Parmesan Cabbage Steaks

Whether you call these “steaks” or just plain cabbage, they are a great way to get your daily dose of veggies in a filling, tasty meal.

First of all, let’s talk all things marinade.  I’ve gone with a puree of roasted garlic, red bell peppers, onions and a bit of apple cider vinegar to cut the sweetness.  Feel free to use roasted red peppers from a jar, use raw garlic (although I’d only use 2 cloves if I did that) and add a splash of olive oil for some creaminess.  Also, you can marinate the cabbage for as little as 15 minutes or overnight.  Longer does help the flavor get right into the nooks and crannies of the cabbage, but it’s not life or death that you let it sit forever.  If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, feel free to swap it out for any light vinegar like white vinegar, white balsamic, white wine vinegar or even lemon juice.

Now let’s move on to the “breading”.  I’ve used cauliflower “bread” crumbs, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.  Panko are great, but you can also just use toasted or stale bread, zap it in a blender and you have your own homemade bread crumbs.  I’ve added a little arrowroot (like a cornstarch) to help make it crispy, but you can skip that if you’re not using cauliflower crumbs.  Also, I’ve chosen to flavor my crumbs with salt, pepper and garlic powder, but you might choose to go with something like dill instead of the garlic powder or some other spice like rosemary or thyme.

Finally, the baking time will depend on how thick you cut your cabbage.  You want it to be soft and tender when you stick a fork in it, so I go with about a 1/2″ cut on the cabbage

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cabbage (4 “steaks” approximately 1/2″ thick each)
• 1 small onion
• 1 small red bell pepper
• 4 cloves roasted garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil (optional)
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• I teaspoon garlic powder
• pinch of salt
• pinch of black pepper

Directions:

1. In a blender or processor, combine onion, bell pepper, garlic cloves, salt, vinegar and oil if using.  Pour mixture over cabbage steaks and marinate for at least 15  minutes, or overnight.
2. Heat oven to 400, and line a baking sheet
3. On a plate, combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic powder, pinch of salt and pinch of pepper.
4. Lightly shake the excess marinade off of the cabbage (DON’T DISCARD THE MARINADE) and place the cabbage in the bread mixture, pressing down to coat them with the breading.  Flip the cabbage over and repeat.  Place each steak on the lined baking sheet as you go.
5. Roast eh cabbage for 40-50 minutes, flipping over halfway through.  Serve with reserved marinade as a dipping sauce (or drizzle it on top).

enjoy!