten-free, 'Cambridge style' sausages!

1 Medium Cabbage (any kind would work, roughly sliced)
1 Red Onion (cut in half and sliced)
4 Rashers Back Bacon (sliced into thin strips)
3 Medium Potatoes (peeled and sliced into discs)
1 tsp Minced Garlic
2 tbsp Oil (I use Groundnut)
1 Handful Cheddar Cheese (grated)
Salt & Pepper

Serves 3-4
Preheat oven to 180 Celcius

1) Boil sliced potatoes in lightly salted water for approximately 5 minutes until slightly softened, drain and put to one side.

2) Fry garlic and onions in a little of the oil, add bacon and cook until just browning. Season and set aside.

3) Fry the chopped cabbage with the remaining oil until just starting to soften, add the onion and bacon mixture and stir well.

4) Tip into a well-buttered oven dish, arrange potato slices on top, sprinkle with cheese and pepper.

5) Bake for approximately 30 minute until the top is golden and the potatoes are tender (oven-bakes sausages should take about the same length of time so put them in together).