The Warm Yummies: Sausages with Apple Cabbage

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."
(The Walrus and the Carpenter from Carroll's Through the Looking Glass)

I love cabbage.

It always reminds me of my mom making holupkes (no idea how to spell it). They're cabbage rolls stuffed with a beef-rice filling and simmered in tomato sauce -- it was one of my dad's favorite childhood dishes, brought over by my great grandmother from Hungary or Czechoslovakia, or the Czech Republic ~ or wherever her ancestral home ended up in the fray of the twentieth century. Essentially, it's Eastern European comfort food. I keep intending to make it... and will, since it's certainly allergy friendly!

But one day, craving warmth, I only had access to a head of cabbage, a few apples, and a package of frozen chicken sausage. Hence... this!  


Chicken Sausages with Apple Cabbage

 With the mixture of apples, onions and cabbage sauteed with apple cider and just a hint of savory mustard this was a hearty, warm dish just right for a cold night.  Perfect for Fall or Winter!  We just chopped the sausage pieces a little smaller for our son to eat as finger food, and it was a hit.   And not bad for Mom and Dad, either...



Chopping!



So... simple recipe: 

Chicken Sausages with Apple Cabbage

Oil for frying (I used olive)

1 large apple (I used macoun), diced

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 head cabbage, chopped into ~ 1" pieces

1/2 cup apple cider or juice

1 tsp stone ground mustard (optional)
1 package chicken sausages *



Sauteing the apples, onions, and cabbage!

1. Sautee the sausage in a little oil, turning over every few minutes to ensure they're evenly cooked, usually around 8 - 10 minutes.  Set aside. 
2. In the same pan, sautee the onions with a little bit more oil until translucent, around 2 - 3 minutes. 
3. Add the apples and sautee until slightly soft
4. Add the cabbage and sautee for about 5 minutes, until slightly soft. 
5. While cabbage and applies are cooking, slice the sausages into 1" pieces.  
6. If you're using the mustard, mix it into the apple cider or juice. 
7. Either way, to deglaze the pan once the cabbage starts to brown slightly, add the cider or juice, then the sausage pieces.   
8. Cover and simmer for around 5 minutes to fuse the flavors and ensure the sausage is fully cooked.

* Check the sausage ingredients carefully to ensure no allergens are present! Sometimes they hide in commercially prepared foods, especially those mass-produced.  We found some that were a local producer but in our regular supermarket, and no more expensive than the name brands.  Delicious and locally made!