Cabbage with Bacon and Apples

Cabbage with Bacon and Apples

I have terrible allergies and am having autoimmune trouble, so my doctor has asked me for the next 30 days to eat no dairy, no grain, no sugar, no legumes, no preservatives, and no night shades (tomatoes, white potatoes, peppers, or eggplants.)  When she told me this, I wondered, “What’s left?”  Veggies and meat and creativity.  So in an effort to heal myself I have really stretched my imagination.  I wrote down a list of all the food I was allowed to eat and began to think.  I remembered that my grandmother used to feed us veggie heavy meals with meat as a seasoning instead of the main ingredient.  That was probably to save money more than it was to be healthy, but the food was tasty.  She often made cabbage soup and cabbage rolls. So she was my inspiration for this dish.

I went to a grocery store in town that makes its own bacon.  The butchers do not add any nitrates or preservatives.  They sell bacon ends, which are meaty rather than fatty.  If you do not have access to a good butcher then use ham ends instead.  You can use purple cabbage or a mixture of green and purple for added color.  Just know if you use purple, it will color everything.

I will continue to make this even after I am allowed to eat normally again.  It is delicious.  It is also really fast and easy to make. I actually caught myself craving the leftovers today.  It is savory, sweet, and a little tangy.

Serving: 4 main dishes or 8 side dishes

Time: Prep: 10 minutes, Cook: 35 minutes
Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, cutting board and knives, a bowl of water, a large (5.5 quart) sauté pan, tongs

Ingredients:

• ½ pound nitrate free smoked ham or bacon ends
• 1 large head cabbage
• 1 medium onion
• 1 cup matchstick carrots
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• ⅛ teaspoon celery seed
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup water
• 2 Granny Smith apples
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• Salt & Pepper

1. Slice the cabbage into thin ribbons. Slice the onion into rings. Chop the garlic. Wash and chop the apples.  Put the apples into a bowl of water until you need them.
2. Put the bacon in the cold pan and place over medium heat.  Allow most of the fat to render from the bacon, tossing often enough to stop the bacon from burning (7 minutes). Drain all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan.
3. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic. Cook until the onions are soft (about 5 minutes) tossing often.  Add the cabbage and toss.  Sprinkle on the fennel, celery seeds, and salt.  Add the water.  Cook until the cabbage is tender (about 15 minutes.) Drain the apples and toss them in during the last 5 minutes of cooking.  Toss often.
4. Add the vinegar and adjust the salt & pepper. Serve warm.