Poland: Golumki Stew

Ok, so my first choice of country isn't completely random, since I'm Polish American.  But it's good to start with what you know, right? Where I'm from in Pennsylvania, golumki are also known as "Pigs in the Blanket" or "Piggies". A traditional Polish dish, golumki are made with rice and ground pork or beef, wrapped in a cabbage leaf. They are then baked, usually in a tomato sauce. Making golumki can be a time-consuming process, and if you're someone like me that lacks coordination and patience, cabbage leaves can be pretty difficult to work with.

This stew has the same ingredients as your traditional golumki, but rather than taking the time to carefully wrap each piggie, you just throw your ingredients together in a pot. Tastes (almost) as good, with a lot less effort. Here's what you'll need:

1.25 lb ground beef
1 small head of cabbage
1 medium white onion
Approximately 5 carrots
2-3 cloves garlic
2 cans of diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 small (6 oz.) can of tomato paste
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves
Water
Fresh dill
Rice (cooked)
Rye bread

Step 1: Chop the carrots, cabbage, and about a quarter of the onion into bite size pieces. Put them in a large pot with the cans of diced tomatoes, tomatoes paste, bay leaves, and a few pinches of chopped dill. Step 2: Add water. The water should just barely cover the vegetables in the pot. For a thicker stew, use less water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Step 3: Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft.
Step 4: Meanwhile, finely chop the garlic and remainder of the onion. Sauté in a pan with the ground beef. Cook until brown.
Step 5: Add the ground beef mixture to your pot. Add salt and pepper and adjust to taste. Serve over rice with fresh dill as a garnish. Rye bread for dipping is a MUST, butter optional.

Enjoy!

As a side note, if you want a better way to cook rice than the instructions on the packaging will tell you, visit the below link, courtesy of Summer Tomato. This is how I always cook my rice now, and I've never been disappointed.
Simple Gourmet: Rice for Dummies