Week 13--Cabbage

Wait, don't run!  I know what you are thinking: cabbage=Gas!  Well yes, maybe but don't go so fast.  Cabbage is one of the post powerful foods you can eat.  Can you give me a chance to convince you to eat it?  For starters, anti-cancer properties.  You  heard me.  Along with broccoli and other Brassica vegetables cabbage is a source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells.  (Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabbage).  Cabbage is also an excellent source of vitamin C and contains significant amounts of glutamine, an amino acid that has anti-inflammatory properties.  Cabbage is low in calories and if cooked in the right way, quite delicious if I must say so myself.

This week I came up with another one of my own concoctions.  It is a curried cabbage and cauliflower soup with ginger.  Can you say detox fast enough?  Yes, and anti-inflammation too.

Here is what you will need:

Ingredients


1 large head of cabbage chopped
1 large head of cauliflower chopped
1 large onion chopped
2TB minced ginger
1TB earth balance
1 cup coconut milk (optional)
2TB curry powder
Juice of 3 to 4 lemons
cayenne pepper (optional)
salt and pepper
8 to 10 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
cilantro or parsley

Directions


1. Start by sauteing the onion, garlic, and ginger in a large stock pot with the earth balance (~5 minutes or until onion is cooked)
2. Add curry powder and saute an additional minute

3. Add chopped cabbage and cauliflower and mix with the onion mixture

4. Add broth and lemon juice and cover stock pot.  Cook for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender
5. Transfer vegetable mixture to blender or food processor and puree (you may need to do it in batches)
6. Return to pot
7. Add coconut milk (optional)
8. Season with salt and pepper
9. Enjoy topped with cayenne and cilantro or parsley