Finished result: red cabbage salad served with grilled chicken, keep reading for recipe
Originally uploaded by Manne.
This recipe originates from a recently released Swedish cookery book, written by Anna Jacobsson (blog) who successfully lost more than 60 kg over the course of 2.5 years. From 137 kg to 75 kg, without skimping on food or starving herself.
Not only did she lose an astonishing amount of weight, she also according to herself unsurprisingly gained a healthier and more enjoyable life.
How did she do it? Certainly not through traditional methods. She explains that she through the years probably tried every diet known to man, and nothing really worked. Until she realized that she had a serious sugar addiction and decided to kick it. The method she chose was her own variety of LCHF - Low Carb High Fat.
In the book is a variety of recipes she devised over the years she was losing weight, so they are all high in saturated fat content and provides an ample amount of protein. Rather than sugar and starch her recipes use nuts, fruit, fresh berries, leafy vegetables, chocolate and cream to add taste and colour.
There has been a lot of discussion about low carb diets as being boring and leading to a dull monotonous attitude to food. Anna's book proves that it is not just possible but even easy to create inspiring, tasty, great looking dishes while leaving the sugar mostly out of it.
The book is called "From my kitchen - food on the road from 137 kg" and if you speak Swedish and wants to introduce some inspiration in your LCHF cooking habits it is a must have.
Yesterday I wanted something really quick and simple as I was coming home later than usual from work. Having just received this book I leafed through it and found a tasty looking photo of a red cabbage salad. I love cabbage! So I picked up a grilled peri-peri chicken at my local Tesco's along with the ingredients, added some ideas of my own to make it a little bit more interesting and headed home in the cold and rainy winter darkness.
Ingredients
This is enough for two as a replacement of a more carby alternative, or four as a side dish. I guess this is a bit like a coleslaw. Something sweet, something acidic, something with a bit of bite and lots of cabbage.
1/2 medium red cabbage head, shredded
1/2 red onion, halved and finely sliced
2 small red apples, diced
250 ml creme fraiche or sour cream
juice of 1/2 lemon
freshly ground black pepper
Ready to get cracking...
Originally uploaded by Manne.
Method
Cut up the cabbage in strips a few millimetres to half a centimetre wide. Crush them a bit with your hands on the chopping board.
Add all the ingredients in a big bowl and stir them together, ensuring the creme fraiche gets distributed evenly throughout. The mixture will go a glorious deep pink.
Season with black pepper, and possibly a little salt if you wish. Taste. If I had some parsley I would sprinkle that on top as a nice garnish.
Done. Probably took me all of ten minutes. And it was delicious. Mission accomplished!
Serve with cold meat, meatballs, grilled chicken... ...or bring along to your next barbecue! I already long for summer and garden meatfests.
Right now, Christmas knocking on the door, there is another cabbage recipe which lovely smells I am looking forward to permeating my flat with: traditional Swedish browned cabbage. Oh, comfort food for vikings!
Do you have a favourite cabbage recipe? Perhaps even a favourite coleslaw recipe? I would love it if you share it with me in the comments!
