Since food is the best medicine and this is the most delicious new dish to enter my repertoire in a while, I can’t help but shout the recipe from the rooftops. While the ingredients could not be simpler, there is a magic that happens in the cooking and the whole is leagues tastier than the sum of its parts. The result really is spectacular. Cabbage steaks are a crowd-pleaser for a diverse spectrum of crowds from vegans to gluten and dairy free folks, to those on a paleo-diet or the anti-inflammatory diet.
While I never set out to have a food-centered blog, it turns out that I have a fairly food-centered life. Food is a foundational aspect of health that I love, that I think about and enjoy every single day, and that it’s a delight to share with other food-lovers, health-interested people, and those ready to dive in to cooking simply and healthily.
As I continue to try new things in my kitchen, I look forward to sharing the gems and success stories with you.
And now for a recipe that is simple, delicious, easy, and healthy…
Cabbage Steaks
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Preheat oven to 360. (I use the convection bake setting.)
Slice a large head of green cabbage into 1” slabs.
Lay them out on a baking sheet with a rim.
Drizzle olive oil generously and thoroughly over the slices (a half cup of oil for 1 head of cabbage).
Press one clove of garlic per slice or two of cabbage and smear the crushed garlic into the open face of the slice with your fingers.
Add salt and black pepper.
Bake for 30 minutes, then flip and bake for 30 more minutes on the second side.
The edges get crispy and caramelized and the center gets juicy.
Because of how much I love this recipe, I bought a larger baking sheet and now cook 2 heads of cabbage at a time. Cabbage steaks make superb leftovers. Today’s amazing lunch of leftovers: cabbage steak, plum-rice, and a piece of salmon. YUM!
Health Benefits According to Chinese Nutritional Theory
In this nutritional philosophy, cabbage is slightly warming and it balances the spleen and stomach to harmonize the digestion. Cooked garlic is very warming and detoxifying, it stimulates the circulation of qi and blood, supports digestion, and loosens and dispels phlegm from the lungs to relieve a cough. So for healthy digestion and strong immunity, cabbage steaks offer solid health benefits.
(Credits: This recipe was mentioned by a woman appearing on Dr. Oz’s show and then modified to perfection by Jill Emmert-Tricarico. Thanks Jill and Krista for introducing me to cabbage steaks.)
