This is an easy to make, nutritious, and inexpensive dinner that also is great tasting comfort food. I use a cheap (well, relatively) pork sirloin roast cut in bite-sized chunks, and the pork cooks along with red cabbage, apples, cider vinegar, and spices to fork tenderness. Although the meal is great with the just the cabbage and pork, you can add dumplings to the pan, if you'd like. I use whole-wheat flour in the dumpling dough, which increases the fiber and nutrients in the dumplings and makes them a bit better for you, particularly if you're diabetic (or just want to "eat healthy"). The dinner also is easy on the cook. With all the ingredients going into one pan on the stove top, you'll have fewer dishes to wash after supper. Leftovers reheat well for dinners and lunches later in the week. Enjoy!
Pork and Red Cabbage With Whole-Wheat Dumplings -- Serves 4+
1 tablespoon of canola oil
1/2 cup of chopped onion
1 small head of red cabbage, cored and chopped (4-5 cups)
1 1/2 pounds of pork sirloin roast cut in bite-sized cubes
2 - 3 small apples, cored and chopped, but you can leave the peel on (about 2 cups)
2 - 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (depending on how much you like vinegar)
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of allspice
1/8 teaspoon of cloves
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar or use date puree (soak a couple of large, pitted
dates in very hot water to cover and then mash them together with a fork)
1 cup of water, plus a little extra, if necessary
1 teaspoon of reduced sodium chicken base (I use "Better Than Bullion")
Parsley to sprinkle, optional
Heat the oil in a large skillet or chef's pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cabbage to the pan and saute them together for about 5 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add the pork to the pan and saute it with the onion and cabbage for 5-8 minutes or until the pork browns just a bit. Add the apples, vinegar, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and salt to the pan and stir them into the cabbage/onion/pork mixture. Add the sugar or date paste, 1 cup of water, and chicken base to the pan and stir them into the mixture. Cover the pan, turn the heat to medium low, and let the mixture simmer for about 30 minutes or until the cabbage and pork are almost tender. You'll need to check the liquid in the pan and add a little more water, if necessary (particularly if your lid isn't tight-fitting). You can now add the dumplings (see below) to the mixture, spacing them around the edges of the pan, with a few in the center. Recover the pan (spray the underside of the lid with non-stick cooking spray to prevent the dumplings from sticking) and let the dumplings cook on top of the cabbage/pork mixture until the dumplings are done--usually 15-20 minutes. You can baste the dumplings with a little of the liquid from the pan, if you'd like and don't mind pink/purple dumplings. Doing so will help keep the dumplings moist, but it will stain the dumplings! Make sure the pork is soft enough for your liking, adjust the salt and pepper, sprinkle on some fresh or dried parsley, if you'd like, and serve the pork, cabbage, and dumplings from the pan for easy cleanup.
Dumplings
2 large eggs
1/3 cup of milk
1 1/4 cups of white whole-wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley flakes
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs and milk. Add the flour, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, and parsley and stir them into the wet ingredients with a spoon (if the mixture seems too stiff, you can add a bit more milk, a tablespoon at a time). Drop 8-10 mounds of the dumpling mixture around the edges and center of the pan of simmering pork and cabbage. Let the dumplings cook, covered, on top of the pork and cabbage for 15-20 minutes or until done. Sprinkle the tops of the dumplings with fresh or dried parsley, if you'd like.
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