Many people struggle with eating vegetables because they do not enjoy the taste. However, making great tasting vegetables start with the ingredients and cooking technique. As a Jamaican, some of our key ingredients used for cooking many vegetable dishes are herbs and spices, such as, onions, garlic, thyme, green onions and all-spice, to name just a few. Today, we will focus on cabbage, a common Jamaican side dish which is usually served with various types of meals.

Why You Should Be Eating Cabbage

• Cabbage is packed with nutrients
• Reduces chronic inflammation in the body
• It helps to improve digestion
• Red cabbage is rich in anthocyanin, a compound that has been shown to reduce risk of heart disease
• May lower blood pressure
• It is high in fiber which can help lower cholesterol levels
• It can be eaten raw or cooked

Cabbage is extremely affordable and can be easily added to your diet. It is very versatile and can be prepared in many different ways, but this recipe is one of the healthiest way to enjoy cabbage and reap all the health benefits.

The Importance of Quality Ingredients

The best tasting dishes starts with quality ingredients. You can steam your cabbage without oil, but for the best flavor, I recommend using a good quality organic olive oil. Olive oil has many health benefits which I will share in a future post. Butter is also used in this recipe but it is best to avoid margarine to reap the health benefits of this dish.

Ingredients

• 1/2 head of cabbage
• 2 carrots
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1/2 small onion
• 2 green onions
• 1 plum tomato
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp all-spice seasoning
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

Wash and cut all your vegetables into thin even strips (julienne) so they can cook evenly. Add all your vegetables to the pot, then add the salt, black pepper, all-spice, butter and olive oil. Cover the pot with the lid so the vegetables can steam over medium heat. Stir the vegetables as it starts to shrink to evenly distribute the flavors of the seasonings. It will take approximately 15 minutes to cook but will be more crunchy with less time. To preserve nutrients, vegetables should not be overcooked.

In Jamaica, cabbage may be served with breakfast, lunch or dinner. Cabbage is very budget friendly and is a great addition to any meal. The combination of vegetables in this recipe is a great source of many vitamins and minerals, such as the Vitamin A found in carrots and the Vitamin C in the bell peppers, just to name a few.

This steamed cabbage is not just delicious but it is healthy as well. It is prepared with good quality ingredients, from the olive oil to the spices and the vegetables used. If you decide to try this recipe, please share your feedback in the comments. I look forward to hearing from you. Please check out full YouTube video below.