Eat the Rainbow

If you read any food or health-related articles, that is the advice given by many doctors and nutritionists.  It simply means that we should eat a variety of colors when selecting fruits and vegetables.  It is a topic that fascinates me, how our Creator, in all His divine creativity, decided which fruit would benefit which body system, and how vividly He would paint their hues.  Various color groups provide nutrients, antioxidants and health benefits that differ from all other foods.  Obtaining a balanced diet of orange-reds, deep greens and dark blue/purple foods guarantees that you are supporting your immune system and reducing the risk of many diseases.  To make all this more appealing, these colorful foods just look so beautiful and appetizing.

I decided to give red cabbage a try, since it is another one of those foods high in so many good things, like antioxidants and fiber.  I bought one very pretty purple head, a little more expensive than the green variety, but still not very costly.  The interesting thing about a head of cabbage is that you can feed about a hundred people with it.  I cut a small wedge out of it last week when I was making minestrone, and chopped it and added it to the soup.  Although it turned the pot blue, it added a sweetness to the soup that was actually very good.  A few days later I cut another couple of wedges, about 3/4 inch thick each.  I added them to my pan of vegetables to roast, coating them with olive oil and sprinkling with salt.  I later decided to splash a little balsamic vinegar on the wedges to add sweetness.  They were surprisingly tasty, for cabbage.  Most of my past experiences with cabbage were either boiled (yawn), the star attraction of fad-diet soup, or diner cole slaw which I normally only eat if my order is delayed and I am really hungry. 

So, with two pretty good results so far, I decided to use the rest of the cabbage before it spoiled.  I shredded the remaining half head in my food processor and divided it into two batches.  I added thinly a sliced red onion to one portion in a skillet, and sauteed with olive oil and salt.  When the vegetables were slightly soft, I added a few tablespoons of broth and covered, letting the mixture steam for about twenty minutes.  The result was a really interesting side dish, which I am thinking might make a nice accompaniment for grilled pork chops or chicken.  I finished off the final batch of shredded cabbage by adding some shredded carrots, and making a cole slaw dressing.  I mixed equal parts mayonnaise and Greek yogurt (about 1/2 cup each), about 2 tbsp spicy brown mustard, a splash of apple cider vinegar, a tsp of agave nectar to substitute for sugar, salt and a generous amount of black pepper.  I let that sit in the fridge for a day.  Like soup and wine, cole slaw gets better with time.  The color was a lovely shade of magenta, kind of girly but really tasty.

Cabbage is still not the most enticing food I can think of, but it has lots of possibilities.  I would definitely attempt to prepare it in other ways in the future.  Again, the beautiful color wheel of fruits and vegetables fascinates me and brings to mind God's brilliance and the majesty of creation.

All that from a head of purple cabbage!