Cabbage...Says It All

In the olden days, one ate cabbage, turnips, and sweet potatoes in the fall and winter. You had no choice. You ate it or you went hungry.

Well, children nowadays have everything. They get peaches, lettuce, watermelon and everything else all year long. Don't get me wrong; I am all for progress. But does there come a time when progress is no longer progress? I say let's eat a few root vegetables and cool season crops this winter. They are usually inexpensive, low in calories, a good source of fiber, vitamins A, C and folate. They are just plain good for you, so eat up.

To help your winter vegetables go down a little easier, I am offering up a recipe for creamed cabbage. I told one of my colleagues that the only way my mother prepared cabbage was with pork fat. Her response was, "Well, I'd add some of that too". I left it out, but feel free to add bacon if you like.

Creamed Cabbage

Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients:

1 medium green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon grated ginger, heaping
2 Tablespoons butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat until it melts and starts to bubble. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Stir in ginger and cook for another minute.

2. Add cabbage and stir to coat cabbage with butter. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 to 20 minutes, until cabbage has softened and slightly browned.

3. Reduce heat and stir in cream. Scrape up any browned bits from bottom of the pan. Cover an cook on low for about 10 minutes. Remove the lid, taste for salt and pepper. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and cabbage is coated with cream.

A New Year, A New Start

I've been writing about starting to cook for quite some time. So far, I'm just short of preaching. I don't mean to nag. But I believe there is value in preparing one's food at home. Food is communal. We create memories in the kitchen. A lot of our lives revolve around the kitchen. 

For me cooking is creating. I like knowing that I can make something. And I do enjoy it when people like something I cook. I cook for my enjoyment and for the enjoyment of those I feed. All my dishes are not masterpieces or works of art. Sometimes I just need to get dinner on the table. So I have a few things like eggs and pasta that I frequently fall back on.

Convenience ingredients are great for getting meals on the table. Try rotisserie chicken, bagged salads, frozen vegetables (without sauce), canned beans, fresh pasta, and pre-made pizza dough.

If you need a scientific reason to cook, here's one. According to a paper published in Public Health Nutrition, adults who cooked dinner 0 - 1 times per week consumed 2300 calories on an average day. Those cooking 6 - 7 times per week consumed 2163 calories on an average day. While that is only 136 calories, multiply 136 calories by 365 days. Get the picture?

Here is my recipe to help you get started. It is a Stromboli.   A Stromboli is an Italian-American sandwich of pizza dough wrapped various fillings. I chose spinach, onions, ham and cheese. 

Spinach and Ham Stromboli

Serves 4.


Ingredients:

½ medium onion, chopped
Olive or vegetable oil
4 ounces deli ham
1 package (16 ounce) frozen chopped spinach
6 ounces grated cheese, about 1½ cups
1 container (13.8 ounce) refrigerated whole wheat pizza dough
Pizza sauce

Directions:

1.  Heat about one tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.

2.  Remove onion and set aside. Add ham to skillet. Cook until ham has dried out and begins to brown. Remove from skillet and set aside.
3. Add another tablespoon of oil to skillet. When oil is hot, add spinach. Cook until spinach until most of the water has evaporated. Set aside.
4.  Coat a work surface lightly with flour. Unroll dough onto floured surface.  Roll dough into a rectangle, about 11 X 14-inches.
5. Brush dough with oil. Top with cheese to within one inch of the edge.  Add onions, ham and spinach.
6. Roll dough up jellyroll fashion. Place bottom of dough on cookie sheet. Brush top of dough with oil. Bake at 400°F until crust browns, about 20 to 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Slice into 1-inch slices. Serve with pizza sauce.

Note: Onions, ham, and spinach can be cooked in advance (one to two days) and refrigerated until ready to use.