Healthy Fozelek

While visiting a Hungarian friend recently, I was served a traditional Central European dish called kelkaposzta fozelek . “Try this,” said Eva Szoboszlai. “It’s one of my favorite dishes and it’s very healthy.” It was a delicious vegetable stew made up of savoy cabbage, potatoes and seasonings.

Our low-fat version of this recipe uses nonfat chicken broth, rather than water or a high-fat stock, for flavor. Also, only a minimum amount of butter is used for sauteing, to keep the fat low. Kelkaposzta fozelek is delicious served with a dollop of nonfat sour cream and a sprinkle of Hungarian paprika. Don’t worry about any leftovers; it tastes even better the second day.

CABBAGE AND POTATOES ( Kelkaposzta Fozelek )

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons butter

1 (2-pound) head savoy cabbage, shredded

3 (14-1/2 ounce) cans fat-free chicken broth

2 baking potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt, pepper

1 tablespoon flour

Chopped parsley

In large sauce pan saute onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon butter until tender. Add shredded cabbage. Cook and stir until cabbage starts to become tender. Add chicken broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add potatoes, paprika and cumin. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Blend together remaining 1 tablespoon butter and flour in small bowl. Blend into bubbling liquid. Cook and stir until liquid thickens slightly. To serve, spoon into large flat bowl and garnish with parsley.

Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains:

107 calories; 536 mg sodium; 8 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 1.23 grams fiber.