Limited budgets and the desire to eat in a more healthy manner can seem contradictory at first. However, knowing what to choose at the grocery store can not only save you money, but prove to be a wise nutritional decision.In the winter, cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and broccoli are plentiful. So are dark green leafy vegetables such as kale and chard. These vegetables keep longer than delicate salad greens, tomatoes, and green beans.
Cabbage seems to keep the longest of any vegetable in my refrigerator. It also has many different uses, from a raw coleslaw; a quick sautee with onions and garlic; a wrapping for a meat and rice stuffing - or a vegetarian version; or fermented into a sauerkraut. Cabbage is one very versatile veggie.
How do you choose a cabbage? Like all vegetables, it's best to pick out the ones that seem heavy for their size. Red cabbage is a more nutritious choice than a light green cabbage. The purple/red color is an indication of additional nutrients.
Here's a recipe for one of my favorite cabbage dishes - Rainbow Firecracker Coleslaw. It is quite adaptable to a wide variety of tastes, so if you don't like spicy food, eliminate the jalapeno and cayenne. This keeps for at least 3 days in the refrigerator.
Rainbow Firecracker Coleslaw
1/4 head green cabbage, shredded
1/4 head red cabbage, shredded
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced (optional) this is a firecracker ingredient
1 small carrot, grated (optional)
1 small tart apple, diced (optional)
Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl.
Dressing:
2-3 Tbls. olive oil
2-3 Tbls. apple cider vinegar
pinch of stevia - to sweeten to your taste
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
crushed red pepper flakes (optional) - this is another firecracker addition
Combine all the dressing ingredients together until well blended and pour over veggies to coat.
Want some variations? I sometimes toss in a 1/4 cup of raisins or goji berries (wolfberries). When I do this, I eliminate the stevia, since these dried fruits sweeten up the coleslaw. I've also substituted different vinegars, which change up the taste. Balsamic vinegar works well.
Cabbage is a very nutritious food. In fact, it has been used for centuries its gut healing properties. For more information and recipes using cabbage, check out the book by Sally Fallon - Nourishing Traditions.
