new year, more veg.

I'm horrible with resolutions. "This year, I'm gonna work out an hour a day". "I'm gonna cut out sugar completely." "I'm gonna be less judgmental." Yeah, right.

We had a pretty big scare over the holiday weekend and it gave me a shock. Life is precious and beautiful. Everything we have is everything we need and everything else is just a blessing. Love life and every minute of it, the bad, the worse and the every day.

This year, I will be realistic. I will cut back on sugar and eat it from its natural sources when it's available. I am trying to eat more vegetables, and much less meat and dairy. I am going to save money, $50 from every paycheck for a vacation, house or even emergency fund. So far, I've set up my new savings account, I've yet to eat a cookie and we are doing 4/5 all veg meals a week. It's obviously a task in the winter, but the squash, potatoes and broccoli are going strong, it seems.

One of my favorite hearty vegetables is red cabbage. I love it shredded thin for slaw, added into beet salads, even roasted in the oven (with bacon, of course). Another favorite, especially for a side, is a slow braised cabbage with vinegar and red wine. I've never made this before, but I can remember it very well from my grandmother's kitchen. The tastes seemed to develop themselves in the pan, but having all this on hand helped, too.



Braised Red Cabbage

1 tbsp earth balance
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 large head organic red cabbage, shredded
1/4 c red wine (i had cabernet on hand)
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tbs agave nectar or honey (more if too sour, my wine reduced to be very sweet)
about 1 tsp each salt and fresh pepper

1. Saute onions in earth balance, stirring often for about 15 minutes, until a light golden brown is achieved.
2. Add in cabbage and saute additional 20 minutes, until softened through.
3. Add remaining ingredients, stir to combine and once bubbly, decrease heat to low and simmer for additional 15 minutes, until cabbage is fully broken down and sauce is thickened.

This is a super hearty side that lends itself well to other robust flavors like roasted pork, smoked tofu or just a big bunch of root vegetables if you're not particularly in the mood for protein (we ate it with roasted banana fingerlings, yams and fennel, yum!). It tastes even better the next day, and reheats in a cinch. Here's to setting the bar low and feeling okay about it.