Feb 14

Feb 14 Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Napa Cabbage or Chinese Cabbage

The winter season is also the season for fresh Napa cabbage. Napa cabbage grows best when the days are short and mild, it is an oblong shaped head that consists of tightly arranged crinkly, thick, light-green leaves with prominent white veins. The innermost layer leaves feature light yellow color.

Napa is closely related to broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale, as well as arugula and wasabi, it is most like bok choy. Napa cabbage is most widely used in China, Japan, and Korea, and has been for many years. In China Napa cabbage is a sign of prosperity, and often appears as a symbol on glass and porcelain figures

One cup of Napa cabbage, cooked, contains;

Calories 55, Protein 1.2 g.

Fat0.18 g., Carbohydrate 2.43 g., Fiber 1.7 g., Calcium 31.6 g., Folate 46.7 g., Magnesium 8.72 g., ad smaller amounts of Iron, Phosphorus, and Vitamin A.

Napa cabbage also contains copper, an antioxidant which supports nervous system function. The Magnesium metabolizes carbohydrates, protein, and cholesterol while also aiding in wound healing and the formation of cartilage and bone.

The folate helps to prevent birth defects and assists in red blood cell formation and protein metabolism.

Crunchy Asian Slaw

1 cup Napa cabbage

½ cup water chestnuts, chopped

½ small zucchini, julienned

2 tablespoons green pepper, chopped

4 ½ teaspoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce

½ teaspoon sesame oil

Crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Combine the cabbage, water chestnuts, zucchini, and green pepper in a medium bowl.

Whisk the rice vinegar, sugar, sesame seeds, soy sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes together in a small bowl.

Add dressing to the vegetable mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate one hour prior to serving.

Serves 4, each serving contains; Calories 90, Carbohydrates 16 g. Fat 2.5 g., Fiber 3 g., Protein 3 g., Sodium 290 mg., Sugar 8g.

Asian-Style Napa Cabbage Rolls with Ginger Soy Glaze

1 large head napa cabbage

1 pound ground chicken or ground pork

1 cup cooked jasmine rice cooled

2 green onions finely chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon water

Sesame seeds for garnish

Chopped green onions for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Carefully separate 10 to 12 large napa cabbage leaves. Add the leaves to the boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes until pliable. Remove the leaves and place them on a clean kitchen towel to cool and drain.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, cooked rice, green onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Mix until just combined without overworking the meat.

Lay one cabbage leaf flat on a work surface with the stem end facing you. Spoon about ⅓ cup of filling near the base of the leaf. Fold the sides in and roll tightly into a neat bundle. Place the roll seam side down in a lightly greased baking dish. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling.

In a small saucepan, whisk together the chicken broth, hoisin sauce, honey, sugar, and cornstarch. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the water to loosen the sauce slightly. Pour the sauce evenly over the cabbage rolls.

Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes to let the tops glaze. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Spoon extra sauce from the pan over the rolls.

Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions before serving.

Napa Cabbage Ginger Soy Bowl

4 cups chopped napa cabbage

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon honey

Heat sesame oil in a pan over medium heat. Add ginger and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic.

Add napa cabbage and toss well. Cook for 3–4 minutes until the cabbage softens. Stir in soy sauce and honey, mixing evenly. Continue cooking for another 2 minutes.

Remove from heat once cabbage is tender and glossy. Serve as a warm bowl, alongside grains., grilled chicken or other protein, vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, to your taste.

Mix gently to keep texture intact.

Napa Cabbage with Peanut Sauce

4 cups shredded napa cabbage

2 tablespoons natural peanut butter

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 tablespoon warm water

1 teaspoon lime juice

In a small bowl, whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger, lime juice, and warm water until smooth. Set aside.

Heat a pan over medium heat and add napa cabbage. Cook for 3–4 minutes until slightly softened. Reduce heat and pour peanut sauce over cabbage.

Toss gently to coat evenly. Cook for another 2 minutes until warmed through. Remove from heat and let sit briefly. Serve warm as a bowl or side dish.

Napa Cabbage Egg Scramble

3 cups chopped napa cabbage

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add napa cabbage and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened.

In a bowl, whisk eggs with salt and pepper. Pour eggs into the pan with cabbage.

Stir gently as eggs cook. Continue cooking until eggs are just set. Remove from heat immediately.

Serve warm for breakfast or light dinner.

Napa Cabbage Egg Drop Soup

1 ½ pounds Napa cabbage, 1 medium

3 large garlic cloves, sliced

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, julienned

1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil

½ teaspoon coarse sea salt

3 ½ cups chicken stock

½ teaspoon shitake mushroom seasoning, or chicken bouillon or dashi powder

3 large eggs, gently whisked

Sesame oil, for drizzling

Scallions, diced, for garnish

For the cabbage, trim away the bottom tip end of the cabbage, slice to separate the leave part from the stem part. Slice the steams 1 ½ inch in width crosswise and leaves to 3 to 3 ½ inch width. Rinse and drain the stems separate from the leaves and drain both well.

Prepare the garlic and ginger. Prepare a 4 quart size soup pot over medium-low heat with 1 tablespoon oil until it feels warm. Turn up the heat to medium, sauté the garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 10 seconds.

Add the Napa cabbage stem and sauté for 1 minute, pour in the chicken stock. Close the lid and simmer the soup until the stems turn softer but still have some bite to them, about 12 minutes. Stir periodically to cook the cabbage evenly.

Add the cabbage leaves, using a wooden spoon to gently press the cabbage down so they are in contact with the broth. Simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the leaves just turn tender but not mushy.

Taste the broth and add seasonings. Depending on your taste add a combination of coarse salt and bouillon or dash powder.

While the soup is gently boiling, slowly drizzle from high up, the lightly whisked eggs in a swirling motion. Let the eggs cook for a few seconds before gently breaking them up with a fork or chopsticks.

Drizzle in sesame oil and garnish with scallions. Serve warm.

Mongolian Ground Beef and Cabbage

1 pound ground beef (80/20 preferred)

1 small head Napa cabbage (about 4 cups shredded)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

3 scallions, sliced

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or avocado oil

Preheat skillet over medium-high heat. Shred cabbage and slice scallions. Mince garlic and grate ginger. Mix sauce ingredients while skillet heats.

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, and sesame oil. Set aside.

Add cooking oil to hot skillet. Add ground beef and brown without stirring for 3 minutes, then stir and cook until no pink remains. Drain excess fat if needed.

Push beef to side of skillet. Add garlic and ginger to empty space and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

Pour sauce over beef and stir to coat evenly.

Add shredded cabbage and stir to combine. Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tender but still slightly crunchy.

Stir in sliced scallions and red pepper flakes if using. Cook for another minute. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Serve hot, optionally over cauliflower rice or shirataki noodles.