Cabbage Steaks: Roasting at it's Finest

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

Cabbage Steaks: Roasting at it's Finest

In my (Emily, here) CSA basket, there have been these gorgeous heads of cabbage that I've had absolutely no no no idea how to cook. Of course I have ideas, but I didn't want the commitment of making sauerkraut or doing something boring and simple like shredding it up. I also knew I could use the leaves in place of tortillas for a wrap, but I ran out of those sammy fixins. There I was, thinking, 'hmm, I have to use them. Can't leave a veggie out -- that's just plain rude.' So that's what started this recipe. It's simple (5 ingredients!) and definitely yummy delicious.

Why do we love this recipe? Not only is it simple to throw together with major taste factor, the ingredients pack a major nutritional punch. Cabbage is low in fat and high in fiber, aka filling. It's full of vitamin K and anthocyanins which both help mental function and concentration; think helping out with nerve damage, strengthening your defense against Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia. Cabbage can help dry out oily skin and fight acne thanks to the sulfur which also draws out toxins like uric acid and free radicals (the main causes behind arthritis, skin diseases, and rheumatism). Amongst a whole host of others, it's an anti-inflammatory and blood sugar regulator. Wow! Talk about packing a punch!

We love our olive oil for it's resveratrol, aka the antioxidants that help with healthy hearts, no wrinkles, and keep us on this divine earth for a long while. Pink Himalayan salt has been known to stabilize ph levels, blood sugar, and water levels in the body; detoxify your system; and promote good respiratory and vascular health. Garlic contributes magnesium, vitamin B6, and vitamin C, can improve cholesterol levels, boost our immunity (hello, cold remedy), and helps the body detox the organs of heavy metals. Can't say this recipe is anything short of amazing. Five minutes to throw together, 40 minutes in the oven, and you can get all of those benefits? I'm not gonna pass it up. You? Find the recipe below!

Ingredients & Instructions

+ 1 Head Cabbage

+ Olive Oil

+ 3 Cloves of Garlic

+ Pink Himalayan salt (regular salt works, too)

+ Black Pepper

1. Preset the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Take the head of cabbage and slice from top to bottom (part where the leaves meet down to the flatter part/stem) in one inch widths.
3. Place the sliced rounds on a baking sheet.
4. Drizzle the slices with olive oil.
5. Chop up the garlic cloves. Sprinkle on top of cabbage rounds.
6. Rub the garlic and olive oil into the cabbage (like one might with a marinade rub).
7. Bake for 40 minutes, until crisped at the top and tender through the center.
8. Pull it out of the oven, drop next to some other side-dish yummies, and enjoy!

+ have you tried roasted cabbage this way? how about other veggies? what's your fave? comment below or on Facebook!

want support around yummy recipes, a more plant-based diet, and a lifelong glow?

sign up for your free health consultation today!

The wonders of a CSA -- a love story.

IMG_1949

' Why do you use acronyms I don't know? '

Like text talk and everything technological, it's easy to become so familiar with a topic that it's second nature, and anyone who doesn't know what you're talking about has a third head. But that's not productive and certainly not what I (Emily) wish for anyone navigating this green and delicious world. So, what is a CSA? Well, if the above picture is no indication, a CSA is a Community Supported Agriculture. And it is ahhhhhmazing. How you ask? Well, a customer pays - normally a weekly amount or discounted bundle of weeks - and the CSA returns with delicious, locally grown (sometimes even organic if chosen) produce in abundance. The picture above is half of what my mom and I got in this week's box -- and it's a box for two! As the summer tumbles along, you'll see more squash, tomatoes, fresh blueberries, and all that seasonal produce we love to love. And normally, a good CSA goes all year round. Meaning that the freshest, most delicious and seasonally appropriate goodies are sitting in a box waiting for you to pick up (or have dropped off), ready to be made into delicious recipes.

BENNIES of a CSA BOX - some, not all. I don't have all day.

