Alone in the Kitchen with a Cabbage by Cleo Coyle (Easy Vegan Recipe) (2024)

I give you The Cabbage...

It looks like a big green planet, doesn't it? See the solar warmth on the left and the chilly dark side on the right? As a food it has quite a history. As the subject of a photo, I think it should have its own atmosphere.As the basis for a recipe, it's a smart choice. It's low in fat and calories and high in nutrition. As for what to do with it, there are countless ways to go.

I found myself alone in the kitchen with this cabbage the other day, and decided to try Extreme Simple Cooking. ESC. Our culture appears to be enamored with shortcut acronyms and our professions chain us to keyboards where the ESC key taunts us from its upper left perch. How do you like it? An ESC recipe. It lets you escape from the kitchen as fast as possible.

And to that end, away we go!May you cook it with ease and eat it with Extreme Joy. That would be EJ, I guess. :)

~ Cleo

Cleo Coyle, cabbage eater,
is author of The
Coffeehouse Mysteries

Roasted Cabbage, ESC
Extreme Simple Cooking :)

As I mentioned above, cabbage is low in fat and calories and has great nutritional benefits: dietary fiber and essential vitamins and minerals for the body. Read more here.

This is a delicious way to prepare it. The cabbage wedges are roasted in high heat with olive oil. While the outside edges char, the insides become tender and buttery. It's truly delicious and insanely easy. The first time you make it, I strongly suggest that you use nothing more thanjust a bit of salt so you can really taste the buttery sweetness of those interior wedge leaves.

More seasonings can be added to your liking: e.g., dried garlic and onion flakes, rosemary, dill, caraway seeds, cracked black pepper, red pepper flakes, etc. Just be sure to go lightly on the seasonings because the roasted cabbage taste is so delicate.

I think a squeeze of lemon before serving is a very nice finish. If you're not a lemon fan, try a drizzle of olive oil or (if you're not a vegan) a bit of butter and...eat in good health! ~ Cleo

To download a free PDF of this recipe that you can print, save, or share, click here.

INGREDIENTS

Head of cabbage

Olive oil

Salt (kosher or sea salt will give you nice flavor)
(Optional) Your favorite seasoning mix (suggestions in directions)

DIRECTIONS

Step One - The trick to slicing: As you see in my photos, you'll need to slice up the cabbage, but there's a trick to it. You want most of your slices to include the core. The core will help keep the cabbage wedges together in the cooking. I've roasted cabbages in thick slices and also in wedges, and (frankly) I do prefer the wedges. You can experiment with what you like best.

Step Two - Prep with olive oil and very light seasoning: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease a heavy half-sheet pan with olive oil. Place the slices on the pan. Use a brush to coat the tops with more olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. If you use pepper or any other seasoning (e.g., dried garlic and onion flakes, caraway seeds, rosemary, dill, cracked black pepper, red pepper flakes, etc.), do so lightly. When roasted, the cabbage has a delicate, buttery flavor and too much seasoning can overpower it.

Step Three - Roast in your preheated 400 degree F. oven for 30 to 45 minutes (final time will depend on your oven and pan). FLIP the cabbage slices halfway through cooking. I use two forks to do this. Be careful and try to keep the cabbage slices together. (Yes, they will attempt to fall apart on you, but using two fork and a bit of care, you can keep them together. You can do it! I believe in you!) Roasted cabbage wedges are done when you see the edges char (turn brownish), as in my photos.

Serve with a lemon wedge

for a fresh squeeze of
bright flavorover the
finished veg and...

Eat with joy!