Cabbage'alicious!

Available year-round here in California, cabbage is a perfect budget-friendly choice for salads, soups, stews and roasts. It’s also a superfood! A member of the Cruciferae family (along with kale, broccoli, collards, and brussels sprouts), there are over 400 cabbage varieties available with the three most familiar being green, red, Napa and Savoy.

With their high levels of antioxidants (vitamin C, manganese), polyphenols, and sulfuric compounds, cabbage plays a large role in reducing inflammation and in the prevention of cancer. This is some fantastic news since cancer is on the verge of overtaking heart disease as the No. 1 cause of death. Cabbage contains a variety of nutrients of potential benefit to our stomach and intestinal linings and those which help regulate our microbiome (more on this fascinating topic in a future post!). Finally, their high fiber content helps to lower our cholesterol and aids in our achieving a healthy weight!

I can go on and on…..but I will stop. Per the research, it is suggested that adults aim for at least 5 weekly servings of cruciferous vegetables. So now....how to add more cabbage (and other cruciferous veggies) into our diet??

Every Saturday Albert and I visit out local farmer’s market and cabbage is always on the menu. Below are my three go-to cabbage recipes plus one I would like to make more of. Try these babies out and let me know how you like ‘em! And please, share with me in the comments section below YOUR favorite cabbage recipes! I'm all ears!

Roasted Pork & Cabbage
I made this recipe up and therefore have never recreated it exactly, but it's OK since every time I make it again it still blows my mind! (Just make sure not to overcook the tenderloin!)

• Marinate a 1-1 ½ pound pork tenderloin in your favorite marinade overnight (we enjoy marinating our meats in a combo of soy sauce, sesame oil, chili sauce, brown sugar and lemon, but please let your imagination run wild!)
• Roughly chop up a small head of green cabbage into ½ inch chunks
• Chop up 3-4 carrots in similar sized chunks
• Spread the vegetables on the bottom of a foil-rimed baking pan sprinkled w/ olive oil, salt, pepper and red chili flakes
• Plop the marinated pork on top
• Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. Check the internal temperature and take it out once it hits 140 degrees.
• Enjoy!!!

Emeril Lagasse’s Chipotle Slaw
This recipe accompanied in his fried catfish taco recipe (which is delicious baked!). When we first made this recipe, the slaw was the true star and I now make it at least bi-weekly. Great with any grilled/baked protein!
Chipotle Slaw
2 teaspoons chipotle chiles in adobo, finely chopped (found in the canned foods section at any grocery store)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 cup white cabbage, shredded
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup green onion, chopped

Spicy Buckwheat Soba Noodle Salad with Thai-Style Peanut Dressing
Buckwheat is a great source of fiber and manganese and a provides a more nutty taste than wheat pasta. The peanut dressing in this recipe is finger-licking good and I typically add twice as much carrots and cabbage! Though it might take a few ingredients you may not have typically have on hand, like red curry paste, once you make the investment you’ll be inspired to find more recipes to use them up! I love making red thai curry with kabocha squash with the extra curry paste myself!  

Homemade Sauerkraut (Kapusta)
Fermented foods are powerhouses that contain beneficial probiotics, digestive enzymes, and health-boosting nutrients. I have had the honor of making Kapusta with Albert's folks before and aspire to make this tangy and healthful fermented food myself more often. Perhaps this weekend...

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