Rachael Ray

I’ve been on a red cabbage kick lately and until recently, I never really ate the stuff.  On Saint Patty’s Day I whipped up a delicious Braised Cabbage and Apples but I never ventured passed that. Until recently when one was staring at me in the supermarket. I swear I’m not cracking up. It looked so happy and colorful and just wanted me to take it home. So I did! And I found out that I really, truly love red cabbage! love everything about it, the color, the crunch and the mild but slightly sweet flavor. It’s delicious!

I had a hunk of cabbage leftover after my salad today and I was itching to use it up, so I figured savory pancakes would be a fun way to eat it. I’m big on savory pancakes like these Ricotta and Spinach cakes that my kiddos adore! This time, my idea was to riff off of the Japanese Okonomiyaki pancakes using red cabbage instead of white. As with every recipe, there are a million versions Okonomiyaki, and they are all very different but they usually call for cabbage (white/green kind), scallions, eggs, flour and whatever other meat/veg you have on hand. today I had very little in the fridge and pantry, so I knew I wasn’t going to make anything close to the traditional recipe. It didn’t matter because I figured I could still make something delicious with a similar flavor profile with whatever I had on-hand. You can definitely swap in white cabbage for red and scallions for red onion but, like I said, this is what I had on-hand and it worked out beautifully. I paired it with a simple dipping sauce made from mayonnaise and hot chili sauce.

The trick to these pancakes is slicing the cabbage super-duper thin. Use a mandolin if you have it or a very sharp knife (watch those fingers!). The pancakes cook up quick so the cabbage stays crisp which is something I really enjoy. If you want a softer texture to the cabbage, feel free to saute the cabbage and onion before adding to the pancake batter. Make them smaller in size and serve them as an appetizer or as a main course served alongside a lovely salad or brothy soup. So next time a cabbage is staring at you in the supermarket, don’t pass it by. Take that little guy home and have some fun in the kitchen! I bet you won’t regret it. I didn’t.

Red Cabbage and Onion Pancakes

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

5 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

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2 cups red cabbage, very thinly sliced

1 small red onion, very thinly sliced

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Instructions:

1. Whisk together the first six ingredients until a thin batter forms. Stir in cabbage and onion.

2. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, ladle the mixture into the skillet. Cook each pancake until golden brown on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Add additional oil to the pan as necessary and repeat the process with remaining batter. Serve with Spicy Chili Dipping Mayo (see below for recipe).

Chili Mayonnaise

Ingredients:

3/4 cup mayonnaise

2-3 tablespoons of asian chilli sauce or your favorite hot sauce

Instructions:

1. Place mayonnaise and chili sauce into a small bowl. Stir to combine and serve alongside pancakes.

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