Monday, January 26, 2015

Please Cook the Cabbage


The challenge: to cook the cabbage.

Simple enough, isn't it? My mother loves cabbage. I have to admit that I like it just fine. But I'm so bored with cabbage! Yes, I do admit to liking stuffed cabbage rolls, but they're not a great busy day dish, unless of course, you made them ahead of time and froze them. Cabbage rolls fall in the same category as lasagna in my book. They're wonderful! But they both require a serious time commitment.

My mom buys cabbage, then hands it to me, and asks me to cook it. I have braised it, roasted it, made cabbage steaks, tried stews, and you know what? We didn't like any of them! Not even the recipe that claimed to be addictive. Nope, not for us. We were immune.

So in my grand quest for a cabbage recipe, I turned to Food Network. And topping the list was Ina Garten's sauteed cabbage. I like Ina. A lot. But seriously - sauteed cabbage? Yet it had a whopping 120 reviews and five stars.

It has four ingredients and that includes salt and pepper. How good could it be?

Really good. So good that I can't believe it's so simple. There I was, trying all these fancy things, and this recipe tops them all, proving once again that sometimes simple is just plain better! No tomato sauce, no apples, no vinegar or onions! Just cabbage.


from Food Network

1 small green cabbage or 1/2 large cabbage

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Cut the cabbage in very thin slices. No particular way, just cut until you reach the core. Discard the core. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the cabbage, the salt, and the pepper. Cook about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and it just starts to brown.



Slice it thin. You can't do this wrong.

Add salt and pepper,

Saute!

Simply delicious!



17 comments:

  1. Krista - Cabbage is one of those vegetables that keeps a long time, so I always have a head in the fridge (and, okay, I'm a noshing writer so I always have my head in the fridge for other reasons, too)! Thanks for sharing and stay cozy. We're in the path of the monster snowstorm, and we're battening down the hatches. For anyone in its path, be careful and stay safe!

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    1. Cleo, I hope it won't be as bad as they're predicting. Stay safe and warm!!! And check in with us to let us know you're okay!

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  2. Maybe Ina's got some Irish in her. I laugh when I read older Irish cookbooks, each with eight ways to combine cabbage and potatoes (and usually butter!). BTW, the newer cookbooks are great. And we do eat cabbage in our house.

    Yes, we get that same storm today, and tomorrow, and Wednesday, Cleo. We stocked up on staples yesterday, and I'm trying to figure out how many things to bake today. Keep warm, everyone!

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    1. You keep us posted, too, Sheila! Stay safe and warm. And eat your cabbage!

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  3. Everyone stay safe and warm!

    This looks delightfully simple and tasty. Well done.

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    1. Libby, we were blown away by this. It's so simple and easy yet it bet all the fancy recipes I had tried. I love that it's a quick fix, too. No long cooking required. Anyone can make this fast on a busy day or after work!

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  4. This is delicious. The only thing better is Haluski, cabbage cooked this way combined with cooked and drained Kluski noodles. You can add onions to the cabbage if you want but not necessary. The Kluski noodles are thicker, more dense, and a perfect foil for the cabbage.

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    1. I have never heard of Kluski noodles! Just looked them up. Haluski sounds wonderful. I have to try it! : D

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  5. Yum! I need to go buy some cabbage now...

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    1. You'll be glad you did, Elaine. It's really good!

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  6. Mr. Right is not a big fan of cabbage, so I'll try this this weekend when he's away. Stay warm and safe, eastern friends!

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  7. When I live in Germany, it was Rotkohl (purple cabbage) fried with onions and apples. It is really good and it would be served with wurst.

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    1. It's so good, Deb. My recipe for Rotkohl or Blaukraut is here somewhere. I make it all the time! But, alas without the yummy wurst!

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  8. Isn't it amazing how butter, salt and pepper, can change the flavor of just about any veggie? Love how easy this is. Was discussing Ina the other day with my TV-food show loving hubby. :)

    Daryl / Avery

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  9. I am not a fan of you know what, but I will try this and soon too. Thanks for another great take on cooking!

    Hugs.,

    MJ (a day late and a dollar short)

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  10. I cooked the cabbage this way and then I added some flour and then added some milk and I had soup! And then I added the leftover peas from the fridge. Yum! That was really tasty soup!

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