Spring Cabbage 春キャベツ炒め

 

The spring is coming to the end in Japan.

The pink and yellow colours are fading and greenish colors are prevailing in the field.

A tone of the sky is changing to lighter blue.

The air is more moist.

We can still enjoy this transitional period though we have to say farewell to the most beautiful season .

Yes, we can always find our happiness in the food of that particular season no matter if it is too humid or too cold.

Guess, what I am writing about today.

The cabbage !!

It is a popular vegetable which is usually available all thruoug the year in all over the world.

The cabbage that is harvested in cold seasons and hot seasons are different.

We use the term Yin and Yang in Macrobiotics,

and the former generally can be applied for the hot season harvests,

and the latter for the cold season harvests.

Going back to about cabbage...,

we call "Haru Kyabetsu", literally means "Spring Cabbage" for the ones that we can harvest from spring to summer.

Its leaves are thinner and softer, and more moist.

The layers of the leaves are less densed having some air in between.

 

So as you may be imagining, it is more suitable for raw cooking or quick cooking rather than simmering or slow cooking.

Today I show you my most favorite way of cooking the spring cabbage.

It is so simple yet so delicious !!

 

String Cabbage

Ingredients

100g Cabbage     1/2 tsp Canola Oil

 1/4 tsp Salt      1 Tbsp Water  

Procedure

1. Take the leaves off the stem one layer by one layer.
2. Remove the thick center part with a knife.  (You can use this part also but  I use it for other cooking,  usually for miso soup as I do want to enjoy soft part only for this recipe. )

    3. Pile up the leaves and cut along their fibres as thin as you can.

    4.  Heat up the frying pan, add canola oil and cabbage, and then saute.

    5.  Add salt and water.   Saute till the cabbage gets moist, and the volume decreases to half    of the initial amount.

    6.  Transfer onto the plate, pour soy sauce over it.

    7.  Pick them up with the chopsticks and transfer to your mouth straight away while it is still hot.

    8.  Hummm...,  yummy !!

I like to eat it with polished rice like this...

Tips

• The amount of oil is minimum, just a littlle bit.

• You may need more water if the cabbage is dry. 

• This recipe is to enjoy the taste, the texture and the power of the seasonal  cabbage.  Therefore I do not want to add any spices which spoil the goodness of the cabbage.  However if you can't get the fresh organic seasonal cabbage, you may add the spice of your choice.

My another favorite spring cabbage recipe,  Oil- free Amanatsu Cabbage Salad.

For this one, I tear the cabbage with my fingers, and then massage with salt, add Amanatsu/Japanese sour summer orange, parcley and plum vinegar.


 

糸春キャベツ 

材料

春キャベツ　100g　　　なたね油　小さじ1/2   

塩　小さじ1/4       　   水　大さじ１

作り方

1. キャベツは、葉を　1枚づつ　はがす。
2. 葉の芯の固い　部分を　包丁で　切り取る。　（この部分は、この料理に使いたくないので、スープなど他の料理に使います。）
3. 葉の部分を重ね、繊維に沿って　細い線切りにする。
4. フライパンを温め、菜種油を回しいれ、キャベツを加えて　ソテーする。
5. 塩と水を加えて、しんなりとしてくるまで　ソテーする。

ポイント

• 油の量は、ほんのちょっとです。

• キャベツが固い場合は、様子を見ながら、水の量を　増やしてください。

• このレシピは、旬の春キャベツを楽しむためのレシピなので、ほんの少しのお塩だけで　味付けしています。　スパイス類は入れたくないところですが、物足りないと感じたら、どうぞ、お好みで　スパイスを振りかけてみてください。
  
  

Happy Cooking !!

タグ：cabbage Macrobiotic cooking Vegan Cooking Japanese cooking 春キャベツ キャベツ マクロビオティック料理 ビーガン料理 ヘルシー