• budget friendly
• supports local business
• means less toxins and harmful preservatives in your body
• a surprise every week that tastes good and makes you feel great
• meeting new people when picking the box up having them recognize your face and give you things you love just for fun & free is the best feeling
• having a varied diet important for a great total nutrition profile - think: all your vitamins and minerals
• more and more every day as we learn that fresh is best and local is grand

Check with your local CSA, but boxes are usually a flat rate - read: not by pound - so you can get a heck of a lot of produce in the height of the season. I don't think we pay more than $30 for our box a week (even cheaper when we payed up front), and aside from my needs of bananas, almond butter, and chocolate, that's basically it for the week. So even if you spent an extra $20 on items of necessity for your body and nutrition satisfaction, you're only looking at around $50 a week. If that. How often do you eat out or order in? How much does that cost you typically? Do you really know how fresh those ingredients are when they arrive? The average American eats out 4-5 times a week and can spend $250 a month on those meals alone. Just those. That doesn't include the additional amount to make the 16 other meals. And if it's just refined and processed foods, they aren't really keeping you full and satisfied and are sucking your budget dry. Lose, lose.

My favorite part of getting a new CSA box is looking up fun new recipes to put all the produce to work. Sometimes I'll batch cook, prepping foods for the whole week by roasting or making large quantities of the same recipe, but most of the time, especially in the summer, I'll leave it fresh and waiting to be sliced and thrown into a yummy salad or stir-fry. Fresh fruits and veggies draw toxins out of the body, support a healthy metabolism and brain function, and help keep a nurtured and wholesome physique. Win, win, win! Find your local CSA, here. And if you live in Wilmington, check out the Veggie Wagon in Carolina Beach -- that's where I go, and I couldn't fangirl about them more.

If you're interested in support around a wholesome, natural, and plant-based lifestyle while finding foods that fuel you and keep you energized, I invite you to work with me and sign up for a free health consultation.

R E C I P E // A Little Yum: Smoothie Bowls

Green Smoothie BowlSpinach & Banana, Naturally

Image-1-4

R E C I P E || what is a smoothie bowl? it's an amazing blend of frozen fruit and veggies that comes out in a frosty-esque consistency, perfect for upending into a bowl and eating with a spoon. It's cold, it forces you to really slow down and enjoy the nutrients (unlike guzzling a smoothie like a person who has just crossed the finish line in the Boston Marathon), and it's perfectly top-able and delicious. I love these over the summer for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and sometimes it tastes so good I want another. If the green freaks you out, try adding some cacao or cocoa and make it a chocolate frosty. You don't taste the greens in my opinion, but sometimes it's easier to eat something that looks like chocolate ice cream, am I right? I left the recipe purposely vague so you can experiment, and find your favorite combination. Starting with the base of banana and spinach (both frozen so it's super spoonable), anything else goes -- if I don't have almond milk, I'll use just water; if chia seeds and flax seeds are at a low, I'll omit or throw in a different seed if I have it on hand; if I don't want oatmeal in my smoothie (I normally add it on the days I run), I don't put it in there ... you guys get the idea, right? It's simple! 

+ 1-2 cups of Non-Dairy Milk
+ 1-2 cups of frozen spinach (if new to the world of green smoothies, start at 1 cup and work up)
+ 1 frozen banana (peel the banana and break it up into bite size pieces -- makes it easier on the blender -- and then place it in the freezer in a baggie or on a tray until frozen. they last forever so feel free to freeze in bulk)
+ Flax & Chia Seeds
+ 1-2 tbsp oatmeal
+ Almond butter to drizzle heavenly on top
+ Spices of Choice (I love cinnamon and nutmeg)
+ Ice (optional)

Add all of the ingredients* (minus the almond butter if you want to drizzle it on top) to a blender until all is combined. I've tried it with my nutribullet and it works just fine! 

*You want the milk to just cover the frozen banana and spinach. After you run it through the blender to get it started, you add very small amounts to help it blend completely, but not too much that it becomes any ol' smoothie -- it's all about that spooning action! If you made it too runny, no worries! Add a little more frozen banana or ice to it and thicken it right back up -- it's almost too simple to call it a recipe.

Why do we love Green Smoothies? The one above packs potassium, manganese, folate, fiber, vital vitamins and nutrients (think B6, C, E, omegas), as well as protein and more, and it's all jam packed into something that tastes amazing ;-). Plus, it makes your body glow from the inside out and feel like it can go for hours (if you're wondering how filling a simple recipe could be, try it out -- I think you'll be pleasantly surprised).

For another smoothie recipe, check out this Berry & Beet Smoothie or the non-bowl version of this recipe, The Training Wheels Green Smoothie.

+ have you tried smoothie bowls before ? was this a new idea for you? comment below or on facebook!

Want to feel like a million bucks with high energy, self-love, and freedom from fad-diets? Let’s work together.

Xx. Remember, always listen to your body and soul when fixing yourself food -- it's generally in there that you'll find just what you need.