Cabbage Patch Kid

3 recipes that do the cruciferous queen justice: Brothy Coconutty Greens & Fish over Coconut Rice, Spicy Cabbage-Wrapped Shrimp Rolls, and Garlicky Miso Chicken & Cabbage

Since the inception of diet culture in America - which I imagine has been around longer than we’ve been documenting it - we’ve been constantly bombarded with health advice that inevitably contradicts itself. We bow down to oat milk one day, then ghost it for whole milk the next. Who even makes these rules?

Michael Pollan - the one who should be making the rules - said it best: Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Food, meaning actual whole foods, not weird food-like products that come in aluminum bags and last forever. Not too much, meaning mindful eating and resisting America’s compulsive snacking culture. Mostly plants, as in eat your damn vegetables. Fill your plate with them first (the greener, the better), which brings me to today’s unsung hero: CABBAGE.

The 1950s cabbage soup fad diet really did this vegetable dirty. If you’re unfamiliar, it allowed you to “indulge” in unlimited cabbage soup (soggy cabbage and bell peppers floating in a sad tomato juice & boxed onion soup mix) while consuming nothing else. Gross. But, when you get cabbage in season - ideally from a farmer’s market - it’s sweet, crisp, and wildly versatile. It deserves so much more than being drowned in boxed soup mix. So, consider this a cabbage revival post. The cruciferous queen is here to stay (and slay), and below are 3 easy recipes that follow the Michael Pollan rule to prove it.

Napa Cabbage Wrapped Spicy Shrimp Rolls

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Using my Mushi Nabe (Steamer Donabe)

Ingredients:

• ½ lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1 tbsp ginger, minced

• 2 garlic cloves

• 2 scallions

• ¼ cup cilantro

• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

• 1 tsp soy sauce or ponzu

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp tobanjan (fermented chili paste)

• 6–8 Napa cabbage leaves (I used purple cabbage)

For Serving:

• Ponzu sauce

• Chili crisp

• Sesame seeds

• Sliced scallions

Method:

1. In a food processor, pulse ginger, garlic, scallions, and cilantro until finely chopped.

2. Add shrimp, sesame oil, soy sauce, salt, and tobanjan. Pulse until a smooth paste forms.

3. Blanch cabbage leaves in boiling water for about 1 minute, then drain.

4. Lay a cabbage leaf flat, add a spoonful of shrimp paste, and roll tightly like a dumpling.

5. Place rolls in a steamer (I used my steamer donabe, but a bamboo steamer or heatproof strainer set inside a high-sided pan works too. People love this “all-in-one” pan from Our Place.)

6. With water simmering, steam for 10 minutes (covered) until shrimp is fully cooked.

7. Drizzle with ponzu, chili crisp, sesame seeds, and scallions. Enjoy!

Coconutty Green Curry Veggies with Poached Fish (Served with Coconut Rice)

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Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp neutral oil (10% off and it’s truly the best neutral cooking oil on the market right now)

• 2 tbsp green curry paste

• 1 tbsp minced ginger

• ½ red onion, thinly sliced

• 1 scallion, minced

• 1-2 cups veggie broth

• 1 can (14 oz) full-fat coconut milk

• 2 salmon filets

• 1 cup chopped green cabbage

• 1 cup mixed leafy greens (bok choy, broccolini, chard, etc.)

• 1 cup diced & peeled Japanese sweet potato, turnips, or any root veg

Method:

1. In a donabe over medium heat, sauté ginger, red onion, and scallion in oil until fragrant.

2. Stir in green curry paste and cook for 1 minute.

3. Add veggie broth and coconut milk, bringing to a gentle simmer.

4. Add in root vegetables and let cook for 5 minutes, then toss in cabbage & leafy greens. Stir and cover for a minute to wilt.

5. Uncover and add salmon (or any fish) filets. Lower heat to medium-low and poach for 5–7 minutes, covered, until just cooked through.

6. Garnish with scallions, cilantro, or any herb of choice, then ladle over buttery coconut rice!

   1. To make coconut rice, follow basic white rice instructions and sub half the water for canned coconut milk. Cook according to instructions on the back of your rice bag and toss in a chunk of salted butter when it’s done cooking.

“Sizzling Shoyu Chicken & Cabbage” by Mrs. Donabe

Link to the recipe here

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Using my Fukkura San (Tagine donabe)

I adapted Mrs. Donabe’s recipe, making a few changes based on what I had on hand. Here is what I did:

Marinade Ingredients:

• 1 clove garlic, finely grated

• 1 small knob ginger, finely grated

• 1 teaspoon tobanjan (or any chili sauce)

• 1 tablespoon miso (I used Saiyako)

• 2 tsp yuzu kosho (not necessary but so good)

• 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 1/2 tablespoons mirin

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Skillet Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless chicken tenders, cut into bite sized pieces

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

• 5 – 6 medium leaves cabbage, cut into bite-size pieces (I added bok choy too)

• 5 oz mushrooms (I used enoki & would do shiitake too)

• Half a carrot, julienned

• Small bunch nira (garlic chives), cut into 2” pieces or scallion greens

• Sansho pepper for garnish

Method:

1. Whisk together all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl. Add the chicken and marinade for 30 minutes or longer.

2. Pour the sesame oil in the skillet of Fukkura-san. Spread the cabbage leaves and chicken over the cabbage. Add the mushrooms and carrot.

3. Cover with the lid and set over medium-high heat. Cook for 3 – 5 min. Stir, and cover again. Cook for 7 – 8 minutes more or until the chicken is cooked through.

4. Add the garlic chives and cook for another minute or so. Stir again.
   Garnish with sansho or chili oil and serve over rice.

cabbage <3 cabbage <3 cabbage <3