Chicken breast with cauliflower rice and creamy pointed cabbage

Ingredients

• 125 gchicken breast
• 2 teaspoons (20 g)mustard
• 1 teaspoon (2 g)dried thyme
• 1½ tablespoons (15 ml)olive oil or oil
• 200 gpre-cut pointed cabbage
• ½ cubevegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon (20 g)cottage cheese
• 100 gcauliflower rice
• 1 tablespoonwater
• To tastepepper
• To tastesalt

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the chicken

   Mix the chicken breast with the mustard, dried thyme, pepper and salt.

2. 2

   Brown the cabbage

   Heat half the oil in a frying pan and cook the pointed cabbage for 4–5 minutes, until lightly browned. Add 1 tablespoon of water and crumble over ¼ of the stock cube. Cover and stew for 8–10 minutes, until tender.

3. 3

   Cook the chicken

   Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a separate frying pan over a high heat. Brown the chicken on all sides, leaving it just short of fully cooked. Add the cottage cheese and stir until it has taken up all the cooking juices.

4. 4

   Finish the stew

   Add the chicken and sauce to the cabbage, scraping all the sauce from the pan with a spatula. Stir well, cover and stew for 3–4 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Season with pepper, salt and, if you like, a little more mustard.

5. 5

   Cook the rice

   Meanwhile, cook the cauliflower rice for 2 minutes and add the remaining ¼ stock cube. Spoon the cauliflower rice onto a plate and top with the chicken and pointed cabbage.

What is chicken with creamy pointed cabbage?

This is a quick, one-portion chicken stew served over cauliflower rice. The recipe is Dutch-language, but no specific cuisine is given, so it is best understood as a simple weekday combination rather than a traditional regional dish.

Mustard and thyme season the chicken, while cottage cheese stirred into its pan juices gives the sauce a creamy quality. Cooking the cabbage and chicken separately at first helps each brown before they finish stewing together.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 389 calories, 41g protein, 13g carbs, 19g fat.

The chicken provides most of the protein, while the cabbage, cauliflower rice and mustard contribute much of the carbohydrate. Oil and cottage cheese account for much of the fat. To balance the plate, serve it with an extra portion of vegetables or a side salad.

The key ingredient choices

Pointed cabbage: Pre-cut cabbage is convenient and cooks quickly, which suits the short cooking time. Keep the pieces fairly even so they soften at a similar rate.

Mustard and thyme: These coat the chicken before it goes into the pan, bringing seasoning into each piece. A little extra mustard can be stirred in at the end if you want a sharper flavour.

Cottage cheese: Stir it into the chicken pan juices before combining the chicken with the cabbage. Scraping the sauce into the stew means less flavour is left behind.

Brown, then stew

Cabbage first: Give it 4–5 minutes in hot oil to develop a little colour, then add water and stock before covering the pan. The covered cooking softens it without needing much liquid.

Chicken next: Use a separate pan over high heat and brown the pieces on all sides, but stop just short of cooking them through. They finish in the covered cabbage pan for 3–4 minutes.

How to judge doneness

Cabbage: It should be tender after 8–10 minutes of covered stewing, with some shape remaining rather than turning to mush. If it needs a little longer, keep the pan covered and check it again.

Chicken: After its final 3–4 minutes in the stew, check the thickest piece is cooked through. The cauliflower rice only needs 2 minutes, so prepare it while the chicken finishes.

Timing and serving

The cabbage takes the longest, so start it before turning to the chicken. While it stews, brown the chicken and prepare the cauliflower rice to keep the 20-minute meal moving.

Serve the chicken and cabbage over the cauliflower rice so the creamy pan juices flavour the base as well. A crisp green salad or extra vegetables can make the plate more substantial.

Seasoning and stock

Stock: The method divides the half stock cube between the cabbage and cauliflower rice, using ¼ cube for each. Crumble it in as directed and stir well so it is evenly distributed.

Salt: Stock and mustard already add seasoning, so taste the finished stew before adding more salt. Finish with pepper and adjust the mustard to suit your preference.

Recipe notes & tips

• Cut the chicken into even-sized pieces so it browns and cooks through at a similar rate.
• Let the cabbage get a little colour before adding the water and stock.
• Keep the chicken just shy of cooked when browning it, as it finishes in the cabbage pan.
• Scrape the cottage-cheese sauce into the stew so the pan juices are not wasted.
• Taste before adding extra salt because the stock cube is already seasoned.
• Cook the cauliflower rice while the chicken finishes to keep the meal within the stated time.

Variations

• Use chicken thigh: Cut boneless thigh into pieces and cook until fully done.
• Add garlic: Cook a little finely chopped garlic briefly with the cabbage.
• Change the herbs: Swap the thyme for dried oregano for a different herbal note.
• Add extra mustard: Stir a little more into the finished stew for a sharper sauce.
• Use another cabbage: Shredded white cabbage can stand in for pointed cabbage, though it may need a little longer to soften.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Crowding the chicken pan: The pieces may steam rather than brown, so leave space between them.
• Overcooking the chicken before the stew: It can become dry, so brown it while still slightly underdone.
• Skipping the cabbage browning: Give it 4–5 minutes in the pan before adding liquid for a little colour.
• Leaving sauce in the chicken pan: Scrape it into the cabbage so the creamy juices make it into the dish.
• Adding too much salt early: Taste after the stock has been added and adjust only if needed.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and eat within 2 days. Reheat until piping hot, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened; cauliflower rice can become softer on reheating.

Frequently asked questions