Braised Red Cabbage

We went to Oktoberfest this year and we were disappointed in most of food we ate, but not with the "red cabbage".  I set out to find a recipe that gets just the right bite.  This is the one we like.  It is a Guy Fieri recipe, tweaked.

Ingredients:

• 1 head of red cabbage
• 2 T. butter
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced thin
• ½ T. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• ½ T. kosher salt
• 1 t. black pepper
• 1 t. ground allspice
• 1/3 C. red wine
• 1/3 C. apple cider vinegar
• ¼ C dark brown sugar

 Directions:

1. Cut the cabbage in half and then into ¼ in. slices
2. Rinse the cabbage in a strainer
3. In a large Dutch oven, heat the butter on medium heat and add the onions and saute until tender
4. Add the cabbage, apples, salt, pepper, and Tony’s
5. Cook covered until the cabbage starts to wilt, about 15 minutes
6. Remove the cover and add the red wine, vinegar, and brown sugar
7. Cook for 10 minutes with the cover on
8. Remove the cover and allow the liquid to reduce by half or more
9. Serve cabbage with a slotted spoon to drain excess liquid

 Tips and Tricks:

• If you don’t have allspice, you can substitute ½ t. ground cinnamon, ¼ t. ground cloves, and ¼ t. ground nutmeg,
• When cutting the cabbage, be sure to cut out the hard, white heart of the cabbage.

German Potato Salad

I am German.  My Mom learned from her aunt how to make potato salad.  No recipe was written, but when I got one from the Germanfest I attended in Roberts Cove, LA and showed it to my Mom. She said, "That's it, that's the recipe my aunt used." My Mom doesn't make this potato salad (she has her own recipe, which I will share later) but I do. Here it is!  Thanks, Germanfest!

Ingredients:

• 6 medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes
• 3 eggs
• 6 green onions, finely chopped (greens only)
• ½ lb. bacon, cooked crisp
• 1 T. Dijon mustard
• ¼ C. apple cider vinegar
• 1 t. kosher salt
• ½ t. black pepper

Directions:

1. Boil potatoes and eggs in one pot together until potatoes are fork tender, about 30 minutes
2. While potatoes and eggs are boiling, cook bacon until crisp (save the drippings)
3. Quickly fry the green onions in the bacon drippings until limp
4. Whisk the drippings, onions, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper together
5. Peel and cut the potatoes and eggs and while the potatoes are still warm pour the combined mixture over the potatoes and eggs
6. Serve warm

Tips and Tricks:

• I cut green onions with kitchen shears.  I think it is easier than chopping them.
• Apple cider vinegar is not necessary, but only use light colored vinegars.  Darker vinegars (like a balsamic) change the color of the potatoes and eggs and then it looks bad.