Saturday MOD: Cabbage Steaks
What Do You Do With Produce That’s on Its Last Legs?
I arrived home Wednesday night after a long day at work. I was tired, didn’t feel like cooking, but there it was, one aged head of cabbage. Use it or lose it. Something had to be done. Could I turn it into something to eat instead of letting it perish?
I’d been meaning to try cabbage steaks; they looked simple enough to make, but I was too tired to slice it up myself and worried I’d mess it up. I called in backup. “Mike,” I appealed, “Can you please cut this into 1-inch slices? I only have one shot here. I’m not equipped.” He checked out a quick YouTube and made the cuts, and the cabbage went onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, brushed with avocado oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili paste baked it in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes. It was a rushed job but turned out crispy and tasty, better than I expected.
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The next morning, I came home from the gym hungry and wondering what to make for lunch. I didn’t have a side for the cabbage steaks, however, they were cooked. A cabbage steak alone did not appeal. I cut them up with a kitchen knife, sautéed some ground beef, and tossed in cooked broccoli, onion, and a pepper. In minutes, I had a “whatever’s-in-the-fridge” kind of meal that fueled me in a much better way than anything random I might have grabbed at UBC.
Bottom line, when you’re tired it’s easy to justify skipping meal prep but find a way. Call in help. The more stuff you have in the fridge, the easier it is to cobble something together.
Quick Takeaways
Don’t let produce die in the fridge. Sauté or bake it up. Keep it simple.
Get family involved. Kitchen teamwork helps make meals happen.
The more you prepare ahead, the less likely you’ll default to takeout.
Home cooking = better ingredients and caloric control.
Why cabbage deserves a spot in your fridge
High in fibre, low in calories
Packed with vitamin C and K
Great for gut health
Easy to cook, hard to mess up
Budget-friendly!
✨ New nutrition posts related posts can be found on the Empower Blog every Tuesday at 6 pm and Saturdays at noon.
