Cabbage Beyond the Corned Beef Side Dish!
March 25, 2015
Do you buy cabbage year round or only think of it as March’s corned beef and cabbage meal? Cabbage is rich in nutrients and antioxidants and very low calorie. Why not start adding it to your meals more often?
Here are 5 great ideas to ways to incorporate cabbage to your recipes year round.
Try a BCT:
A bacon, cabbage and tomato sandwich? Yes, why not? It’s crunchy and delicious to add a thin leaf of cabbage instead of lettuce.
Sautéed:
Cabbage sautéed in oil or butter is delicious. What an easy side dish to any meat or rice or pasta vegetarian meal. Sauté cabbage on medium low heat in a little olive oil or butter. Salt and pepper generously to bring out the flavor. Serve before it’s too soft while a touch of crunch remains. My kids even ate this one with no complaining!
Roasted:
Use olive oil to roast cabbage until it’s soft and lightly browned on the edges. Season with salt and pepper and add some finely chopped garlic. Try garnishing with sweetened cranberries and a touch of feta cheese for a delightful mix of flavors. Cabbage can be grilled too and is delicious in a mildly spicy lime dressing or a flavorful mustard based vinaigrette
Shred It:
Use cabbage along with lettuce as a base for salads. Shred it finely. It’s more crunchy and hearty than many lettuces and adds a nice texture. Choose green, red or both. Toss with a mix of equal parts honey, cider or red wine vinegar and olive oil. Add salt and pepper and poppy seeds. It’s a wonderful combination with grilled chicken or a burger.
Shredded red and green cabbage, shredded carrots, sunflower seeds and raisins tossed in a vinaigrette like ginger, red wine or lime makes for another nice year round colorful side dish full of nutrients.
Cabbage Rolls:
Simmer meat in a red sauce and then stuff in a large firm cabbage leaf. Roll it up or try a taco version using taco seasoning and served with sour cream.
It’s always great to think out of the box and try new recipes with foods as healthy and delicious as the humble cabbage. It’s not expensive either and can accompany many different cuisines.