March 26, 2009

Thursday Recipe 1

Braised Red Cabbage
6 Servings
Red cabbage is just like green cabbage in taste and texture, but with the added benefit of powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins that give the redhead of the vegetable world its distinctive color. Red cabbage is also one of the cruciferous family of vegetables; all are rich in fiber, vitamins (most notably vitamin C), minerals like potassium and calcium, and cancer-fighting compounds called indoles. (Other cruciferous vegetables include Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, and chard; all are delicious.) Be prepared when cooking red cabbage for the color to "bleed" into the other ingredients. The acidic vinegar and wine in this dish keep the cabbage a beautiful purple color. Without the acid, the cabbage will turn blue. This dish is a taste sensation and makes a great side dish with salmon or as a warm appetizer salad. And considering the very affordable price of cabbage, it can't be beat.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon quality extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large head red cabbage, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 large green apple, peeled, cored, and diced
3 large cloves garlic, pressed
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
1 cup peeled chestnuts (optional)
Salt to taste


Instructions:


1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and carrots and sauté over medium heat until onion is translucent.

2. Add the cabbage and apple and mix well, then add salt to taste, the garlic, the bay leaf, cloves, wine, vinegar and sugar.

3. Bring to a low boil, cover, and cook for about 1 hour.

4. Remove bay leaf and correct seasoning to taste. You may also add the peeled chestnuts to cook in the braising liquid.



Nutritional Information:

Per serving:
141.9 calories
3 g total fat (0.4 g sat)
0.0 mg cholesterol
28.5 g carbohydrate
3.6 g protein
6.4 g fiber


- Recipe reprinted with permission of DrWeil.com

2 comments:

Teresa said...

Ok, I absolutely LOVE cabbage, except for cole slaw lol. Problem is Cindy hates the smell of it and won't touch it worth anything (sigh) is there a way to work around the smell?? for the exception of cooking it outside??? LOLOL. Hugs, Teresa

Miss Slick One said...

"COOKED CABBAGE ODOR is the only bad part of cooked cabbage. My grandmother cooked it perfect every time, but for some reason she never had the left over stinky odor of cooked cabbage. I learned her secret. You have to go nuts. Walnuts to be specific. Add a whole unshelled walnut to the cabbage water. You will discover the odor is absent. It makes the taste of delicious cooked cabbage twice as good when you don't have that stench."