I'm beginning to notice a trend: Everything I make, when photographed, looks like a big, red, gloppy mess. Perhaps I have a taste for such concoctions? I don't know.
What I DO know is that this cabbage dish is divine. It was born from two different recipes. One gave me the idea of using the flavors of stuffed cabbage, without actually going to the trouble of stuffing the meat in the leaves. That's EXACTLY how I roll! Or don't roll. Get it?!?! Anyway, I had to try it. Another recipe suggested better flavors than the first, so I went with that one for taste purposes.
Cabbage is something I don't cook with much, but it's actually super cheap. One head of cabbage ended up giving me 8 cups of chopped cabbage. That's a lot! Do keep in mind that it cooks down a lot, so what looks like a mountain of cabbage will actually reduce to a very manageable pile after applying a bit of heat.
My family and I gobbled a whole crockpot of this up in the span of a few nights. However, the next time I make it I am going to reduce the sugar content by AT LEAST HALF. If not more. It was too sweet for my taste. But even with the extra sweetness, it was still a magical dish.
NOTE: You may be wondering why I am still putting out crockpot recipes when the weather is decidedly warmer. Here's the deal: I believe that the crockpot is actually a warm weather friend. Aside from browning the meat in the beginning of the recipe, you don't need to slave over a hot stove. And most of the time, the stove-work will be done earlier in the day, when your kitchen is much cooler. I am a HUGE fan of crockpot cooking all year round.
This is the perfect dish to make on a weekend, when you have a little bit of extra time to do some light chopping (nothing too taxing) and to let the crockpot do it's thing. It keeps well in the fridge and improves with each day it sits. So feel free to make this on a weekend and serve it during the week, merely reheating what you need. I served this on top of instant brown rice. My Dad informed me that egg noodles are the traditionally appropriate side dish to go with such a meal. I actually thought the rice was perfect, because it soaked up the yummy juices. Go ahead and serve whatever makes you happy.
This is the perfect dish to make on a weekend, when you have a little bit of extra time to do some light chopping (nothing too taxing) and to let the crockpot do it's thing. It keeps well in the fridge and improves with each day it sits. So feel free to make this on a weekend and serve it during the week, merely reheating what you need. I served this on top of instant brown rice. My Dad informed me that egg noodles are the traditionally appropriate side dish to go with such a meal. I actually thought the rice was perfect, because it soaked up the yummy juices. Go ahead and serve whatever makes you happy.
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