Food
Culinary Cousins: Cabbage and Cauliflower
JUICY CHEF
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Cabbage and cauliflower, the two C's as I like to call them, are regular features in our local markets and supermarkets. They are inexpensive and truly nutritious wonders. I currently have both of them in my kitchen, so today I want to make dishes out of them which would be nice to accompany other items in a main meal.
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| Coleslaw with Apples and Red Pepper |
Both vegetables belong to the cruciferous Brassica Oleracea family which also includes broccoli, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, turnips, kohlrabi and kale. These vegetables are popular for their cancer-fighting properties as well as for aiding the liver to remove toxins from our bloodstreams.
Cauliflower contains vitamins C, K, B5, B6, manganese, folate, and fibre. When purchasing a cauliflower look for tight florets and no discolouration. The tenderest part of the leaves can be used in soups.
Cauliflower is great in gratins, simply steamed or pan-fried with herbs. It marries well with curry and turmeric.
The humble cabbage is one of the world's most affordable foods and is available year round. It is rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, and C, calcium, potassium, magnesium, folate, fibre, manganese and protein. It can make versatile sides from sauerkraut to go with sausages, with salt fish for a nice breakfast or brunch dish, a soup for dieters or fantastic coleslaws.
Contact me at info@juicychef.com for feedback and food questions. Please note that I do not give out information or recipes on subject matter I have not covered, nor do I create meal plans as I am a food media specialist, not a caterer. I do happily consider your suggestions for future columns, so please keep writing to me.
Enjoy the following recipes
Coleslaw with Apples and Red Pepper
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 large cabbage, roughly chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
2 American apples, cored and chopped
1 carrot, grated
2 stalks escallion, finely chopped
2/3 cup Ranch Dressing
1 lime, juiced
Method:
Mix lime juice and Ranch Dressing together in a small bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients.
Pour over dressing and mix well.
Chill for at least an hour for the flavours to come together.
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| Cabbage, Bacon and Almond Sauté |
Cabbage, Bacon and Almond Sauté
Ingredients:
1 large cabbage, roughly chopped
1 pack of bacon
Handful of roasted almonds, roughly chopped, for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
In a large frying pan, fry bacon over medium high heat until crisp and golden.
Drain over paper towels, and then break up into small pieces with your fingers, set aside.
Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cooking fat and stir-fry the cabbage for roughly 3 to 4 minutes or until tender.
Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
Stir in bacon bits and chopped almonds.
Pan-Fried Cauliflower
Ingredients:
1 large or 2 small cauliflowers, cut into small florets, and rinsed
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small bunch of escallion, green parts only, finely chopped
Zest of a lime
Sea salt to taste
2 tbsps olive or vegetable oil
Method:
Heat oil and add a good pinch of salt over medium high heat in a large frying pan.
Add cauliflower and coat well, and brown for 3 minutes per side.
Add garlic and cook for a minute more, remove from heat.
Stir in lime zest, escallion and salt to taste.
This is a great starter dish for an Indian meal or for a substantial vegetarian meal with crusty bread and side salad.
Curried Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients:
1 large/ 2 small cauliflowers, cut into florets and rinsed
3 cups of milk
1 tbsp Garam Masala (or your preferred curry powder)
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
In a large saucepan add milk and cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes.
Add cauliflower, garam masala, salt and pepper and bring to a boil, reduce heat then simmer until the cauliflower is tender about (15 to 20 minutes).
Remove from heat and transfer to a food processor or blender and puree in batches.
Return to the saucepan and heat through, adjust seasoning if you wish and serve immediately.
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