April -- Cabbage

Cabbage is a leafy green or purple biennial plant.  It is closely related to broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, kohlrabi and Brussels sprouts.

Cabbage was most likely domesticated somewhere in Europe before 1000 BC.  By the Middle Ages, it was an important part of European cuisine.  Russia has the highest per capita consumption of cabbage at 44 lbs, Belgium at 10 lbs, The Netherlands at 8.8 lbs, Spain at 4.2 lbs and The United States at 8.6 lbs.  In ancient times cabbage was used as a laxative, an antidote for mushroom poisoning, eye salves, liniments to help bruises heal and to cure hangovers.  Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin K.  It is also a good source of vitamin B6 and folate.   

Cabbage is prepared and consumed in many ways.  It can be eaten raw, steamed, pickled, sauteed, or braised.  Be warned, though! Some people suffer intestinal gas after eating cooked cabbage, but the gas is something the sufferers have made, not something in the cabbage. It's the product of bacterial action on the cabbage's rich dose of fiber.

---

Ethiopian Cabbage Dish   (adapted from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 4 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp black pepper (or to taste)
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp ginger
• ½ head cabbage, shredded
• 5 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• For protein:  Add 1 can garbanzo beans or chopped Morningstar sausage patties.

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Cook the carrots, (Morningstar sausage patties_ and onion in the hot oil about 5 minutes.  Stir in the salt, seasonings, cabbage and cook another 15 minutes.  Add the potatoes; (can of drained garbanzo beans) cover.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are soft, 20-30 minutes.

Serve with Naan bread (my family loves this!)   Serves: 5  

---

---

Red Cabbage & Chickpea Salad  (adapted from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 (16oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup chopped red cabbage
• ½ cup chopped tomato
• ¼ cup chopped onion (can use green onions)
• ½ cup thinly sliced carrots
• ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
• 1 tsp cumin
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• ¼ cup Tahini salad dressing or other options:  sesame seed and sesame oil  or balsamic salad dressing.

Directions:
Combine chickpeas, red cabbage, tomato, and rest of ingredients.  Toss with salad dressing until ingredients are evenly coated.

Serves: 2   Calories 360

---

---

Mexican Cabbage Soup  (adapted from eatingwell.com)

Ingredients:

• ​2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped poblano or green bell pepper
• 5 large cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups sliced cabbage
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 4 cups water
• 2 (15 oz) pinto or black beans rinsed
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• Crumbled queso fresco, plain Greek yogurt and/or diced avocado for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot (8 quart or larger) over medium heat.  Add onions, carrot, celery, poblano (or bell pepper) and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes.  Add cabbage; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 10 minutes more.  Add tomato paste, chipotle, cumin and coriander; cook, stirring for 1 minutes more.
2. Add broth, water, beans and salt.  Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and live juice.  Serve garnished with cheese, yogurt and/or avocado, if desired.  

Serves: 8       Calories: 174       Exchanges:  2 ½ vegetables, 1 starch, ½ fat, ½ lean protein

---

---

Moroccan-Spiced Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls   (adapted from hellolittlehome.com)

Ingredients:

For Filling:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp cayenne
• 1 cup quinoa
• ⅓ cup golden raisins
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (15oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

For Sauce:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp salt
• 1.2 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp cayenne
• 1 (28 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ cup chopped parsley

For Rolls:

• 1 large head cabbage

Instructions:

Prepare filling:

1. Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat
2. Add onion to oil and saute until edges begin to brown
3. Stir garlic and spices into onion
4. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant (about 20 seconds)
5. Add quinoa, golden raisins, and broth to onion mixture.
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cover pot
7. Cook until quinoa is tender, about 15-20 minutes
8. Remove quinoa from heat and stir in chickpeas and cilantro
9. Season to taste with salt & pepper.  Set aside to cool

Prepare sauce:

1. While quinoa is cooking, heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat
2. Add garlic & spices.  Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant (about 30 seconds)
3. Add tomato sauce & sugar into garlic mixture
4. Heat to a simmer, then cover pan
5. Reduce heat to low and simmer sauce for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Turn off heat, stir in parsley, and season to taste with salt.  Set aside to cool.

Assemble cabbage rolls:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. While quinoa and sauce cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
3. Remove core from cabbage and discard
4. Add cabbage to boiling water and cook for 5 minutes
5. Carefully remove cabbage from water, then remove tender outer leaves.
6. Set leaves aside & return cabbage to boiling water.
7. Cook for a couple minutes, then remove cabbage from water and peel off more leaves.
8. Repeat process until you have 12 large cabbage leaves.  Set aside until cool enough to handle.
9. Cover bottom of a 9 X 13 inch baking dish with a thin layer of tomato sauce.
10. Trim any thick stems from leaves.  Do not cut completely through leaf.
11. Place a leave on a flat surface with the stem end facing you.
12. Top leave with 1/12 of the quinoa mixture
13. Fold stem end over filling, fold in sides, and then roll up leave completely. (Similar to how you would fold a burrito)
14. Place rolls, seam side down in baking dish
15. Repeat process with remaining cabbage leaves.
16. Pour remaining tomato sauce over cabbage rolls.
17. Cover pan with tin foil and bake until hot, about 30 minutes
18. Serve cabbage rolls immediately.  Enjoy!

Yields: 12 cabbage rolls

---

---

Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing  (adapted from onceuponchef.com)
Ingredients:
For the Thai Peanut Dressing:

• ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 2 ½ Tbsp sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 inch square piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves

For the Salad:

• 4 cups chopped Napa cabbage or shredded coleslaw mix (toss in a little shredded red cabbage for color)
• 1 cup prepared shredded carrots
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 1 small English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 cup cooked and shelled edamame
• 2 medium green onions thinly sliced
• 1 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro

Directions;

For the dressing, combine all of the ingredients except for the cilantro in a blender and process until completely smooth.  Add the cilantro and blend for a few seconds until the cilantro is finely chopped.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  

For the salad, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine.  If serving right away, drizzle the peanut dressing over top and toss; otherwise, serve the dressing on the side so the salad does not get soggy.
Serves: 4
Calories: 282

---