Quick Question: What’s languishing, all but forgotten, on the condiment shelf in almost all our refrigerators?
Mustard, of course!
Poor mustard waits patiently for hamburger nights but you can almost hear it begging for more: “Give me a chance! I can do so much more than just spice up a burger!” Indeed I have found this to be true.
An Unusual Anti-Inflammatory My mustard appreciation journey started when I got a recommendation to incorporate more mustard in my diet since it would be good for the inflammation causing problems in my hip. So I transferred the mustard from the bottom shelf on the fridge door to the cooking counter next to the stove. Seeing it front and center led me to explore its possibilities more fully, especially since just a squirt or two was enough to quickly and easily flavor a dish.
Mustard Partners For instance, I began using it with a cabbage, burger and potato skillet I often make, as in the recipe below. All three of those ingredients are natural mustard companions.
Mustard also pairs nicely with other meats like chicken and pork, with fish like salmon and cod, and with vegetables like green beans, broccoli, carrots and Brussels sprouts.
Quick Mustard Pan Sauce Making a quick pan sauce is an easy way to weave mustard into a dish: In the pan used to cook the meat, fish or vegetable, simply add a cup or so of good broth to any remaining cooking liquid in the pan. Whisk in a little butter, salt and pepper and 2-3 teaspoons of mustard. (If desired, add a little sage, thyme and/or marjoram.) Simmer/boil the sauce, uncovered, to reduce by half. Pour over the cooked meat, fish or veggies.
Another Recipe Here’s a single-serving recipe for “Anti-Inflammatory Honey-Mustard Herbed Salmon” that looked pretty good–and easy!
More Nutrition By the way, besides being anti-inflammatory, mustard is also good for boosting immune support, reducing free radical damage, and supporting gut health, among many other health benefits. No doubt, these benefits are more pronounced when mustard is used for more than the occasional burger! But I find myself using it quite often now that it is no longer buried the fridge.(1)
Have Some Fun Surely you’ve seen all the different varieties of mustard in specialty stores and even in a regular grocery store. I prefer Dijon or a stone ground mustard to plain yellow. But whatever variety you buy, especially expensive ones, keep them front and center so they don’t languish in the fridge. I think you’ll enjoy experimenting.
Recipe: Mustardy Cabbage, Potato and Burger Skillet
Short on time? Make just the basic recipe below. But if you have some spare minutes, check out the options and try one or more.
Vegetarians and vegans, just omit the burger or replace with red beans.
See and Print the Full Recipe Here
The Basic Recipe has just five simple steps:
- Sauté an onion
- Add and brown the burger (which can be beef, chicken, turkey or pork)
- Add and cook potatoes with broth until almost tender
- Add and cook the cabbage with more broth, as needed or desired, until everything is tender to taste
- Season with mustard
Options for More Flavor/Color as you have the time and/or inclination:
- Mushrooms Sauté with the onion for a deeper, richer flavor
- Red Pepper Sauté with the onion for lovely color and a pinch of sweetness
- Garlic Chop and add garlic (or use from the jar) for the flavor only garlic can add
- Herbs Add one or more of rubbed sage, marjoram and thyme to round out the flavor a bit more