I’m usually on the hunt for some good vegetable side dishes to help change up our dinner meals.  I came across a creamy cabbage recipe and, while it sounded delicious, it certainly wasn’t calorie-friendly.  So, I did some research and eventually came up with my own little version.  And . . . I think it is quite delicious.  I love how it has a slight hint of creaminess without feeling or tasting heavy, a subtle smoky flavor, and yet the cabbage still shines through as the main ingredient (Iron Chef anyone?).  It is tasty and I think it would pair very well with just about any main course.

Smoky & Creamy Green Cabbage

1/2 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 head green cabbage (about 2 pounds), cored and sliced thin
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/8 cup white cooking wine
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 cup fat free half-and-half
salt and pepper

Heart the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add the red onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the cabbage, broth, wine, paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a simmer.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is wilted and tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in the half-and-half and cook, uncovered, until it is slightly thickened, 2 to 4 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Serves 6.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1/6 of Recipe)
Calories:  60.7
Protein:  0.5g
Carbs:  12.9g
Fat:  1.4g (0.2g = Sat.)
Fiber:  5.5g
Sugars:  6.2g

Remember when I gave you the recipe for roasted potatoes?  I mentioned that I would pass along other varieties, so I’m living up to that promise today!  These have SO much flavor.  This recipe just amps up the flavor because of the rosemary and garlic!  This is, without a doubt, one of my most favorite ways to cook potatoes (as if ATK would ever let me down, right?!).  They compliment so many main courses, so get those potatoes roastin’!

Roasted Rosemary & Garlic Red Potatoes
Adapted from “The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook”

1.5 pounds red potatoes (about 4 medium), scrubbed and cut into ¾-inch wedges
1 tablespoons olive oil
Salt & pepper
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced to a paste

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees.  Toss the potatoes with the oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.  Arrange the potatoes cut-side down in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet and cover tightly with foil.  Roast for 20 minutes.

Remove the foil and continue to roast until the bottoms of the potatoes are crusty and golden, about 15 minutes.  Flip the potatoes and continue to roast until crusty and golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes longer.

Sprinkle rosemary over the potatoes during the final 3 minutes of roasting.  Toss the roasted potatoes with garlic before serving.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
Calories:  152.6
Protein:  3.2g
Carbs:  28g
Fat:  3.7g (0.5g = Sat.)
Fiber:  2.9g
Sugar:  1.7g

I’m not sure what all the craziness and dislike is about when the subject of Brussels Sprouts comes up.  Sure, they aren’t my most favorite veggie on the planet, but if you cook them right they are definitely edible.  This is my second favorite way to eat them (my most favorite way is roasting them).  The garlic, olive oil, and minimal amount of salt and pepper really make these good.  The amount of garlic you add to the skillet is adaptable to your taste.  The recipe calls for 4 cloves of garlic.  I minced mine and the garlic taste was pretty strong.  I love garlic, so it didn’t bother me much, but if you’re not a HUGE fan of garlic . . . just reduce the amount to 2 cloves and it should be enough to enhance the sprouts without an overpowering garlic flavor.

Try adding these to your healthy menus at the first of our new year!  The health benefits will be worth it, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that Burssels Sprouts aren’t that bad.

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Garlic
Adapted from Skinnytaste.com

2 lb brussels sprouts (weight after outer leaves and stems removed)
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced or sliced thin
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

With a large sharp knife (or with a food processor with grated blade attached), finely shred the brussels sprouts after thoroughly washing.

In a deep heavy saute pan add olive oil and garlic and sauté until golden. Add shredded brussels sprouts, salt and pepper to taste and sauté on medium-low heat for about 4-5 minutes until tender crisp.

Serves 14.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1/2 Cup)
Calories:  42
Protein:  2.2g
Carbs:  6.1g
Fat:  1.7g (0.3g)
Fiber:  2.5g
Sugars:  1.4g

I L.O.V.E. this salad.  It tastes incredibly fresh and I love that, even though my garden has stopped producing most of these veggies, I can still find them all at the grocery store and have a summer-ish type salad during the cold months.  Besides the fact that it tastes so darn good, it’s only 20 calories a serving!  That’s right, folks!  I said TWENTY!

You’ll see that several of the ingredients are supposed to be julienne-cut . . . that just means you cut them into little match sticks.  (If you need further explanation on how to do that, you can go to this post and click on the video link.)  It really doesn’t take forever, but it really makes the texture of the salad so pleasing (and it looks pretty too).

You can certainly slice your own cabbage, but I usually take the easy road on this one and buy the pre-shredded stuff (which is located among the the bagged salads . . . usually in the produce section of your grocery store).  You’ll also see that the dressing has sweet chili sauce.  This is SO yummy, and can usually be found in the Asian isle of your grocery store.  I put links to both of these ingredients so you can see what I typically buy and perhaps it might make your hunt for these ingredients in the grocery store a little easier.

You’ll want to take note that once you put the dressing on the salad you are supposed to serve it immediately.  But, you can totally prepare slaw and dressing up to one day ahead, and store separately in the refrigerator (that’s what I did when I made this and I was SO happy when all I had to do was pull it out and pour dressing on it before we ate it).

I served this alongside Asian Lettuce Wraps and we couldn’t have enjoyed our dinner any more!  I can see that adding chicken or shrimp to the salad could make this a main meal too.  However you decide to eat it, I hope you love it as much as we did!

Fresh Thai Slaw
Adapted from  Cooking Light

Slaw:
3 cups thinly sliced cabbage (I buy the pre-shredded package)
1 cup (1/8-inch) julienne-cut zucchini
1/2 cup (1/8-inch) julienne-cut red bell pepper
1/2 cup (1/8-inch) julienne-cut yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup (1/8-inch) julienne-cut seeded peeled cucumber
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup grated radishes
1 minced seeded jalapeno pepper

Dressing:
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon water
1teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon sweet chili sauce

To prepare slaw, combine first 10 ingredients in a large bowl.

To prepare dressing, combine juice and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until sugar dissolves.  Drizzle over slaw; toss well to coat.  Serve immediately.

Serves 10.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1/2 Cup)
Calories:  20
Protein:  0.9g
Carbs:  4.5g
Fat:  0.1g
Fiber:  1.1g