Sautéed Purple Cabbage
So much rosemary in everything this week- can you tell I got a bunch on my last farmer's market run? Just for garnish here though!
Have you ever thought about how grapes are called red grapes and not purple grapes? Same thing with red cabbage. It might only be me, but I've always called them purple grapes and purple cabbage- because they are way more visually purple than they are red.
Anyhow. If there's anything specific that Koreans know better than dare I say anyone else in the world, it's cabbage. Hello, kimchi. So when I was growing up and the other non-Korean kids would groan and make sad faces when the word cabbage was mentioned, I never understood it the disdain for it. But then again, they were probably having dinky, flavorless green cabbage soup and processed factory cole slaw- that is definitely allowed to elicit a sad face.
Okay, it is slightly redder when raw... Isn't Mother Nature a genius though? Look at that pattern/color! Nerd moment.
Today, I'm not posting about kimchi though- I am sharing one of my best simplest ways to cook purple cabbage. It is one of my favorite veggies to prep to have on hand during the entire week because it keeps rather well in the fridge for a few days, and it instantly adds an element of satiety, texture, and flavor to any meal. Especially during times where I am staying a lower side of carb intake, I will put protein atop a pile of my sautéed purple cabbage as a sub for grains or noodles.
Purple cabbage is rich in nutrients, particularly antioxidants than it's lighter-colored family members thanks to that beautifully deep pigmentation. It is very low-calorie (1 cup raw= 25 calories) and 1/3 of its carb content comes from dietary fiber. In 1 cup, you can get about 85% of your daily vitamin C requirements too. Cooking the cabbage kills off some of the vitamin C and other nutrients, but also boosts the antioxidant levels (and anti-inflammatory benefits!).
You'll be surprised at how full this makes you too! If you've never tried purple cabbage, give it a shot. I made this in college once for one of my best friends during a roommate dinner, and she can be picky- but she became hooked on it and proclaimed it tasted like pasta... I wouldn't go that far, but I guess it reminded her of it because I used butter and a decent amount of garlic at the time?
Because we need another close up.
Sautéed Purple Cabbage
*makes a lot of servings: 4-6?
Ingredients
1 medium head of Purple Cabbage
2 tbsp Garlic Powder
Choice of EVOO, Coconut Oil, or Butter-
(approx 2-3 tbsp)
Recipe
1. Rinse cabbage and remove looser outer leaves until you reach tightly packed layers.
2. *Warning: chopping this is very messy
Lay cabbage head on its side, so its base/stem/roots is facing out to your left (if you are holding the knife in your right hand). Carefully slice rings of cabbage, about 1/2- 1 cm thick.
3. Heat up skillet to medium-high heat. Add 1/2 of whatever oil/butter you are using, and sprinkle a tiny bit of garlic powder on surface.
4. Using your hands, break up the cabbage rings so they naturally fall into slice-like pieces (as seen in second photo above).
5. Place cabbage onto skillet, and cook until color is rich purple and cabbage is tender (approximately 8 or so minutes, pending on amount of cabbage) but still a bit crunchy. Stir about every minute and continue adding rest of garlic powder and other half of oil/butter to evenly coat all cabbage.
6. Remove from heat, plate, cool, and serve!
