Cabbage

I think many people have been turned off cabbage due to poor cooking in the past and so I'll give you a few tasty recipes to help with this.

Cabbage belong to the cruciferous family (Brassica) and so share many of the incredible health properties of kale and broccoli mentioned previously. As a reminder!! the cruciferous family are showing strong links to cancer prevention, as well as assisting the body in terms of detoxification and hormone regulation. Cabbage is also known to hep with digestive disorders such as peptic ulcers. It is packed full of anti-oxidants which are beneficial for so many areas of healthy eating.

There are several types of cabbage, from green, red, savoy, bok choy. Always try to choose cabbage that are vibrant in colour, heavy and dense (with only a few leaves hanging loose). Discard the outside leaves.

A whole head of cabbage can be stored for up to 10 days in the fridge but if you are cutting pieces from it, cover and keep in fridge for only 2-3 longer.

Try to slice cabbage in fairly even slices to ensure the similar cooking time. One tip is to slice the cabbage and leave exposed to the air for 5 - 10 mins before cooking - allowing its health promoting properties to be activated.

A simple way of cooking is to put a small amount of water in a pan, barely covering the base of the pan, heat and as it starts to steam, add cabbage a saute for 5 mins. Add any flavouring you wish, for example, a little lemon juice, a little garlic or ginger. Remember you can always eat raw in salads or homemade coleslaw's.