A not-quite successful Pinterest recipe - Hamburger Cabbage Stir Fry

Every once in a while I really get a hankering for a good cabbage casserole.  It reminds me of my Grama & Grampa.  Grama used to make it, and then after she got sick, Grampa would make it (just not quite so successfully - it usually had some hard rice in it, but he tried  <3  ).

So when I saw a recipe recently for a Hamburger Cabbage Stir Fry, I thought I'd try it.  Looked simple enough.

1 pound ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small head of of cabbage, chopped
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP sesame oil (I have toasted sesame oil and thought it added a nice flavor)
Pinch of powdered ginger
Pinch of cayenne, optional
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp Splenda
1 bunch green onions, chopped

In a very large skillet or wok, brown the ground beef with the garlic and a little salt and pepper.  DO NOT drain the ground beef.  Add the cabbage and mushrooms.  Stir-fry until the cabbage is tender-crisp.  Add all remaining ingredients and heat through.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Now, I will admit, I forgot the splenda (or sugar), and I didn't buy the green onions because they looked very sad at the store.

But, I would say that the result was very...  meh.  Not great, terribly salty (even tho I did use low-sodium soy sauce), and just something I don't believe I would make again.  But Jeff ate two bowls, and took the leftovers to work for lunch one day.  So it couldn't have been too bad, right?

I guess I just need to find Grama's recipe and make the dish of my childhood.

And something not quite related - I want to try roasted cabbage, but don't like caraway or fennel seeds.  Can anyone make a recommendation on seasoning?