#4: Roast Cabbage? Really? Yes, really.

As I was waiting for scripts to run so I could debug them, I started catching up on several weeks backlog of The Kitchn. A couple of weeks back, as a "Easy Winter Recipe", they posted Roast Cabbage with Bacon. As it happens, I've been trying to figure out something to do with the other half head of cabbage leftover from my pot stickers. I don't happen to have any bacon on hand, but after reading the whole article and following a few links, I decided to try just roasting it with a little olive oil and salt as part of a larger dinner.

I pondered what that dinner might be as I drove home, and realized that if I have my oven hot and a pan only half filled with cabbage, I should really make use of the other half of that pan. Roasted potatoes! And now that I have my starch covered, what for the protein? Mentally walking through my freezer, I remembered some chicken breasts that have been around for a bit and needed to be cooked before they got freezer burn.

So once I got home, I defrosted the chicken, whipped up an asian-style marinade, and put together a pretty darn tasty dinner.

Asian Style Chicken and Leeks
1 full chicken breast
2 leeks
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tsp powdered garlic
1 tsp powdered ginger

Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Cut the roots and dark leaves off of the leeks and discard; cut the leeks into thin rings. Mix the remaining ingredients into a marinade and pour over the chicken. Set aside for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Heat a wok over high heat. Add 1-2 tsp of sesame oil and cook the leeks for 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken and marinade and cook until the chicken is done. Serve over roasted cabbage.

Roasted Cabbage
Quarter a head of cabbage and remove the core. cut the quarters into two or three sections each(1), drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast at 450° for 30 minutes, turning once halfway through.

Roasted Potatoes
Cut 2-3 potatoes into pieces 1 to 2 inches across. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and garlic flakes. Roast at 450° for 30 minutes, turning once halfway through.


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(1) The more you cut the cabbage, the more "edge" you create, which will burn slightly, giving the cabbage a smoky flavor. If you like that flavor (as Dorothy does), cut it more; if not, cut it somewhat less.

#2 - Pot Stickers

I got the idea and basic recipe from the wonderful blog The Kitchn. I used regular head cabbage instead of napa (primarily because I wasn't really thinking and picked up the wrong one...), and I couldn't find round dumpling wraps so instead I used square won ton wraps. I also chose to use ground pork as my meat, just because I like it. It's a bit of work, but well worth it. The best part is that each dumpling is only about 50 calories!

Pot stickers
1/2 head cabbage, chopped
1/2 lb ground pork (91% lean)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp minced ginger
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 package dumpling/won ton wrappers

Dipping sauce
1/4 c soy sauce
2 tbsp vinegar (rice preferred)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar

Chop the cabbage and mix thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients.(1) Put about a tablespoon of mixture onto each wrapper. Dip your finger in some water and trace the edge of the wrapper to moisten it. Bring the near and far edges of the wrapper together and pinch, then carefully bring the left and right edges up and pinch with the first two. You will now have a nice pouch; pinch the loose edges together to seal it up.

Once the dumplings are all shaped, heat a heavy lidded skillet over high heat. Once the pan is very hot(2), add about 2-3 tsp of sesame oil to the pan and swirl to cover the pan. Arrange dumplings in the pan in a single layer, then carefully(3) pour in 1/2 to 3/4 cups of water. Cover and cook until the water is absorbed. Once you stop seeing steam come out and can hear the dumplings sizzle on the pan, remove the lid and use a spatula to remove the dumplings. They will be stuck to the pan(4), so be careful with the spatula so that you don't leave the bottom of the dumpling behind.

Mix all ingredients for the dipping sauce and set within reach of everyone, or give each person their own small bowl for dipping.
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(1) If you are using a food processor -- and really, you should be, just sayin' -- you can chop it coarsely, as it will get processed down with the rest of the ingredients. If you live a sad life that lacks a food processor, you'll need to chop it more finely.
(2) Seriously. I rarely let the pan get this hot for anything, but if it's not hot enough it doesn't cook right. I figured this out the hard way on the second batch.
(3) It's going to start boiling immediately. Don't pour it in too slowly, or it will just boil off. Be careful as you pour so that the steam doesn't burn you.
(4) That's why they're called "Pot Stickers"!