Cabbage Steaks Recipe with Green Chermoula and Toasted Walnuts

Ingredients:

1 large cabbage
Extra virgin olive oil
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:
1 cup fresh parsley, ends trimmed
1 cup fresh cilantro, ends trimmed
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon minced cilantro
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon minced sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 lemon
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup walnut halves, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (grease it with olive oil) and set aside.
2. Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage into 2-3 cm thick slices (from top to bottom, through the center of the cabbage). You should have 6-7 cabbage “steaks”.
3. Place each cabbage “steak” on the prepared baking sheet. Brush each side with olive oil and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Bake the cabbage “steaks” for 25 minutes. Carefully turn them over and bake for another 10 minutes (until the cabbage is firm but tender).
5. Make the sauce: In a food processor, puree the parsley, fresh coriander, garlic, ground coriander, red pepper flakes, ground paprika, ginger, salt, lemon zest (from one full lemon), lemon juice (from half a lemon), and extra virgin olive oil. Blend until smooth, but you should still see some texture.
6. Taste and, if all is well, transfer the sauce to a pitcher. If the lemon flavor is too strong, add a pinch of salt and 1 additional tablespoon of olive oil. Blend again. On the other hand, if the lemon flavor is just too weak, squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. If you think the sauce is too thick, add more olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.
7. Place a small, dry skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped walnuts. Toast for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Set aside.
8. When the cabbage is cooked, remove the “steaks” from the oven and transfer to a plate. Pour the prepared sauce over the “steaks” (you probably won’t need all of it at once); sprinkle with the toasted walnuts.

Yield: 6 servings
Recipe: themediterraneandish.com