14. Vegetable stir fry with spices

A recipe from Bangladesh (locally called Banda kopir tarkari as opposed to stir fry blah blah blah). I get it from "The world in Your Kitchen - Vegetarian recipes from Africa, Asia and Latin America..." by Troth Wells. It is a book published by The New Internationalist.

1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 lb potatoes chopped into small cubes
1 onion finely chopped
1 bat leaf
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp chili powder
4 tomatoes chopped
1 cup cabbage finely sliced
1/2 cup peas
oil
salt

heat oil and put in tumeric and salt. Add potatoes and stir so they are evenly covered with tumeric. Cook for 5 - 10 minutes and then remove potatoes and set aside (they'll finish cooking later on)
Adding more oil if needed saute onion until soft. Add bay leaf, cumin, ginger and chili powder. Stir well and put in tomatoes. When they have begun to break down, add the cabbage bit by bit stirring it no well. Cover and cook gently for 3-5 minutes.
Finally put in peas and half cooked potatoes. Mix well. Cover and cook until potatoes are ready

13. Basmati Rice with Spiced Cauliflower

Not cabbage per say but rice with cauliflower (I am thinking that if I put in more cauliflower it probably can count as one portion of cabbage-family veg. Also it has Tumeric and ginger in it which are also two ingredients recommended in the fight against cancer.

This is another one from : " Easy Indian Cooking" by Suneeta Vaswani.
2 1/2 cup of basmati rice
3 tbsp oil
2 1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp minced peeled ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp Asian hot sauce (sambal olek)
3/4 tsp black pepper corn
6 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
4 cups cauliflower florets
2 cups chopped roma tomatoes
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala
3/4 tsp tumeric
2 1/2 tsp salt

Rinse rice and soak for 15 minutes to 2 hours.

In large pan with a lid heat oil over med heat. Stir in onions and saute until dark brown.

Add ginger + garlic + chili paste + pepper corn + cloves and bay leaves. Cokk for 2 min. Add cauliflower and tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes. Add coriander + cumin + garam masala + tumeric and salt. Mix well.

Drain rice and stir into veggies. Pour 4 cups of water. COver and bring to boil over igh heat. Reduce heat as low as possible an cok, covered, fr 25 minutes without opening lid.

Remove from heat and set lid slightly ajar so steam can escape. Let rest for 5 minutes. Fluff rice and serve.

12. Gujarati-style Cabbage and Peas Stir-fry

another one from "India's vegetarian Cooking - a Regional Guide" by Monisha Bharadwaj.

2 fresh green chilies
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
pinch asafoetida
1 tbsp tumeric
300g cabbage finely shredded
150g fresh or frozen peas
salt
2 tbsp grated coconut




Crush ginger and chilies to a paste.

heat oil. Add mustard seeds andlet them pop. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida and chilies/ginger paste and stir for a few seconds. add tumeric powder and add cabbage and peas at once. season with salt. Cook ans stir until the cabbage starts to turn translucent. ADd a few tbsp of water. Reduce heat and cook, adding a little water when/if needed. Serve hot sprinkled with coconut.

11. Cabbage with five Spices and Ginger

From "India's vegetarian Cooking - a Regional Guide" by Monisha Bharadwaj.

First note that the Five Spice mixture also called Panch Phoron is very simple: Equal amount of : Cumin seeds, Fennel seeds, Fenugreek seeds, Black Mustard seeds and Nigella seeds (used whole or ground, though for this recipe whole is what is needed from the sound of it).



1 Tbsp black mustard seeds
2 tsp shredded ginger
4 dried red chilies soaked in water and drained
3 tbsp oil
1 large onion finely sliced
300g cabage finely shredded
salt
2 tbsp Panch Poron (see above)


Put mustard seeds, ginger and chilies in blender with 5 tbsp of water and whizz to fine paste.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in pan and add onion. Fry until golden then add the cabbage. Stir-fry until just translucent (2 min) and sprinkle in the spice mixture and salt.

Add 4 tbsp of water and cook uncovered until cabbage is done but still crisp. Take off heat and reserve.

Hear remaining oil (1 tbsp) in pan and add Panch Phoron. When it cracles pour the oil and seeds over cabbage. Mix well and serve.

10. Preeti's Cabbage with Peanuts

From : " Easy Indian Cooking" by Suneeta Vaswani.
The author notes that if this dish is cooked in advance the peanuts should only be added once ready to serve.


2 tbsp oil
1 1/2 sp mustard seeds
25 to 30 curry leaves
3 to 4 green chilies cut into 2cm pieces
8 cups finely sliced cabbage
3/4 cup finely sliced red of green bell pepper
salt
1/3 cup skinned raw peanuts, dry roasted in skillet


In large wok or skillet, heat oil and add mustard seeds. Cover quickly.

When seeds stopped popping reduce heat to med and add curry leaves and chilies. Saute for 30 sec.

Add cabbage, pepper and salt. Stir-fry until cabbage is softened (3 - 4 min).

fold in peanuts and cook for 1 minute.



