03/17/2026
🌱 Reluctant Vegetarian Kitchen Adventures
Tonight’s dinner started with two recipes and a vague plan… and ended with me standing at the stove letting the souls of my ancestors guide the skillet. 😄
I mashed together a creamy cabbage recipe and a Tuscan-style white bean skillet, then started adjusting based on what I actually had in the kitchen. Somewhere along the way the ancestors started whispering things like:
"More basil."
"Add the fermented garlic."
"Child… you know you want more creaminess."
So in went 10 cloves of Little Willow Mercantile fermented pickled garlic, chopped up and tossed in because it’s tasty and ridiculously nutritious. Then came garden basil, garlic powder, onion powder, a full 4 ounces of cream cheese, and a splash of Silk whipping cream because… well… why not?
The cabbage cooked down until tender and slightly caramelized, the beans made it hearty, and the parmesan pulled everything together into a rich, garlicky, cozy skillet meal. I didn’t have spinach or kale like the original recipes called for, but I did have mixed salad greens and microgreens (from Going Rogue Farms), which wilted perfectly right at the end.
The Reluctant Vegetarian approved… which is always the true test in this house. ✔️
And the best part? One skillet. Big flavor. Happy kitchen.
Creamy Garlic-Basil Cabbage & White Bean Skillet
Ingredients
• ½ small head green cabbage, chopped
• 2–3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small shallot or onion, diced
• 10 cloves fermented pickled garlic, chopped
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tbsp dried garden basil
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• ½ cup baby tomatoes, halved (optional)
• 1 can cannellini or butter beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• ⅓ cup milk
• ¼ cup Silk whipping cream
• 4 oz cream cheese
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 cup mixed salad greens
• ½ cup microgreens
Directions
1️⃣ Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the onion or shallot and cook 3–4 minutes until softened.
2️⃣ Stir in the fermented garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and cook about 1 minute until fragrant.
3️⃣ Add cabbage, basil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Cook 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage softens and begins to caramelize.
4️⃣ Add beans, vegetable broth, milk, Silk whipping cream, and cream cheese.
Simmer 5–7 minutes until creamy.
5️⃣ Stir in ¼ cup parmesan cheese until melted.
6️⃣ Turn heat low and fold in mixed greens and microgreens until just wilted.
7️⃣ Sprinkle remaining parmesan on top and serve warm.
This dish turned out rich, garlicky, creamy, and deeply comforting — the kind of meal that feels indulgent but is still packed with vegetables and plant protein.
Proof that sometimes the best cooking happens when you start with a recipe… and then let your ancestors finish it.
🌱🍲
