(Amended post from earlier) A dash of apple, a dash of bacon—this red-cabbage side really sings

(See amended ingredients below. Original post left out amount of red cabbage.)

Ever cooked something when you didn’t have very high expectations? I was intrigued by the recipe for Red Cabbage with Apple—I thought it looked pretty in the bowl. Quite frankly, it wasn’t something I expected to see recommended for a holiday table (in my little Taste of Home holiday recipe cards book I’ve been using), except that its ruby-red color seemed festive. But I had some leftover turkey bacon and thought I’d make smart use of it by trying out this cabbage dish.

How nice to be pleasantly surprised! Hubby, too—he kept remarking, “Wow, I REALLY like this red cabbage dish.” With his emphasis and intonations on the word REALLY, I knew what he probably was thinking was, “And I didn’t expect to be.” Me, too!

The tangy tartness with the hint of bacon mixes with the sweetness of the apple to create a wonderful flavor. We used this dish as a side with broiled salmon filets, but I can imagine it being great with turkey or chicken as well.

How nice to start the new year off with a good surprise—even one of the food variety!

Red Cabbage with Apple

3 bacon strips, diced (I used turkey bacon)

1 medium apple, peeled and chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small head of red cabbage, chopped

1 cup water

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar (I used sugar substitute)

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

In a large saucepan cook the bacon over medium heat until it is crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to paper towels to drain. In the drippings sauté onion and apple until they are tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Stir in reserved bacon. Makes 6 servings. (Courtesy Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe Cards).

Red cabbage recipe brings to our table souvenir of "relax-acation”

We’d been home barely 24 hours and already were missing it big time. Hubby and I had ventured down to Fredericksburg to celebrate #42 wedding anniversary. We probably were among the last people in Texas to schedule a getaway to this charming little jewel of the Lone Star—the favorite travel destination of many a Texan. But better late than never—we spent three-and-a-half days immersed there on a relax-acation and adored every minute of it and adored every bite of food downed.

Which brings me to the point of today’s blog—the German cuisine scored big with us. After all, why make a trip to this delightful “burg” of German origins and not drown in German food? Made sense to us. We loved every bite of wienerschnitzel and hot German potato salad and potato pancakes. I wanted to replicate some of this food so we still could have a morsel of Fredericksburg with us.

In my “Celebrating a Healthy Harvest” cookbook I had an untried recipe for Simmered Red Cabbage. Hubby and I both had agreed that the red cabbage served with our wienerschnitzel (at the Auslander restaurant) was the best we’d ever sampled. So I pulled up my as-yet-unexplored recipe and set out to transport a little of Fredericksburg to our dinner table.

I don’t know how the little German ladies prepare this traditional dish, but I thought the recipe I had in my cookbook was pretty inventive. It called for cooking a cut-up onion in olive oil and then stirring in shredded red cabbage, brown sugar, beef broth, orange juice, cinnamon, and a peeled and chopped apple. This entire mixture simmers for 1-2 hours for maximum flavor. The apple and brown sugar gave the concoction a hint of sweetness.

Hubby, being the always-diplomatic and effusive mate that he is, ventured to say that our dish was better than what he sampled on our memory-maker trip. I wouldn’t go that far; the German ladies who daily turn out this dish for tourists have a zillion-more decades of history preparing it than I do. But my copycatting turned out pretty good, if I do say so.

Ah, Fredericksburg! With the red cabbage, the essence of this precious “honeymoon” spot can still hang around.

Simmered Red Cabbage

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 medium onion, sliced in thin wedges

1 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

10 cups shredded red cabbage (1 medium head)

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 cup low-sodium beef broth

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 large apple, cored, peeled and chopped

Over medium heat place oil, onions, and salt in large pan; cook until onions are soft but not browned. Add cabbage to pan. Mix the brown sugar, broth, orange juice, and cinnamon together and pour over the cabbage. Add the chopped apple; stir, and simmer. When cabbage has wilted, stir completely and re-cover. For best flavor simmer on low for 1-2 hours. Makes 8 servings.

Don't judge a weird-looking food by appearances; Supple Cabbage Salad is a sneaky gourmet feast

“If this isn’t the weirdest of the weird!” . . . not an unusual comment from Hubby any more when he sits down to the dinner table and curiously eyeballs whatever “blog food” I’ve hatched up to serve him for that evening.

I believe, however, that this time his eyebrow was raised a little more than was commonplace.

A purple, shredded melange awaited him. When he asked, and was told, what constituted the dinner selection, he looked even more askance. “Red cabbage, green cabbage, a red onion, a Granny Smith apple . . . ”, I explained.

We dined. Well, not only did Hubby help himself to a second serving, he returned to have Mystery Dish for lunch AND snack the next day. “Do you care if I eat the whole thing up?” he finally implored. I had scored a coup, no doubt about that.

The Mystery Dish was entitled Supple Cabbage Salad; quite frankly I prepared it as a means of using up leftovers. I saw that the recipe called for 3 cups shredded red and 3 cups shredded green cabbage. Half-heads of cabbage languished in the produce bin of my fridge; I was eager not to waste them. Granny Smith apples and red onion we always have around. I knew my paperback booklet, “Celebrating a Healthy Harvest”, would have a suggestion for these items; sure enough, it did. Nothing makes me feel more virtuous than when I figure out ways not to waste food.

I can’t say that the result was exactly a salad. Prepared in a skillet it definitely tasted better warm than it did cold. We heated it up in the microwave alongside the Chicken Cutlet with Pecan Sauce leftovers we had from our Easter entree.

I was with Hubby, however—difficult not to keep going back for more and more and more. No problem with doing that either, however. A single serving probably contained all of about 40 calories. If you can get past the “If this isn’t the weirdest of the weird!” reaction, it’s surely a dream dish!

Supple Cabbage Salad

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium red onion, sliced thin

3 cups shredded red cabbage

3 cups shredded green cabbage

1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and diced

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Heat oil in wok or in frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cabbage. Stir-fry for two minutes. Cabbage should be slightly softened. Add vinegar and pepper; boil for one minute. Remove from heat, stir in apple, and serve. Makes 6 servings.