Green Cabbage Recipes Using Noodles and Bacon

And a Look at Cabbage Nutrition, Lore, and Odorless Cooking

© Barbara Jezior

Oct 6, 2009

Cabbage has been happily devoured since ancient times and is prized by many civilizations and cultures. The ancient Egyptians valued it highly and the ancient Greeks imputed religious significance to its origin. They thought cabbage sprang from the sweat Zeus exuded when trying to explain conflicting prophecies. Both the Greeks and the Romans considered it healthy food, which it is, and also thought it would keep a person from getting drunk, which it will not. (1)

Many consider cabbage plebeian and its cooking odors obnoxious. But it gets a raw deal on the smelly part. Odors result from overcooking it (as when boiled for a long time). If it is cooked until just tender, the kitchen will not reek. Cabbage should also not be cooked in aluminum, as it reacts to intensify odors. While cabbage may not be considered haute cuisine, it certainly falls into the comfort food zone.

Cabbage Nutrition

Over 25 years ago, the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization listed cabbage among the top twenty vegetables important as a food source for the world’s population. It is high in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, fiber, and beta-carotene. As a member of the cruciferous family, it could well have cancer-fighting properties. One-half cup of cooked cabbage has only 17 calories. A full nutritional breakdown can be found in the U.S. Department of Agriculture nutritional data base.

Braised Cabbage with Bacon and Apple Juice

This is a great side dish served with pork, turkey, or sausages like bratwurst. Mashed potatoes would round out the meal beautifully.

Ingredients:

• 4-6 ounces thick bacon slices
• 2 small yellow onions, peeled, sliced vertically in halves, and cut in thin slices
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 head of green cabbage (~2 lbs), quartered, cored, and sliced ~1/3” thick
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 cup apple juice (or cider)
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• salt, medium coarse black pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Fry bacon until crisp, and drain on paper towels. Crumble when cool and put aside.
2. Heat a large, heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat, add butter, and when the butter is hot, add the onion. Cook the onions for about 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until fairly translucent and soft.
3. Add the cabbage. Stir often for about 5-6 minutes until the cabbage is wilted, adding the minced garlic the last few minutes.
4. Pour in the apple juice, turn the heat down to medium, cover the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender, about another 5 minutes or so.
5. Uncover, and continue to cook for a few minutes until most of the liquid is evaporated.
6. Mix in the bacon pieces, cider vinegar, salt and pepper.

Cabbage with Egg Noodles and Onions

This dish is ultimate comfort food. It does well as a vegetarian entrée, and carnivores will love it with some type of smoked sausage, such as kielbasa. The leftovers (if there are any) are great.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces medium egg noodles
• 1 head green cabbage (~ 2 lbs), cored, quartered, and sliced ~1/3” thick (if sliced too thin, it will virtually disappear when cooked)
• 3 medium yellow onions, peeled, cut vertically in halves, and thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• salt, medium coarse black pepper to taste
• grated cheese for topping (such as Monterey jack, cheddar, or fontina)

Preparation:

1. Set a large pan of salted water on the stove for cooking the noodles and plan to have them done about the same time as the cabbage and onions.
2. Heat a large, heavy sauté pan, add the olive oil and 3 tablespoons of the butter. When the oils are hot, add the onions. Cook them over low-medium heat, stirring often, until the onions are fairly well caramelized (quite brown). This will take at least 30 minutes. The caramelization is necessary, as it adds a major flavor component.
3. Add the cabbage to the pan, along with the last 3 tablespoons of butter, and cook over medium heat until the cabbage is wilted and tender, stirring in the garlic the last few minutes.
4. Stir in the hot, drained noodles, and add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Top immediately with very generous amounts of grated cheese.

References:

(1) Alan Davidson. The Oxford Companion to Food. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 1999.

Green Cabbage

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