All of which I am eager to answer.
But, most frequently I get two questions.
“What kitchen ingredient could you not live without?” and “What do you make yourself for dinner?” The first answer is easy: Dijon mustard.
With lemon being a close second.
They both pull so much weight in the kitchen. They swing from sweet to savory, from sauces to dressings to marinades to finishers.
Not to be dramatic, they can absolutely make a dish. Give me a boring skinless, boneless chicken breast and a jar of Dijon, and I will make you dinner.
The second answer is a bit more nuanced, though I feel equally passionate about the subject. Three of my four kids are at their dad’s two nights a week and my seventeen year old is usually wrapped up by studies, friends or her own busy agenda. Sometimes she sweetly asks for a grilled cheese, pleading,
“Mom, you make it so much better.” Which I know is a psychological tool …that works.
That leaves me to fend for my own dinner occasionally. And while it was initially daunting to scale back my typical family-style fare, I have learned to love it.
Without the restraints of ensuring each child gets proper nutrition and is at their designated activity, I am free to feed myself in whatever way I see fit. If I want a snack of cheese and crackers, I’ll eat that. If I feel like a large bowl of popcorn because I simply can’t be bothered, I do it. If avocado smashed onto toast with a bit of good salt seems sufficient, I call it dinner.
I rely heavily on leftovers but truthfully those are rare in a house with four hungry kids. But, if the dinner gods have allowed it, I make a bowl of greens and top it with whatever leftover grain and protein happen to be swimming in the fridge.
On the nights that none of those make the cut, I cross my fingers, hoping to find half a cabbage in the crisper. Maybe left over from the slaw I make with sloppy joes or barbecued sandwiches or the peanutty cabbage and tofu that makes the rotation on our menu on a near weekly basis.
Wherever its origin, I’m always happy to find it. The sturdy cabbage is one of the most undervalued mealtime workhorses. You get so much for your money, it keeps far longer than other more fragile greens, and though I try to keep this column about food and not some lofty dietary goal, I can’t not mention that it is very nutritious.
Like, 54% of your daily Vitamin C in just one cup. See ya later, oranges.
I demand that we reevaluate cabbage’s reputation as low brow fare. In this meal, we transform it, though not so much that it is unrecognizable. Approximately 8 minutes standing at the stove, stirring occasionally, adding a handful of straightforward flavoring agents, and dirtying only one pan leaves you with a vessel that you can take in any direction.
Sometimes I add chickpeas or a fried egg. Sometimes I eat it over rice. I’ve added bits of leftover chicken or tofu or eaten it with a side of toast.
Sometimes I leave it completely alone, realizing that the simplicity is why I keep coming back both to this recipe and to the pan to scoop a little more into my bowl. There’s something very wholesome and unfussy about a bowl of warm, slightly caramelized, but still crisp cabbage for dinner. It’s just enough and not too much.
More than a recipe, this is an invitation to feed yourself well. Opt out of the “I’ll just grab a bar” programming, turn your stove on, make something nourishing, and sit by a sunny window with a bowl of vegetables.
It really is very sweet. And slightly spicy.
“But First, Food” columnist Whitney Kling is a recipe developer who lives in Southwest Ohio with her four kids, two cats and a food memoir that’s ever-nearing completion. If she’s not playing tennis or at a yoga class, she’s in the kitchen creating something totally addictive — and usually writing about it.
Slightly Spicy Sauteed Cabbage for one
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Serves One, with leftovers
1 T avocado oil
½ head of cabbage, cored and cut into ½ inch slices
1 t salt
1 t Sambal Oelek, Sriracha also works
1 t soy sauce
1 t sesame oil
Warm the avocado oil over medium heat in a medium sized pan. Add the cabbage and stir fry for eight minutes, until the cabbage begins to get limp and becomes a bit transparent. Turning the heat down to low, add the salt, Sambal, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Thoroughly toss until the cabbage is coated and most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.
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