Sweet Cabbage Stew – Surprise!

I got home after dark this evening from four days of work in Baltimore with varying (small) degrees of sleep throughout and nearly no exercise due to scheduling demands for the project we were working on. On my way home, I hurriedly made my way through two grocery stores to pick up breakfast and snack supplies for the week [expand] before creating a healthy dinner from what I had in the house and prepare for the week ahead.

When I arrived home, I discovered that the grim reaper had already come for the tomatoes I was going to use for the base of my dinner delight – they’ll go out uneaten on Tuesday with the trash. I also found that I did a good job of clearing out most of the farm-grown goodies I had in the fridge before I left on the trip. My options were limited but I’ve worked with “limited” before and come out with decent stuff. Thankfully, tonight’s creation was no exception – I was truly surprised by the good natural flavor the dish had when it was served up – my “Iron Chef” ingredient of the night: cabbage (two full heads hanging out in the fridge).

Here’s how I assembled dinner while I cleaned the kitchen and unpacked:

1/2 small onion, diced
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 butternut squash, peeled and thin-sliced for quick cooking
1/4 cabbage, peeled, chopped, sliced (whatever the preference)
1 c water
4 large carrots, chunked
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1 fresh turkey breast tenderloin, sliced into bite-size pieces
Freshly squeezed juice of 1/3 lemon

In a covered medium-sized pot, combine all ingredients and let come to a steady slow boil. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. Stew until the cabbage is nearly translucent and the carrots begin to break up as you stir (by then, the butternut squash should be completely “dissolved”).

Shut off the heat and serve it up! I’d guess this could serve about 3-4 typical eaters (I don’t qualify in that grouping).

 

Sweet Cabbage Stew

 

It doesn’t really look or sound like much but the flavor was surprisingly good – I think the sweetness of the carrots and the butternut squash were the secret (thus Sweet Cabbage Stew Surprise) and I had my doubts about combining them with garlic and onion but the combination was great. The ground pepper gives it a nice little kick if you add enough.

I left out the fat in the dish (I considered adding olive oil to it, but then decided just to have a snack of nuts afterward to cover that piece). Feel free to add some if you please, I doubt it will alter the flavor much.  Without the fat content, the leftovers will be a great quick absorption refuel immediately following tomorrow night’s awesome workout (can’t wait!).

I now go to bed with a satisfied belly and happy that I have total control over my ingredients list again!

Oh, and I DID happen to get one workout in on my work-through weekend in Baltimore.  Last night I had planned to go to the gym but upon my arrival at the hotel front desk for a pass, I was informed that it had already closed for the day. SO, in my room while watching my Buckeyes get their butts handed to them by the Badgers (who CLEARLY showed up to play…unlike their opponents), I whipped up a recipe to satisfy my four-day long craving for movement.  A mix & match of for time of:

• 300 (air) squats
• 200 sit-ups
• 100 push-ups

Reps could be completed in any order and I finished it in 34:25.  Then, for good measure, I threw in a couple full lock-out static holds for time:

• head-through handstand hold (only heels touching the wall, body in a strict plank, head forward of shoulders)
• push-up plank hold.

Got a minute and a half on both, not my max ever, but certainly enough after 600 other reps.  Not surprisingly, I slept great last night.

I’m exceptionally glad to be back home and certainly more ready for the week than I anticipated before the weekend.

Go out this week and do something great with whatever it is that you have – doesn’t have to be complicated, just has to be RIGHT. Apply a little imagination, a little discipline and make yourself happy through accomplishment. It’s a great treat!

GAME ON!!!