Sweet Red Cabbage

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Oh my goodness I swear we are still here at Girls in Aprons! I think the month of September got the better of us, and between vacations and back to school and just plain life we got BUSY! But we are back!! I wanted to share this recipe with you because, seriously, I can't get enough of it! Let me tell you how I found this recipe:

My sister-in-law (and one of my best friends!) Christina lived in Germany growing up and she has shared many recipes over the years. But I have really never eaten authentic German food (because when I make German food it is done my way, not the real way!!). Anyway, Stina came to visit me in September and I thought the best place to take her was Leavenworth, WA! It's this cute little Bavarian town in the middle of nowhere and it is a tourist trap! They have the cutest shops and the best restaurants and it's all done to look like this little Bavarian village! Stina was insistent that we find an authentic German restaurant - she wanted Weinerschnitzel and dang it she was gonna get it!

Luckily, Leavenworth had several, and we found one we liked and Stina got her Weinerschnitzel and I got Jaegerschnitzel (basically a thin cut of breaded pork). Mine came with noodles and cooked red cabbage. The pork was awesome, but I was a little disappointed in the cabbage.

But no need to fear! Stina had another red cabbage recipe and she made it for me before she left! It's thinly sliced and mixed with bacon (yes ma'am - bacon!) onions, and vinegar. And sugar. Because that makes everything better. So does bacon.

BACON!

We had ours served over shredded beef sandwiches and I also had mine as a side dish. This would be awesome on bratwurst! And you can easily omit the bacon to make it vegetarian. Or if you don't have bacon on hand or it's not on sale, no worries. Just omit it. And make sure to put bacon on your grocery list for next time!!

Start by thinly slicing your cabbage. You will only need about half a head of cabbage, and if you ask your grocer they will cut a head of cabbage in half for you so you don't have to buy the whole thing!

In a large skillet, add about 1 inch of water. Bring it to a boil and add the sliced cabbage, letting in boil uncovered about 15 minutes or until tender. (I like mine with a slight crunch to it still!) When it's done, strain the water and place the cabbage on a paper-towel lined plate to hang out.

Here is the awesome part - you are only using one pan!! Less dishes! Wipe out the pan from the cabbage to get the water out. Put in back on the stove and start cooking your chopped up bacon. After a few minutes add your sliced onions. Cook until bacon is done and onions are tender. Drain on a paper-towel lined plate (yes, again). In the bacon drippings add your brown sugar and flour, and then your salt, pepper, water and vinegar. Dump back in the cabbage and bacon/onion mixture and stir to combine.

Sweet Red Cabbage

by Girls in Aprons

1 medium head red cabbage (1 1/2 lb), thinly sliced

4 slices bacon, chopped (I'll be honest - I used 6 or 7)                                           
1 small onion, sliced
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 T all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
3 T white vinegar
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt


In a large skillet bring 1 inch of water to boiling. Add your sliced cabbage and boil uncovered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside. Wipe out and dry the skillet with a paper towel.

In the same skillet, cook the bacon over mediu heat for about 4 minutes. Add the onion and continue cooking until bacon is cooked through and crispy and onion is tender. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel.

Stir brown sugar and flour into bacon fat in the skillet. Add water, vinegar, salt, and pepper and mix well. Stir back in cabbage, bacon, and onion. Continue cooking until warmed through again, about 2 minutes.

 Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker