February: Healthy Eating ~ Nutritional Facts ~ Recipe Share

National Cabbage Day was February 17th and is the vegetable of the month. 

I celebrated with my two cooking classes on Valentines Day the 14th and just tonight (28th). 
I shared some interesting facts and a yummy recipe with my classes. I would like to share here as well.

From the French Caboche, meaning "head", cabbage comes in a variety of forms. The cabbage family is varied and includes Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Bok Choy, Kohlrabi and Kale. 
Cabbage is an ancient food with origins in Asia Minor (Turkey today) and eastern Mediterranean.

There are over four hundred varieties of cabbage; from round to conical in shape, with flat or curly, tight or loose leaves in green, white, red and purple colors.
An interesting fact, Chinese cabbage (Pak Choi or Box Choy) is not a true cabbage but actually Chinese Chard. 

French explorer Jacques Cartier was the first to bring cabbage to America. 

Cabbage is versatile and can be eaten raw, steamed or saute'd. It is a popular ingredient in Asian, German, Irish and Latin recipes. It is a culturally diverse food!

Cabbage is low in calories, has no fat, cholesterol, and is low in sodium and carbs, plus a good source of Vitamin C. Since ancient times peoples from northern climates in the winter months ate cabbage for this excellent source of Vitamin C. Raw cabbage has more Vitamin C than cooked but cannot be recommended on a daily basis. The presence of goitrogens which are substances that block the formation of a thyroid hormone, makes it difficult for the liver to convert the plant form of Vitamin A (carotene or carotenoids) into the animal form which it needs for thousand of biochemical processes. Cabbage is rich in substances that block the formation and spread of tumors. Folk medicine values the cabbage for the stomach and recent research has shown that the juice of cabbage to be highly therapeutic for ulcers.

This was our menu for the month. We served saute'd Keilbasa on the side. It was a hit!

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage

Ingredients
Serves 8 to 10 
5 Tbls butter
1 onion sliced (2 cups)
1/4 cup red or white wine vinegar
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 to 1/2 cup applesauce or apple juice
2 Tbls Agave
2 lbs. (1 head) red cabbage shredded
1 large apple, peeled, cored and cut into thin slices
Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium to low heat. Add onions and saute until translucent. Mix in rest of ingredients and cook until cabbage begins to wilt, stirring often. Cover and simmer until cabbage is crisp-tender, stirring often. 
Serve with Pork, Sausage as a side dish or add into the cabbage the last 5-10 minutes to serve as a complete meal.

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