Cabbage is often an underappreciated vegetable, but it's truly a dieter's friend. It's strong-flavored, and may be prepared in a variety of ways, but the diet friendly feature adds extra points for adding this vegetable to your meal plan.  

I love most all cabbage, but the pointed cabbage, though very similar to the white cabbage has a more delicate, slightly sweet taste of it’s own that adds a special taste to a variety of recipes!  

Like all types of cabbage, pointed cabbage is a rich source of vitamins. It contains so much ascorbigen (a precursor of vitamin C) that one portion of pointed cabbage easily covers the average daily requirement of around 100 milligrams. Pointed cabbage is also extremely low in calories and fat, and is more digestible than most other types of cabbage.  For every 4 ounces of pointed cabbage, you receive 23 calories, 2.1 grams of protein, 0 grams of fat, 3 grams of Carbohydrates, and 2.5 grams of fiber.  

Pointed Cabbage, supports the immune system, prevents colds, supports digestive health, can aid in weight loss, protects the stomach and intestines, and is easily digestible.  

How to use your pointed cabbage

Pointed cabbage shouldn't be braised or cooked for long or it will lose its bite. It's enough to cut the leaves into strips and stew them for 5-8 minutes with some vegetable stock and a little butter or cream. Thanks to its fine consistency, pointed cabbage is ideal for salads and raw vegetable dishes. The very young, tender pointed cabbage is also excellent if you quarter it lengthwise and then roast or steam it. This makes an uncomplicated side dish for roasted poultry or meat.

Pointed cabbage's tender but large leaves are also perfect for delicious fillings of minced meat, fish or vegetables. In general, the cabbage goes very well with recipes that include meat, but pointed cabbage is also perfect for light home cooking such as vegetable stew. You can also cut it into strips and stew it with some crushed garlic in a little good olive oil. 

Simply Roasted Pointed Cabbage

1 pointed cabbage 

3 tablespoons olive oil

Freshly ground sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.  

Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and cut remainder into 8 wedges.  Try to cut leaving most of the heart in place so the wedges do not fall apart.  

Brush each side of the wedge with olive oil, and grind over with some salt and pepper to taste.

Place on a non-stick baking tray, if you think it may stick cover with parchment paper or spray with a non-stick spray.  

Roast in the center of the hot oven for 10 minutes, flip and roast an additional 10 minutes.  Serve immediately.  Serves 4.  

Pointed Cabbage Slaw

½ pointed cabbage

1-2 small cucumbers

1 bunch parsley

1 tablespoon mustard

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Salt 

Pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves

Clean pointed cabbage, wash, then remove the hard stalk and cut the cabbage into fine strips. Clean and wash celery and cucumber and cut both into thin slices. Wash the parsley, pat dry, pluck the leaves and chop finely.

For the dressing, in a salad bowl, whisk together mustard, apple cider vinegar, 4 tablespoons water, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons oil until smooth. Peel and finely dice garlic and mix in. Add cabbage strips, celery, cucumber and parsley and mix well. Let pointed cabbage slaw stand for approx. 10 minutes.

Creamed Pointed Head Cabbage

1 tablespoon butter

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 medium head, pointed cabbage

½ cup vegetable broth

¾ cup whipping cream, or to taste

1 pinch salt and freshly ground pepper

1 pinch nutmeg

Melt butter in a pot over medium heat and cook onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in pointed cabbage. 

Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until liquid is almost all evaporated, about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. 

Pour in cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Simmer everything on low heat until flavors are combined, about 5 minutes. 

Chopped Cabbage and BBQ Shrimp Fried Rice 

3 cups white rice, cooked

2 tablespoons canola oil

¼ cup chopped onion

¼ cup soy sauce

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup green peas, or green pea and carrots

2 cups chopped pointed cabbage

1 egg, beaten

12 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, recipe calls for tails on, I prefer them off

1 tablespoon of your favorite barbecue sauce

Heat a large skillet or wok on medium heat. Add the canola oil.  Add the rice and onion. Continuously stir.

Add the soy sauce, and continue to stir for about 4 minutes.  Add the cabbage, garlic and the peas and carrots. Stir.  Continue to cook and stir.

Move the ingredients to the outside edges of the pan to make an empty space in the middle of the pan.  Add the egg to the middle of the pan, and stir just the egg as it cooks.  Once the egg is cooked, stir together all the ingredients in the pan.

Remove the fried rice from the pan, and place it on a large plate or in a bowl.

Put the pan back on the heat, and add the shrimp and the barbecue sauce.  Stir together so that the shrimp are coated with the barbecue sauce.  Continue to stir until the shrimp are fully cooked (about 4 minutes).

Serve the shrimp on top of the rice.  Serves 2.