Use the Whole Head

Last week's adventure: using a whole head of red cabbage in three different dishes. Success? You bet. I was inspired by the most recent Bon Appetit and Vegetarian Times magazines, each of which listed a recipe that not only sounded delish, but also called for red cabbage. Turns out one head of cabbage (even a small one) yields a lot more than I thought, so I quickly found a third recipe to utilize the leftovers. Don't let your cabbage go to waste...use the whole head in different recipes!

For easy prep, slice all the cabbage at once and keep it in a bowl with saran wrap, or in an air-tight container. That way, the prep work of chopping the cabbage for each recipe is already done! If you are trying to figure out what to make for dinner or lunch for this coming week, try one, two, or all three of these: 

Beer-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Red Cabbage (from Bon Appetit)

I used 1.12 pounds of pork tenderloin and therefore only made half the amount of marinade.

Chickpea and Red Cabbage Pita Pizza (modified from Vegetarian Times)

I made enough cabbage for 2 pizzas, so below is my modified ingredient list for the cabbage mix. I made the full amount of chickpea mix, since the leftovers taste great on a sandwich or with some raw veggies. Also, I did not toast my own cumin seeds and then grind them; I just used regular ground cumin (no need to do that extra work!). Click on the link for directions on how to make the recipe, but omit step #3 (toasting & grinding cumin seeds).

Cabbage mix for 2
Ingredients:
-2 cups red cabbage, sliced
-4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
-2 teaspoons honey

Our Favorite Raw Slaw (adapted from Moosewood Restaurant: Cooking for Health) 
Serving size: 1 heaping cup
Ingredients:
-3 cups kale (about 1/2 of a large bunch), finely chopped 
-1 cup red cabbage, minced
-2 carrots, grated
-1 apple, grated
-3 tablespoons olive oil
-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
-2 teaspoons dried thyme
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-fresh ground black pepper
Optional
-1/4 cup dried cranberries
-1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Directions
1. Make the dressing: whisk together the oil, vinegar, thyme, salt, and pepper
2. In a large bowl combine the kale, cabbage, carrots, and apple in a large bowl
3. Pour the dressing over the 'slaw and mix well.
4. Top with dried cranberries and sunflower seeds, if desired
*The longer the 'slaw sits, the better it will taste!