Red Cabbage and Apple Sauerkraut

Red cabbage and apple sauerkraut is going to be your go to side dish – so delicious!

Even with temperatures below zero, I still don’t mind having a green monster for breakfast!  If you haven’t tried one yet, I strongly suggest you try it – even though Tony can’t get past the color of it (or the fact that there is spinach in it) you really can’t taste the spinach!

I tested my blood sugar before working out, and it was only 150.  I like it to be around 220 so I can work out hard since it normally drops between 100 and 120 while working out.  So I was only able to walk, but I did the treadmill at 11.5 incline for 45 minutes, so my legs were screaming by the end.

Depending on what time I go to the gym, my choices for Food Network are Sandra Lee’s Money Saving Meals, Melissa D’Arabian’s $10 dollar dinners or Anne Burrell’s How to Cook Like a Restaurant Chef.

All three of them kind of drive me a bit nuts, but especially Sandra – she’s too over the top and then gushes about “it’s cocktail time!”  But the other day I was about to flip the channel when I heard her say sauerkraut.

Sauerkraut has been a lifelong favorite of mine, and I can eat it out of a can cold.  But I am the only one in my house who likes it.  What was interesting is that she made a version that was with red cabbage and apples, and you could do it right on your stove top.

I was telling Jane yesterday that I tried to make my own – the recipe I had called for leaving it in the basement for two weeks, stirring it every day to let the gasses out.  At the end it just tasted like ass.  Jane’s version turned out a lot better!

Red Cabbage & Apple Sauerkraut

• makes 4 servings:  124 calories, .8 fat, 23 carbs, 5.8 fiber and 4.5 protein

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 medium size head red cabbage, shredded thin
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 can of chicken broth
• 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 Fuji apples, cored and chopped

Heat the oil in a large skillet.  Add the cabbage (onion if you are crazeballs), garlic, red pepper, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until the cabbage starts to wilt, about 4 minutes.

While Sandra used beer, I was making this for my SIL as well, so I subbed in the chicken broth.  Stir in beer or broth, vinegar, mustard and brown sugar and simmer for 5 more minutes.  Add the apples, and cover partially with a lid so that the steam escapes and cook over medium low heat for about 8 more minutes. 

At first glance I thought 1/2 a cup of vinegar was going to be too much, but this was amazeballs – perfect balance of acidity, sour and sweet from the brown sugar.

I bought some chicken apple sausages at the Fresh Market – on the side I had homemade rye bread!  Yep, a new bread recipe for me, but I don’t have time this morning to share the recipe – I will tomorrow.  I never realized that the dark part of marble rye just had added cocoa powder to the dough!

Here is what my kitchen looked like Sunday night.    Shit everywhere!

My lunch plate:  Look at how pretty the swirl is in the bread!  And Tony loves it – I need to get a sandwich loaf pan so he can make sandwiches out of the next batch.

Dinner was super quick – my weeknight Company Salisbury steak, on the side with spinach mashed potatoes.

I have so much Biz T.V. on my DVR!  The first two episodes of Girls, Biggest Loser and American Idol – although I have to give Tony props – he watched American Idol from last week with me – he doesn’t mind the show when they show the people who can’t carry a tune!

I have exactly 20 minutes to get out the door – thankfully I am low maintenance and it won’t be a problem!  On tap for breakfast are blueberry and granola pancakes – recipe will follow tomorrow and for lunch my zucchini lasagna.  Yum!

Make it a great day!