I made it for myself tonight. This is a photo of it before I added the peanuts.

It is a simple, fast and delicious dish!

I take liberties with recipes. I don't measure anything (unless I am baking obviously) and I change things to suit what I have or what I feel like using. This time I used dried Guajillo chillies instead of fresh green chilies just because I had them and I had no fresh green chilies. And I just used regular peanuts. It worked.

9. Cabbage with Ginger

Another recipe form the library. This one is from "Indian Cooking without Fat" by Mridula Baljekar
1 tbsp oil
1/2" grated fresh ginger
1 chili sliced
1 red onion finely sliced
1/4 tsp tumeric
1 cabbage finely chopped (1 lb)
4 1/2 oz cooked peas
salt



Saute in oil the ginger + chili + onion + peas for 5 to 6 minutes.

Add tumeric + cabbage + peas + salt. Mix. Sprinkle with water. Reduce heat and cook covered for 15 minutes.

Uncover and continue to cook until dry if needed.

8. Cabbage Mallum from Sri Lanka

I've never been to Sri Lanka. This is one the recipes I copied at the library it comes from "Exotic Tastes of Sri Lanka" by S. Seneviratne"
1/2 lb green cabbage finely chopped
vegetable oil
1/2 tsp Maldive fish flakes (optional ... no idea where I will find this)
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1 to 1.5 tbsp grated coconut
1 chili chopped
5 curry leave
1/2 tsp chopped ginder
1 clove garlic chopped
6 black pepper corns
1/8 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
2" cinnamon stick

Place cabbage + onion + oil + 1/3 cup of water in a pan. Cook covered on med heat for 8- 10 minutes (IMPORTANT: do not add salt at this stage). Add fish flakes if using and all other spices. Cook uncovered for 6 to 8 minutes. Add salt and pepper.

7. Broccoli and Carrots with Spices and Tomatoes

Now that we have the recipe for Sambha Masala (in recipe #6) we might just as well try it in this recipe... Also from "660 Curries" by Raghavan Iyer.

2 tbsp of oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp split lentils (urad dal)
1 lb broccoli cut into florets
1 large carrot cut into strips 2" long, 1/2 " wide and 1/4" thick (I know it sounds a little precise)
2 tbsp Sambhar Masala (see recipe #6)
salt
1 can diced tomatoes
15 med curry leaves


Heat oil. Add mustard seeds and cook until they are done popping. Add lentils and stir fry until golden brown (15-20 sec). Add broccoli , carrot, masala and salt and cook for 1 min.

Stir in tomatoes with their liquid + 1/2 cup water and curry leaves. Bring to boil then reduce heat. COver and cook until broccoli and carrots are tender.

6. Broccoli with Ginger and Coconut

I know that I am unlikely to find broccoli but I couldn't resist. I may just try it with cabbage anyway.
I get this from "660 Curries" by Raghavan Iyer (a great book)

2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp finely chopped ginger
1 lb broccoli cut in florets
Salt
1 tsp of Sambhar Masala (recipe below)
1 cup fresh shredded coconut of 1/2 cup
dried set in boiling water for 15 minutes then drained



Heat oil. Add cumin and cook until sizzle and turn brown (5 to 10 sec). Add ginger and stir-fry until golden brown (1 min)

Add broccoli, salt, and Masala and stir fry mixing so broccoli are covered in spices. Pour in 1 cup of water and stir once or twice, lower heat and cover. Cook stirring occasionally until tender (8-10 min).

Stir in coconut and continue cooking while stirring until coconut is warm.

As promised: Sambhar Masala

1/2 cup of firmly packed med size fresh curry leaves (this I can get in Jo'burg)
1/2 cup dried red cayene peppers stems removed
1/4 cup yellow split peas (chana dal)
1/2 cup coriander seeds
1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp white poppy seeds
2 cinnmon sticks (3" long) broken in smaller pieces
1 tbsp oil (sesame or canola)

Combine everything, drizzle oil and mix well.

Pre-heat med skillet add mixture and roast stirring constantly until curry leaves appaer dry, the chili blacken slightly, split peas turn dark brown, 3-4 min.

Transfer mixture inot place to cool. When cool to touch grind (You HAVE to let it cool first of the steam will ruin the mix)

5. Creamy Coleslaw

Another one is from “vegetables Every Day” by Jack Bishop




½ large head of green cabbage sliced as thin as possible
1 large carrot shredded on large holes of grater
2 tbsp kosher salt
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp minced tarragon leaves
Black pepper

Toss cabbage, carrot and salt in large strainer or colander and let stand for 1 ½ hr. Thoroughly rinse under cold water and dry cabbage. Place in large bowl. This step prevents dressing from becoming watery.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, tarragon and pepper. Pour dressing over cabbage and toss to coat evenly.

