Red Cabbage Revamped
When you start eating vegetables and fruits more consistently, it can be so easy to just stick with the ones you like and know taste good. However, there are so MANY other vegetables out there which offer an array of nutritional benefits and tastes.
When I did my first Whole 30 in October 2014 (program where for 30 days, you eat real and whole foods – no processed, no sugar, no gluten, no dairy, no legumes), I made it a goal to try a new veggie or fruit a week. That didn’t always go as planned, but just by setting the goal, I was challenged to go beyond the familiar when it came to healthy eating, and venture into unforeseen territories. And one of these territories was the so easily forgotten and misunderstood: red cabbage.
Red cabbage is not a vegetable most of us think of making on a regular basis. We all tend to go towards the safe choices: broccoli, baby carrots, celery, cauliflower, green pepper, onions, and even regular green cabbage. To be honest, before making red cabbage in my first Whole 30, I never personally bought it. I tried it, but never bought it to cook on my own. However, since making this delicious recipe below, it’s now a favorite and is bought about twice a month J
Red cabbage contains a plethora of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It contains Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, and Folate. According to Michelle Kerns, author on “Healthy Eating SF Gate,” it contains nearly 80% of the daily recommended Vitamin C intake, 40% of the daily recommended Vitamin K intake, and 20% of the recommended Vitamin A intake. But the goodness doesn’t stop there. It also contains essential minerals such as iron, calcium, zinc, phosphorous, and manganese. According to Mayo Clinic, red cabbage contains one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants of all vegetables. Talk about a winner and a vegetable worth a try!
There are many recipes for red cabbage, but see below for my favorite way to have them. Try it and be prepared for a vegetable that will capture (and keep healthy) your heart.
Red Cabbage Revamped
Ingredients:
- 1 Red Cabbage
- Yellow onion (amount is to your liking)
- Coconut Oil (about 2 tbsp., but to your liking)
- Sunmaid Raisins (amount depends on how much you would like)
Recipe:
- Heat a frying pan or pot (depending on how much you want to cook) on medium/high heat with a tablespoon of coconut oil.
- Chop up some onion and add it to the pan. Sautee the onion until it’s a little brown and caramelized.
- While the onion is cooking, chop up the red cabbage into whatever size pieces you prefer
- Add the red cabbage to the onion once it’s caramelized, and add a little bit more coconut oil and about a little bit of water.
- Allow the cabbage to cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water/oil as you see necessary. Add the raisins at the same time. You want the cabbage to be soft and the texture you would eat if it was say stir fried.
- You’re done! Eat with any meal or snack at any time!
Note, the exact same recipe can be done with green cabbage if you want (I made it with green cabbage yesterday, and added some coconut aminos sauce to add a bit more flavor – delicious!)
For more information on red cabbage and even the benefits of other various vegetables, see the resources links below.
Resources:
Michelle Kerns. “Nutrients in Raw Red Cabbage”. Healthy Eating. http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/nutrients-raw-red-cabbage-1559.html
List out benefits of certain veggies – http://www.health-alternatives.com/vegetables-nutrition-chart.html
Whole 30 – www.whole30.com
