Hotchi Potchi

We have had the pleasure of being invited to Ukrainian Christmas Dinner by friends of ours, and we really enjoyed the "Голубцы". When we tried to recreate them at home, however, we could remember neither an accurate recipe nor the word "holobtsi".

So with apologies to the Ukraine, I present to you Hotchi Potchi, an easy supper for 3.

Ingredients (serves 3)

1 savoy cabbage

1 red pepper

1 onion

1 pack of bacon

150g of rice (3 helpings, about a cup)

Handful of pine nuts

Olive oil for frying (other oils are available, but why would you not use olive oil?)

Method

Set rice to boil.

Boil cabbage whole.

Chop the onion, pepper, and bacon into tiny pieces and fry with pine nuts.

Mix rice into frying pan.

Drain cabbage thoroughly. (Perhaps soak in cold water to avoid scalding your fingers, if you're heating the dish again later.)

Peel off cabbage leaves & put into each a couple of spoons of rice mixture. Roll them up starting at the base of the stalk.

Serve immediately, or put in the oven for 40-60 minutes to crisp up, perhaps brushed with olive oil.

The rice mixture is relatively plain - I'm sure you could do interesting variations with white sauce, oil, herbs or spices. But the combination of oily onion and bacon with boiled rice and cabbage works well.