Frugal Fall Veggies: Red Cabbage

The weather is cooling down here and is quite pleasant in the evening. I love the shift in cooking toward fall foods such as with crockpot pork tenderloin and sauteed green cabbage.  One of the fun vegetables that is seasonal in fall is red cabbage.  I enjoy the color of red cabbage, and of course, it’s highly nutritious and very cheap per pound.  I will often buy bags of shredded red cabbage to have available to add handfuls to salads.  For cooking, one of the key things is to hit the cabbage with an acidic seasoning (vinegar or lemon juice) to retain the color of the cabbage while cooking.  This helps to enhance and promote the bright reddish purple colors and avoids the washed out look.  I like to make red cabbage tangy, and not too sweet and rather simple. This is a great accompaniment for pork tenderloin or a simple roast chicken.

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage

1 head of red cabbage, cored and shredded
1/4 cup each raisins and dried cranberries
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, (I use white vinegar)
2 T brown sugar (or honey or agave nectar)
1/4 teaspoon allspice, ground
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil and add the shredded cabbage.  As the cabbage begins to cook down, add the raisins and vinegar.  Be sure to add the vinegar early on to help retain the color.  Add the brown sugar, allspice, and season to taste.  Cook until cabbage is cabbage is tender but still has some bite, about 8-10 minutes.  Serve immediately.

shared at Frugal Friday and Food Renegade