Cabbage Spotlight: Oven-Baked Delight with Creamy Tahini Dressing

Let's talk about an ingredient that often plays a supporting role but deserves the spotlight: cabbage. Yup, that humble, often underrated veggie can take center stage in a unique and utterly delicious way.

Today's recipe isn't your typical cabbage dish—it's all about oven-baking this cruciferous hero to perfection and dressing it up with a creamy tahini sauce. It's a game-changer, turning a simple veggie into a hearty, flavorful meal.

Cabbage tends to fly under the radar, but its versatility is unparalleled. When roasted in the oven, cabbage undergoes a magical transformation. It turns tender yet retains a delightful crunch at the edges. Plus, it's a budget-friendly superstar and readily available year-round.

Now, here's where the magic happens. A smooth, nutty tahini dressing takes this dish to the next level. With a mix of garlic powder and cumin it adds a creamy richness that perfectly complements the roasted cabbage's earthy flavors.

This can totally be served as a side dish but I made it as a main course several times now and it perfectly handles itself to be the star of the plate! Feel free to add any other spices of your choice to make it even tastier for yourself.

You will need:
● 1 medium cabbage (the one used in the recipe weighed about 600 g.)
● 25 ml. of olive oil
● About 1.5 of tablespoons garlic powder
● About 0.5 teaspoon of salt
● ¼ teaspoon of black pepper

For the dressing:

● About 5 teaspoons of tahini (sesame paste)
● 0.5 teaspoon of garlic granules/powder
● ¼ teaspoon of ground cumin
● Pinch of black pepper
● ¼ teaspoon of salt
● ¼ teaspoon of dried parsley
● 4 tablespoons of water (or plant-based milk)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius.
2. Wash and drain the cabbage. Cut in half and slightly cut off the hard part of the stem (not too much, so that the leaves do not separate too much).
   
3. Cut both halves of the cabbage into smaller quarters. One half is cut into approximately 5 pieces.
   
4. Arrange the cut quarters on a baking sheet on baking paper.
   
5. Brush each quarter with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic granules (~1,5 tablespoons in total), salt (~0,5 teaspoon in total) and a little pepper.
   
6. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned.
7. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing, you can add more water or milk to make the sauce more liquid and serve with the roasted cabbage.
   

Enjoy!