Jill, one of my residents during my RA days at UM and a Facebook friend, requested some cabbage recipes yesterday, so I thought I'd oblige and share them with a wider audience as well.
The first recipe I thought of when she mentioned cabbage was one of our family favorites: Scalloped Cabbage. We often make it for Thanksgiving and other special occasions, and I personally have made it in at least four states and three countries. It's just that good. If my recollection is correct, the recipe came from a great little Montana cookbook called The Best of Friends.
Scalloped Cabbage
4 c. shredded cabbage
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
2 c. milk
salt and pepper
nutmeg
3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. fine bread crumbs
1/4 c. melted butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook the cabbage in boiling water to cover, 7 to 8 minutes. While that is cooking, melt butter and whisk in flour until well blended and bubbly. Remove from heat and add milk. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Add cheese. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. In a separate bowl, combine bread crumbs and melted butter. Combine cheese sauce and drained cabbage in a ceramic baking dish. Top with buttered bread crumbs. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly.
The next recipe is a sort of bastardized goulash that turns out great in a crock pot, and the leftovers are just as yummy. We usually serve it over egg noodles, but you could probably try it on rice or even on its own as a stew. It's based on a Woman's Day recipe from 2005.
Hungarian Beef Stew
1 T. butter
1 1/4 lb. lean beef chuck for stew, cut in 3/4-inch cubes
1 lb. carrots, sliced
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 c. shredded cabbage
2 c. water (or 1/2 c. red wine and 1 1/2 c. water)
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 envelope onion-mushroom soup mix
1 T. sweet paprika
1 c. sour cream
Melt butter in a heavy pan and add beef. Brown, but do not cook through. Remove beef from pan and put into crock pot. Add onions to the pan and cook briefly until they are slightly softened. Add onions to crock pot. Deglaze pan with wine/water or just water and pour into crock pot. Add remaining ingredients (except for sour cream) and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until beef it tender. Turn off cooker and stir in sour cream. Serve immediately.
The final recipe is not one I promised to Jill, but I thought I'd throw it in since neither the scalloped cabbage nor the beef stew are particularly summer-barbecue-friendly. Plus, since I knew her in college, I figured something with ramen would be appropriate. The Chinese Cabbage Salad is a pretty standard dish but is also very tasty and convenient. The recipe calls for half-heads of cabbage, but I often buy bagged coleslaw for ease.
Chinese Cabbage Salad
1/2 head red cabbage, shredded
1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
2 T. slivered almonds, toasted
2 T. sesame seeds, toasted
1 pkg. ramen noodles, broken up, seasoning packet saved out
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. cider vinegar
2 T. sugar
1 ramen seasoning packet
Combine cabbage, almonds, sesame seeds, and ramen noodles in a large bowl. In a separate container, mix dressing--oil, vinegar, sugar, and ramen packet. Combine and chill for several hours.