KITCHEN KREATION: German Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage

Good evening, blogger family! Hope everyone is having a splendid weekend. 

For tonight's menu, I decided to try my first German recipe.  The dental director on my job brought some red cabbage for lunch last week and she let me try it.  Oh my goodness, it was sooo good.  She didn't know everything that her husband had put in it except that it had some balsamic vinegar, onions, and sugar.  I went online and found a couple of recipes that looked promising.  I finally decided to try the German Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage recipe from SparkPeople combined with a more traditional one from SimplyRecipes.com. This is my first time trying to cook any kind of German food, but all things considered, I think I did pretty well.  The cabbage came out really tender and flavorful.  I actually can't wait to see how it tastes tomorrow after it has marinated overnight.

I'm going to try something new with my blog posting in an attempt to show you step by step how I made this delicious side dish.  Let me know if you guys like the new format, ok?

INGREDIENTS
1 medium red cabbage - washed & sliced thinly
1 medium yellow onion - chopped
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp I Can't Believe It's Not Butter - light
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 apple - cored, peeled, and sliced thinly (I used a Honeycrisp apple
dash salt - optional
dash black pepper - optional
2 Tbsp Splenda - brown sugar blend (equivalent to 1/4 cup sugar)

DIRECTIONS

1.  In large skillet and over medium heat, heat olive oil and saute onions until tender. 

(Sorry I forgot to take a picture of the 1st step.)

2.  Add chopped apple slices.

  

3.  Add I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, salt, & pepper. Stir well to combine.

4.  Add washed and chopped red cabbage to mix.

5.  Cover and allow to start wilting. 

6.  In separate container or measuring cup, combine balsamic vinegar and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

7.  When cabbage is tender, add vinegar and sugar mixture to pot.  Stir well and cover. Allow to steam for approximately 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8.  Reduce heat and allow to cook for approximately 15 more minutes.

9.  Serve and enjoy!

This recipe was pretty easy and came out great.  According to my sparkpeople recipe calculator, for 6 servings, this side dish weighs in at 123 calories per serving.  If you leave out the olive oil and use cooking spray, the calories drop down to about 103 calories per serving.  I'll probably do that next time.

So anyway, folks, here was my dinner for tonight.  For my first foray into German cooking, I have to say I'm pretty pleased.  In his horrible German accent, hubby said, "Dat vas good, ja!" LOL

Hope you enjoy!

KITCHEN KREATION: Crustless Spinach & Bacon Quiche

Bonjour, mes amis! I know, I know, I've been gone for a minute. Don't think that I haven't still been cooking my version of healthier foods.  No, I've just been lazy lately about posting my creations on here.

Last weekend I decided to dive into the art of french cooking.  Well, as close as I can get anyway...
I  love love love quiche, but I don't love all the calories that come from the homemade pie crust, the cheese, the butter, the cream, etc etc...
I decided to jump on google to see if there was a recipe online for a crustless quiche. Low and behold I found a couple but I couldn't find any heart healthy versions. So you know what I did, I made my own. With that being said, I realized this morning that this blog is SUPPOSED to be celebrating recipes from around the world. It seems that hubby and I apparently spend a lot of time in Mexico and Italy, however, so it is now time to branch out to the wonderful country of France.

And yes, I do realize that my version is not an actual authentic French recipe, but this is my creation and it turned out good. Let me know if you decide to try it. I think you'll enjoy it!  I'm going to make another one this weekend with turkey sausage and more veggies. I'll let you know how it comes out.

INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
1 cup liquid egg whites
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup Kraft fat free shredded cheddar
1 BabyBel Light Cheese round - shredded
1/2 cup onions-chopped
1 clove garlic - minced
6 slices of turkey bacon - chopped
10 oz. bag of frozen spinach - thawed & drained
salt & pepper - to taste
cooking spray

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1. Microwave spinach according to package directions, drain excess liquid and set aside.
2. Chop onions & turkey bacon, set aside.
3. In medium-sized bowl, mix eggs, egg whites, and skim milk. Whisk until well mixed.
4. Add salt, pepper, onions, garlic, turkey bacon and cheese to mixture. Stir well until combined.
5. Add drained spinach. Stir well.
6. Spray pie plate with cooking spray and gently pour egg mixture into pan.
7. Place in oven and bake for 40-50 minutes or until center of quiche is firm.
8. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes.
9. Cut and enjoy.

Our quiche made 6 servings.
According to SparkPeople, that came out to be 121.4 calories/serving!
An excellent source of protein and a quick and easy breakfast for the rest of the week. I just placed the extra servings in a container in the refrigerator. On my protein days (Mon, Wed, Fri), I took one out and microwaved it to have a healthy and quick breakfast with a side of fruit.  Can't get any better (or easier) than that.

Hope you enjoy!