Comfort Food: Alsatian Cabbage ♥

Last November, I learned that butter and cream and cheese and even sugar can move vegetables from the real world into Thanksgiving vegetable heaven.

But this Alsatian cabbage -- just cabbage seasoned with caraway and cooked in bacon -- reminded me that bacon accomplishes a similar earth-n-heaven moving experience. That said -- I 'Alanna-sized' the inspiring recipe from Food & Wine, using half the bacon it called for and omitting the butter. It was still plenty rich and served up piles of flavor for just one Weight Watchers point. Yes, it's a keeper!

It would be great paired with St. Patrick's Day food -- you know, the homey, easy and delicious traditional corned beef, sausages, mashed potatoes and such.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES
If you like vegetables with bacon, me too! I especially love pancetta, an Italian bacon, in Brussels sprouts, in cauliflower and with broccoli. Naturally, they're all in the Recipe Box!

A Year Ago Today: Another great St. Patrick's Day vegetable, Potato, Cabbage and Rapini Colcannon. What is rapini? You might call it broccoli rabe or broccoli raab. And if you're looking for ideas on how to cook rapini, last year I collected a bunch of broccoli rabe recipes.

If you're looking for a whole meal for St. Patrick's, may I recommend this archive Kitchen Parade column for Caraway Corned Beef -- including chunks of potato and carrot, wedges of cabbage, all doused in a delicious cheese sauce?

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ALSATIAN CABBAGE

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 45 minutes
Serves 6 - 8 (depending on size of the cabbage)

1/8 pound of meaty bacon, chopped (I use a serrated bread knife)
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 cabbage (about 2 1/2 pounds), trimmed, outer leaves and core removed, sliced thin
1 1/2 teaspoons caraway (I used the on-hand powder but think seeds would be better, with the powder, I ended up using nearly twice as much)
Salt & pepper

In a large skillet or Dutch oven (you'll need a cover), start cooking the bacon on MEDIUM. Add the onion as it's prepped, let cook 2 - 3 minutes. Add the caraway and let cook, 1 - 2 minutes. Add the cabbage as it's prepped, stirring well to coat with fat and caraway. Cover and let cook for about 30 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
(presumes 8 servings) Per Serving: 68 Cal (39% from Fat, 23% from Protein, 38% from Carb); 4 g Protein; 3 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 7 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb4; 53 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 182 mg Sodium; 8 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE
Adapted from Food & Wine, March 2003