This post is the second installment in a series on coloring up the plate with vegetables.
First Post: Baked Winter Squash with Honey Sour Cream
Third Post: Thai Stir Fry with Chicken and Butternut Squash
Orchid, fuschia, magenta, cerise, rose, mulberry - I just can't get enough of reddish-purple colors. Easy enough to find in the closet (especially mine), but these hues are little more challenging to put on the plate, especially in the form of vegetables. That's where red cabbage comes in.
The beautiful red to purple colors of this type of cabbage come from flavanoid pigments called anthocyanins. Red in fruits and veggies, usually indicates healthful properties, as is the case with anthocyanins, which have been shown to reduce risk for certain types of cancers.
You might notice when you cook cabbage (or beets for that matter) that the liquid turns vivid pink. As the plant cell walls break down with heat, water-soluble nutrients, including anthocyanins, leach into the water. So the shorter the cooking time, the better, in terms of protecting nutrients. From an aesthetic perspective, short cooking time helps preserve texture and flavor of the cabbage. To maintain a red-pink color, you can add a small amount of an acid-based ingredient, such as lemon juice, to the cooking water.
Inexpensive and easy to store, cabbage is a mainstay vegetable in many different cultures. This quick and easy recipe is Asian influenced and goes well with tenderloin roast as well as grilled steak or fish.
Yield: 6 servings
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
1 head red cabbage
2 T lemon juice
1/2 c water
1 t white sesame seeds
1 t black sesame seeds
2 T canola oil
1 tsp sesame oil
2 T rice vinegar
1 T sugar
1/2 t salt
Slice cabbage head in quarters vertically. Use a grater to shred the cabbage or slice thinly with a knife. Place in 2 quart sauce pan. Add water and 2 T rice vinegar.
Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.
Toast sesame seeds in a small saute pan for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Add sesame seeds and dressing to cabbage and toss. Can be served warm or at room temperature.
Per-serving Nutritional Profile:
Calories, 90
Fat, 6 g
Saturated Fat, .5 g
Cholesterol, 0 mg
Carbs, 10 g
Dietary Fiber, 3 g
Protein, 2 g
Sodium, 230 mg
Vitamin A, 0% Daily Value
Vitamin C, 60% Daily Value
Calcium, 4% Daily Value
Iron, 4% Daily Value
Photo Credit: Top photo, Fotolia
