What Goes Down and Red Cabbage with Apples

I don't mean to be so literal but there was a comment that had me thinking. On the recent Oprah show with Michael Pollan and other whole food advocates poop was mentioned. About how bathroom reading material was just not needed for those who take in lots of whole foods. Amen to that.

All the real, whole fiber I have been adding to our diet is fantastic. Don't be confused by the pop tarts and yogurts claiming to have added fiber; you are fooling yourself. If you really want to eat fiber and get the real benefits of it (i.e. read on the couch, not in the bathroom among other things) eat the real food, not synthetic imitations.

So where do you look for fiber? Some of your new best friends should be flax seed, bran, and nuts. There are several other places to look as well. Eat whole vegetables and fruits such as apples and oranges instead of a glass of juice; the fiber that you lose in the juice. If you want to drink your fruit, opt for a homemade smoothie instead. And yes you can toss in a vegetable to those too. I love the combination of oranges and carrots or apples with beets and mint. Or I will substitute bran or ground flax seed for a small amount of flour in tortillas, bread or pancakes. And my kids even like them too.

Has good fiber changed your life? And how do you incorporate it?

And now on the the recipe of the week! I didn't grow up eating a lot of cabbage but I have always thought the red cabbages were colored so lovely. So I recently added cabbage to my list of finding new ways to cook. I read in a few cookbooks and overhead conversations at the farmers market about the wondrous combination of tart green apples with red cabbage; and I knew I must try it for myself. Oh, and swoon. I loved it. There was no bitterness or old cabbage-y flavor. This was onions, caraway seeds, apples and red cabbage cooked until meltingly tender and just finished with a splash of vinegar to add a bit of tang. It was a beautiful shade of plum when it finished cooking and tasted as good as it looked.

Red Cabbage with Apples

Adapted from Deborah Madison

Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

3 T. sunflower seed oil (or vegetable oil)

1 small onion, finely diced

1 T. caraway seeds

1 medium red cabbage, about 2 lbs., quartered, cored and finely sliced

2 Granny Smith or other tart apple quartered, cored and diced

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Apple cider or white wine vinegar

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and caraway, and stir. Cook for a few minutes over medium heat until the onion is translucent. Add the cabbage and apples and season with 1 t. salt. Cover tightly and cook very slowly until the cabbage is meltingly tender, up to one hour (I cooked for about 40 minutes). Taste for salt, season with pepper, and toss with vinegar to taste (I went with 1 T.).

This could also be topped with toasted walnuts before serving.

Oh, and don't be shy- feel free to leave a comment and help me get a feel of what you would like to see more of and any recipe requests. And thanks for stopping by.