4. Warm Red Cabbage Salad with Bacon and Goat Cheese

Another one is from “vegetables Every Day” by Jack Bishop




1 small head of red cabbage thinly sliced
6 ounces thick-cut bacon chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 med shallots minced
3 tbsp sherry vinegar
Black pepper
4 ounces goat cheese crumbled

Cook bacon in med skillet over me heat until very crisp (8 to 10 min) Using slotte spoon transfer bacon on paper towel and drain bacon fat leaving 1 tbsp.

Add oil to bacon fat. Add shallots and sauté until softened. Whisk vinegar with salt and pepper and simmer for 30 seconds. Pour dressing over cabbage and toss to combine. Add bacon and cheese and toss several times. Serve immediately.

3. Braised Red Cabbage with Onions

This one is from “vegetables every day” by Jack Bishop




1 med head of red cabbage finely sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
2 med onion thinly sliced
2 medium garlic cloves minced
Salt
Black pepper
¾ cup stock (chicken or veg)
¼ cup minced parsley
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Heat olive oil in large casserole or dutch oven. Add onions and cook until golden. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

Stir in cabbage and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and cook stirring several times for about 5 minutes.

Add stock, cover and cook until cabbage is tender (about 10 minutes). Uncover and simmer until all liquid evaporates. Stir in parsley and vinegar. Serve immediately.

2. Warm Cabbage from Ethiopia

Yesterday I went to the central branch of the Public Library and wrote down a few Cabbage recipes. Here is one from "The Soul of a New Cuisine" by Marcus Samuelson, an African cookbook. The irony is not lost on me..... I mean: the irony that I should be in Calgary when I write down African recipes.

(Countryside market in Ethiopia a couple of hours out of Addis Ababa)

Warm Cabbage

8 tablespoon of unsalted butter
1/2 head of cabbage shredded
1 red onion thinly sliced
4 tomatoes chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 tablespoon of mustard seeds
1 tablespoon of nigella seeds
1 teaspoon of tumeric
1 teaspoon of berbere or chili powder
1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamon
3" of fresh ginger grated
1 cup of lentils soaked and drained

1. Melt butter and add cabbage + onions.
2. Saute for 5 minutes
3. Add tomatoes + garlic + mustard seeds + nigella seeds + tumeric + berbere +cardamon + ginger and cook over low heat stirring occasionally for 25 minutes
4. Meanwhile cook lentils in water.
5. Fold lentils into cabbage.
6. Salt to test.

(Young girl in a small village selling her goods by the side of the road)

Berbere is a spice mixture (just like garam massala) people usually mix at home and of course each family has its own version, but here is one:

1 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds grounded
1/2 cup chili powder
1/2 cup of paprika
2 tablespoon of salt
2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of ground cardamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnaon
1/4 teaspoon of all spice

1. Grandma G's Portuguese Soup

Here is a recipe from MJ with a photo from her blog. Doesn't it look like somebody trying to read the future in a cabbage head instead of a crystal ball?

Thank you very much for this MJ!

Grandma G's Portuguese Soup

1 medium-sized onion, diced
3-4 tsp. salt
1 lb. linguiça (or chouriço, another Portuguese sausage)
2 lbs. or 1 head cabbage, heart removed
2 or 3 cans kidney beans (or 1 lb. dried kidney beans, cooked)
6 medium-sized potatoes, diced

Slice linguiça and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place linguiça, onion, and salt in large soup pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about half an hour. Dice cabbage. Add cabbage and kidney beans to the boiling broth. Add water as needed. Cook cabbage for a few minutes, then add the potatoes. Cook 20-30 minutes.

This makes a lot of soup, so we put about half in the freezer to save for later!

(FYI, according to other family recipes, sometimes kale is used with the cabbage or as a substitute.)

the link to dymlyama

The first link I want to post is a link that Amira posted on her blog. This is the recipe for dymlyama, a stew from Kyrgyzstan with beef or mutton which included cabbage.

Well Hello!

Presumably if you have found you way here it is because you know that I have breast cancer and I have decided to do eat better as one of the ways to fight against it.


I posted a quote on my other blog from "Cooking with Food that Fight Cancer" by R. Beliveau and D. Gingras that goes like this: "Whether in soups, whether stir-fried or steamed, a minimum of three servings of cruciferous vegetables represents one change in dietary habits that will have the most impact on the risk of being touched by cancer".

As posted previously cruciferous vegetables are: "vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower, which are members of the cabbage family; they get their name from their four-petaled flowers, which look like a crucifer, or cross. Other cruciferous vegetables include arugula, bok choy, collards, kale, mustard greens, rutabaga, turnip greens, and watercress." (definition from: Howstuffworks.)

I am in Canada right now and trying to start changing my food habits since the MRI did suggest that cancer was starting in the other breast (one breast is already gone), but soon I will be heading back to Africa and there bok choy, broccoli and the likes are not going to be available so I am gathering as many cabbage and cauliflower recipes as I can before I go.

Here is my request: Could you please email your cabbage recipes to:
cabbagevscancer@gmail.com
(easy to remember, right?)
If you get recipes from books it would be great if you could include name of book and authors so they get the recognition they deserve.