Introduction: Eating cabbage can prevent cancer. Scientists at the New York Hormone Research Institute in the US have discovered that the reason breast cancer rates among Chinese and Japanese women are much lower than those of Western women is because they often eat cabbage. Cabbage contains certain trace elements that help break down estrogen linked to breast cancer. Cabbage also contains a small amount of molybdenum, which can inhibit the formation of nitrosamines in the human body, playing a certain role in cancer prevention.
Eating cabbage moistens the intestines and promotes bowel movements. Cabbage is rich in dietary fiber, which can help moisten the intestines and promote bowel movements. For people who are prone to "heatiness" (a concept in traditional Chinese medicine), eating more cabbage can have a "heat-clearing" effect.
To learn more about cabbage recipes, we recommend the Meitian feature: "Winter Vegetarian Nourishment, No Vegetable is Better Than Cabbage"
Ways to Cook Cabbage
1. Cold Cabbage Salad. Also known as a common cold dish in the north. Shred the cabbage, and also prepare shredded lean pork, vermicelli, dried tofu shreds, and cucumber shreds. The lean pork shreds should be stir-fried until cooked, the vermicelli should be boiled, drained, and cooled, and the dried tofu and cucumber shreds can be shredded directly. Place all the ingredients in a small basin, add salt, MSG, vinegar, sugar, chili oil, garlic, green onions, sesame oil, and mix well.
2. Cabbage Dumplings. Frozen dumplings are also a dietary habit in the north, especially during the New Year, when every household makes some and freezes them for later use. Pre-made frozen dumplings are very convenient when time is tight; you can just boil them and eat them. Among frozen dumplings, the cabbage filling is particularly popular. So how do you make frozen dumplings with a cabbage filling? If you don't know how to roll dumpling wrappers, you can just buy ready-made ones from outside, which is convenient and saves time and effort. The key to delicious dumplings is the filling. Choose high-quality pork filling, add chopped cabbage, and mix together. Add salt, cooking wine, soy sauce, chopped green onions, ginger, and egg white, and mix well. If you feel the texture is not right, you can add some dumpling seasoning to enhance the flavor. Dumpling seasoning is available at any spice shop. When mixing the dumpling filling, be sure to stir in one clockwise direction; otherwise, the filling will fall apart. Once the filling is mixed, you can start wrapping them. The balcony in northern China is a natural big freezer. Place the wrapped dumplings on the balcony to freeze for a few hours before putting them in the refrigerator for storage.
3. Cabbage Balls. The ingredients needed are cabbage, radish, egg, flour, ginger, salt, and green onions. First, chop the radish and cabbage, sprinkle with salt, and let them sit for a while to draw out the water. Then, squeeze out all the water. Mince the ginger and green onions, add them to the bowl with the cabbage and radish. Add Sichuan peppercorn powder, cumin powder, beat in an egg, add flour, and mix well. Once mixed, you can deep-fry them. Control the oil temperature when frying; if the oil is too hot, the balls will burn on the outside while remaining raw inside. Fried balls should be removed immediately to avoid over-frying.
4. Cabbage with Dipping Sauce. Cabbage is most nutritious when eaten raw, as its nutritional value is not lost without cooking. Some ingredients can be eaten raw, some cannot, but cabbage can be eaten raw. For dipping sauce, it's best to use the cabbage heart. Peel off the outermost leaves of the cabbage to save for stewing or stir-frying, and dip the inner heart directly in the sauce. It is very sweet, juicy, and has an excellent texture. As for the choice of sauce, it depends on personal preference. You can choose Xiangqi sauce, Korean chili paste, broad bean paste, or soybean paste, among others.
5. Vinegar-Sautéed Cabbage. The ingredients needed are: cabbage, lean pork, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, dried chili peppers, green onions, sugar, white vinegar, and ginger. Shred the lean pork and the cabbage. Remember to shred the cabbage lengthwise so it cooks better. Marinate the shredded pork with some salt, cooking wine, and a little soy sauce for a while to make it more flavorful. If you want the pork to be more tender, you can add a little egg white and mix. Heat oil in a wok, add the Sichuan peppercorns and star anise and stir-fry until fragrant, then remove and discard them. Add chopped green onions, ginger, and dried chili peppers to the hot oil to fragrance the wok. Add the marinated pork and stir-fry until it changes color, then add the cabbage shreds and continue to stir-fry. After the cabbage starts to release water, add the pre-mixed sweet and sour sauce. How to make the sweet and sour sauce? In a bowl, mix salt, white vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and water until well combined. Stir and season, then it's ready to be served.
6. Wood Ear Mushroom and Cabbage Stir-fry. The ingredients needed are: lean pork, wood ear mushrooms, carrots, cabbage, green onions, garlic, salt, and soy sauce. Soak the wood ear mushrooms in advance, remove the stems, tear them into small pieces, and set aside. Cut the carrots and cabbage into diamond-shaped slices. Heat oil in a wok, use green onions and garlic to fragrance the wok, add the shredded pork and stir-fry until it changes color. Then add the chopped cabbage, carrots, and wood ear mushrooms and stir-fry. Add salt and soy sauce to taste.
7. Cabbage and Vermicelli Stew. The ingredients needed are cabbage, vermicelli, pork, and frozen tofu. Slice the pork belly and cabbage, and set aside. Heat an appropriate amount of oil in a pot. Once the oil is hot, add green onions, ginger, and garlic to fragrance the pot. Add the pork belly and stir-fry until it changes color. Add the cabbage and stir-fry, add a little soy sauce for color and salt. After the cabbage has released water, add water and let it simmer. Add the tofu and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the vermicelli. Once the vermicelli is cooked, the dish is ready. Be careful not to cook for too long, or the vermicelli will become mushy.