A wee bit of green on your plate

Written by Robin Glowa
Tuesday, 13 March 2012 23:00

May the road rise to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face.

And rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.

— Irish Blessing

The advent of St. Patrick’s Day inspires many cooks to prepare a heaping platter of corned beef and cabbage to share with loved ones, and even those who don’t lay claim to a bit of Irish heritage, happily tuck into a steaming plate of that fragrant beef and tender cabbage.

Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage are enormously nutritious. Whether a sturdy, rotund head of green cabbage, gleaming red cabbage or curly leaved Savoy cabbage, a bounty of benefits are contained in each of these inexpensive and abundant vegetables.

Cabbage provides wonderful support for the digestive tract and may be particularly effective for soothing and sustaining stomach and intestinal linings. A champion at lowering cholesterol, cabbage deserves kudos as a cardiovascular support system as well.

An excellent source of Vitamins C and A, cabbage supplies the body with a plethora of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ability.

While a wedge of soft cabbage is a delightful addition to a St. Patrick’s Day feast, cabbage is a versatile ingredient that can add crunchy, mild and almost slightly sweet flavor to salads, slaws and lettuce wraps, or can be stir-fried, sautéed, added to soups and even pickled.

At the market, look for firm, dense, heavy heads with shiny leaves free of bruises, cracks or yellowing. Store whole heads of cabbage in a plastic bag in the vegetable crisper and they should keep for a week or two. Once cut, cabbage starts to lose it’s valuable Vitamin C content, so wrap leftover cabbage tightly in plastic wrap and use as quickly as possible.

This spicy coleslaw recipe is a nice, crunchy accompaniment to a corned beef sandwich or any other dish. May you have many blessings as you prepare your delicious life.

Crisp, Spicy Green Cabbage Coleslaw

6-8 Servings

4 to 5 cups shredded or finely chopped green cabbage

3 peeled and finely chopped or shredded carrots

1 red, yellow or orange sweet bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

3 or 4 radishes, very thinly sliced or shredded (optional)

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, basil or cilantro or a mixture of all three

Dressing

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons dijon or honey mustard

1 tablespoon bottled horseradish, (Gold’s brand is quite good)

1 1/2 tablespoons minced sweet onion or 1 bunch finely chopped scallion

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

In a bowl, mix together first six ingredients. Combine dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until well combined. Pour over coleslaw and mix well to combine. Season with sea salt and pepper if desired. Serve right away.

Robin Glowa, HHC, AADP, is a food and wellness professional who earned her certification in holistic health counseling from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Columbia University Teachers College. She specializes in teaching healthy cooking classes for children and adults, as well as cooking presentations and wellness workshops for many local organizations. For more information go to theconsciouscook.net, call 203-393-1037, or go to http://confessionsofaconsciouscook.blogspot.com