Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Cabbage

A simple meal of polish sausage and cabbage cooked in a slow cooker.

Kielbasa is easy, versatile, and delicious.  It's also quick to prepare because, usually, it comes fully cooked.  Just reheat and serve.  I love to keep some in my freezer for busy nights.

Keep #kielbasa on hand 4 easy meals: #SlowCooker Kielbasa&Cabbage  [Tweet this]

Cabbage is a natural pairing for kielbasa.  Cooking cabbage makes it tender and sweet and I always sprinkle on some caraway seeds for even more flavor.  I just love the simplicity of sausage and cabbage.  But don't let it simplicity fool you.  It's absolutely delicious.

Simple and delicious SlowCooker KielbasaandCabbage  [Tweet this]

The slow cooker makes this meal even easier.  Just chop up the cabbage (I added carrots for more color) and kielbasa the night before then throw it all in a slow cooker and set on low for 6-8 hours.  When you get home your house will smell amazing and dinner will be ready.

Need an #easymeal? #SlowCooker Kielbasa and Cabbage  [Tweet this]

Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Cabbage

Servings:  4-6
Cook time:  6-8 hrs

Ingredients:

2 links kielbasa
1 head green cabbage
2-3 carrots
Caraway seeds to taste
1/2 cup sauerkraut and juice (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Roughly chop cabbage.  Slice carrots (I used my food processor to do this quickly) with or without peel whatever you prefer. Cut sausage in 2-inch pieces (or leave whole...again whatever you like)

Place the cabbage and carrots in the bottom of a slow cooker.  Sprinkle on some caraway seeds, salt, and pepper.  Add sauerkraut if using (I just had some in the fridge and wanted to finish it...it does add a delightful little tang to the dish).  Top with the sausage and set on low for 6-8 hours.

Makes about 4-6 servings.  Serve with potatoes (you could probably add potatoes to the slow cooker but I preferred roasted), spicy mustard, and cold beer.

Enjoy.

For more recipes using sausage check out:

Sausage and Bean Sweet and Sour

Easy Sausage and Peppers (3 Ways)

Lentil Soup         -

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Patta Gobhi Mattar (Cabbage and Peas)

A spicy, vegetarian, Indian dish of cabbage, peas (I added some carrots to the mix), and warm spices.

I love Indian food and Indian flavors.  The complexity of the flavors is something indescribable.  Not only does this dish (and most Indian dishes) taste great, it is also very nutritious.  I like to have vegetarian meals regularly, and vegetables are usually much less expensive than meat.  This meal has no cholesterol (when you use oil instead of ghee) and lots of nutritious vegetables.  All of the spices are healthy too, I'm no expert but, I have read great things about chillies, garlic, ginger, and turmeric.  Even if they happen to not be as great for you as some websites say, they don't hurt and they taste great.

Patta Gobhi Mattar (Cabbage and Peas)

Ingredients:
Modified slightly from IndianFoodForever.com

1-2 Tbsp cooking oil or ghee
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ginger, minced
1-2 jalapeno minced
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 large head cabbage, chopped
2 carrots, jullened
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp red chili
Salt to taste

Heat a large skillet with oil over medium high heat.  Add cumin seeds and let them sputter.

Then, add the ginger, garlic, and jalapeno (or chilli of choice you can remove the seeds or leave them in depending on how much heat you can handle.  I usually remove the seeds and control the heat with the chili powder because sometimes raw peppers can have different heat intensity).

Stir and cook until fragrant, about a minute.  Add the cabbage and carrots and spices (I used a lesser amount of ghost pepper masala instead of the red chili powder because I have a lot of it on hand--a friend brought some back from India for me and it is VERY spicy).

Stir and mix until just tender, then add peas.  Cover and reduce heat to low until peas are heated through.

Serve with rice and flat bread (cilantro and raita are nice too).  Makes about 3-4 servings.

Enjoy.

Linked to:  2 Cup, Lou Lou Girls, Teach Me, Tasty Tues, Tickle my Tastebuds, Freedom, foodie friends

Original post 2/20/2013 (50 views, 6 pins) re-posted with updated pictures and minor editing.

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Cabbage and Carrots Noodle Str Fry

A quick and easy dinner idea using cabbage, carrots and other inexpensive ingredients.

I had some left over cabbage, carrots and onion and a small piece of ginger from earlier this week, so I thought I'd turn them into a stir fry. I make a lot of different Asian foods (because I live so close to Chinatown) so I have a lot of Asian condiments and foods on hand like soy sauce and sesame seed oil and Chinese wheat noodles, just to name a few. With the addition of garlic, which I always have on hand, and some chilies from the container garden I keep; this was an easy and inexpensive meal. Here is how I made it:

 Aromatics (this is what gives the dish its flavor):
3 large cloves garlic
1 inch piece ginger
3 Thai bird chillies
Mince all of these together. You can replace the bird chillies with any other pepper, or pepper sauce, or leave it out all together. Place the aromatics in a small bowl and sit aside.

 1/2 head cabbage, sliced
2 carrots, jullenned
1/2 large onion, chopped
Place cabbage, onion, and carrots in a large bowl and also sit aside. 8 ounces Chinese wheat noodles or ramen (you could also try spaghetti noodles)

 Sauce:
 1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tsp sesame seed oil

A few dashes of 5 spice, optional

When ready to begin cooking, boil a pot of water for the noodles. When the water is rapidly boiling, put the noodles in and boil for 8 minutes. While the noodles are cooking, heat a large saute pan (mine is a 12 inch and it was full) or wok over medium high heat. Add enough veg oil to lightly coat the bottom and wait for pan to become hot. When pan is ready toss in the aromatics, stirring constantly until they become fragrant, about 1 minute. Then add the cabbage mixture and keep stirring (at this time I added some salt and a few dashes of 5 spice powder). Wait for the cabbage to wilt and soften. The noodles should be done now, drain them and rinse with cold water, then add them to cabbage. Pour sauce over all and stir until combined. You can turn off the heat now and taste, if you want more salt add a bit more soy sauce. Dish out eat and enjoy. This makes enough for 4.

This was a very filling meal on its own, but if you would like some protein maybe add a few fried eggs to the stir fry, or have the noodles as a side dish with pork or chicken.  The Thai peppers made it very mildly spicy, so my husband, who likes a lot of spice added Sirracha to his (a garlic and pepper hot sauce).

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