Experts inform us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I'm tired of eggs and I have an abundance of fresh leafy greens from a recent trip to the co-op. While many shy away from cabbage I have found that when you prepare it properly it is sweet and mild. Thin cabbage ribbons make a wonderful base for dishes, often I use them instead of rice or pasta.
- 1/2 of a small cabbage
- 2-3 bok choy leaves and stems
- 1 fennel bulb
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cardamom pod, seeds removed and crushed
- 1/8 Cup (1 ounce) coconut oil
- 1/4 Cup (2 ounces) spring water
Liquify coconut oil over medium heat in a heavy bottomed pan. While your oil is melting dice the cabbage, bok choy stems and fennel. I find that tightly rolling bok choy leaves makes them easier to chop. Layer the first three ingredients in your pan until your greens deepen in color and the base layer browns. Sprinkle nutmeg and crushed caramom seeds over your greens. Allow your spices to bloom before adding half of the water. Continue cooking until the water has been absorbed and the base layer browns again.
Remove greens and deglaze your pan with the remainder of the spring water. Sprinkle with salt, cool, and enjoy. Cardamom and nutmeg are both warming spices that heat your body from the inside out. Adding them before the liquid helps break down cell walls and prevents digestive distress. If you have done this right you will have a delicate dish of harmoniously blended flavors. This meal is nutritious, easy, inexpensive, quick, grain free and vegetarian. Round it out with a cup of squash soup to take maximum advantage of fall color.