Sautéed Red Cabbage - Easy

Ever get into a mood for red cabbage?

Me neither.  Usually, anyway.

So I wandered through the produce section of my local Try-n-Save the other day, when I noticed a lovely display of red cabbage.  You know the type of display:  a short pyramid of cabbage heads, just daring me to pull out the bottom one, letting a cascade of cabbage waterfall bouncily onto the floor.

Except I'm supposed to be a grown-up.  Instead, I carefully plucked the one just under the top, Jenga-style because it was fun looked better than the head above, and headed over to the cashier.  The long and winding route, because I needed other things as well, while simultaneously mentally going over in my head (see where I'm going with this?) trying to remember if I already had the necessary accompanying ingredients at home so I wouldn't buy any more duplicates than usual.

Because I didn't want to wash more equipment than absolutely necessary, I refused to pull out the slicer and proceeded to cut a wedge into shreds that should have been much finer and more evenly cut if I had used said slicer.   Oh, well.

Streamline this recipe by buying pre-shredded cabbage instead, but make the entire bag since an opened bag will keep up to a week or two while  a cabbage head, even if a wedge is clipped off, will keep in the fridge for up to a month ... at least in my fridge anyway.

Some recipes add sugar in one form or another.  The sweetness in my version comes from the apple.  The type of apple used depends upon you and your taste or what you have on hand.  Use a Mac or Rome and thinly slice if you prefer the apple to melt into the cabbage.  Use a more firm apple and coarsely chop if you prefer chunks surviving the sauteing.

Sautéed Red Cabbage – Easy

Yield: 4 servings

1 Tbl. Olive oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 apple, peeled, cored and sliced or chopped
1 small red cabbage (about 8 cups shredded)
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbl. Balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt (or to taste)
1/4 -1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper (to taste)

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add oil, wait 10 seconds, then add the mustard seeds and stir constantly for 30 seconds.

Most of the onion was camera-shy and hid under the apple slices.

Add the onion and apple. Stir frequently for 3-5 minutes or until the onion starts to wilt.

Don't worry about the mound of cabbage ... it will quickly reduce.

Add the cabbage. Sauté, turning the cabbage frequently until it starts to wilt, another 3-5 minutes.

Pour in both vinegars and sauté another minute.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Let cook, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.

A tasty cabbage reduction. Told ya so.

If not ready to serve immediately, reduce heat to the lowest setting for up to 20 minutes.