Cabbage & Rice

I grew up with an odd lunch box. No bologna sandwiches for me, instead, a thermos filled with lentil soup or cabbage and rice. Bottomless bowls of cabbage and rice were served in our house, weekly, and my mother snagged that meal from my grandma. The showstopper in her cabbage and rice were the delicious bits of bacon. Beans and rice are peasant food, I’m glad that I grew up eating like a peasant because eating poor never tasted so rich. American kids rarely grow up with a fondness for lentils and cabbage, but I did. Sure, I was chubby and was made fun of, relentlessly, because of my stinky lunch box – but the truth remains that I wouldn’t change a thing.

dinner, leftoverstina corradoSeptember 27, 2025rice, cabbage, bacon

Asian Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Slaw

Admittedly, I’ve been preparing pork tenderloins every other week for dinner. And, yes, I have been using the pre-marinated ones to save a step since I’m cooking every single night, but this past week we made a bodacious Costco order and scored a fair price on two beautiful, un-marinated, pork tenderloins. The part about getting a plain old piece of meat or fish is that you can play with flavors and seasoning, the scary part about that is now the cook has a responsibility to come up with a marinade.

dinner, protein, lunchtina corradoAugust 1, 2025coleslaw, cabbage, Asian, pineapple, pork, salad

Caramelized Red Cabbage

Cabbage gets a bad wrap for being gassy and it’s often relegated to use only for coleslaw and St. Patrick’s Day. But the red cabbage is a powerhouse of a vegetable, loaded with so many health benefits and nutrients. It packs loads of Vitamin C (great for immunity and collagen production) and Vitamin K (oh, hey, strong bones), aids in decreasing inflammation, is heart healthy and it’s also high in fiber — which is not only a benefit for our hearts but for digestion. While at my aunt and uncle’s house we’ve been preparing and eating red cabbage at least once a week alongside braised kale and collard greens.

dinner, sides, vegetariantina corradoApril 28, 2025cabbage, red cabbage, caramelized cabbage, caramelized red cabbage

Homemade Veggie Burgers

The freezer section of my local grocer was tapped out of my favorite veggie burgers which was a bummer. Until I discovered I could make an equally if not more delectable veggie burger by tapping into my vegetable meal prep and pantry. If you roast veggies, have a can of beans on hand, some greens and breadcrumbs you can make this too.

A Salad Less Ordinary + A 2 Ingredient Avocado Spread

I’ve been cooking quite a bit, but with the balancing of substitute teaching and coaching - recipe posting has taken a backseat for the moment. Waking at 5am and getting home at 4pm, although shorter than my corporate days are still somewhat anxiety filled (counting kids and making sure everyone is learning, getting along, practicing kindness and has not gone missing) but much more joyful.
Saying I’m ok with not writing and running myself ragged while I continue to take on new work and projects makes me proud, where as in the past I would have made myself feel terrible for not doing it all.
Maybe you’re thinking, why is this broad telling me this? Just gimme the recipe for that green stuff on that salad and I’ll be on my way …

Dress Up Your Vegetables

I enjoy fashions and accessories, even if I can't afford much of either these days. And having worked in design for 10 years certainly helped shape how I view a plate. Your food doesn't have to look like this, but it sure is fun to try. Plating food and taking photos of it is my own little art project after the cooking is done...

tina corradoDecember 15, 2017vegan, vegetarian, vegetables, veggies, healthylife, holiday, healthyhabits, healthychoices, healthyfood, healthy, cheese, sides, ro, roasting, cabbage, lunch, dinner

Tina To Table