Polish Sausage with Cabbage, Apples, and Caraway Seeds Low-Carb Recipe by Susie T. Gibbs

Happy Halloweeny Everyone!

It’s Time To Take the Chill Outta Ya With Warm Fall Fixins’!

 

 

I love my country.

And I love Texas.

But I swear this is a true story. I cain’t make this stuff up! On the Gulf Coast of Texas most of us know deep down in our Texas souls that frisky fall romps, and hay rides under harvest moons where your breath hangs heavy and misty in the air are just figments of our seasonally challenged brains. But we pretend fall is in the air by cooking hearty soups and stews and one-pot-wonders to tempt the most jaded southerner’s palette.

It’s true, we may only see two weeks of fall along the coastal plains of Texas. And we covet and guard them with the fierce ownership of every Texan. It’s our two weeks of fall, dangit! We’ll whoop it up in celebration. Usually those two weeks occur sometime around the end of October, Halloween time – the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

After those 2 weeks are up you might be tempted to think we slink right into winter with a whimper. Oh hell no, we don’t! Winter doesn’t hit the Texas Gulf Coast until January. No ma’am. We trip backwards and run smack dab into summer all over again. Sometimes we even see triple digit temperatures in this bassackwards neck of the woods.

It’s the derndest thing. You might go to school one morning in sweaters and jeans and thick socks and look so cute in your furry scarf. And I’m tellin’ you, by noon you will have peeled down to your gym shorts, bare feet and undershirt. In fact, I’ve lost count of the number of Christmases we’ve spent in shorts. That goes double for Thanksgiving and even more for Halloween.

But we never give up. We will staunchly defend our right to make hearty and “warming” soups and stews by the bucket load. We will sweat our way through a steaming bowl of pumpkin sausage soup or chili red in 95° weather and thank our lucky stars for October!

With that in mind, we’ve put together a couple of 4Under$10’s for your fall and Halloween enjoyment. Hopefully you are blessed with 4, as opposed to 2, seasons  and a couple of spares. Halloween and fall, despite the Texas heat wave, are still close to my favorite time of the year. I love to make goofy treats and dishes and see how gross I can get with terrifying names that spook almost no one – unless you’re a sock monkey like our “boys”.

Sock monkeys still remain a rather gullible, likable lot. To this day those “boys” don’t venture outside without their snipe huntin’ bags and their coffee can full of rocks (a recognized and “true” snipe call if you ever heard one).

Hope you like these meals. One-pot-wonders make the world go round, or that may be fat-bottomed women (of which I am one).

 

4 UNDER $10

Feed a family of 4 for under $10

ENTREE 1 – Total $3.95

Spooky Halloween Guts and Worms (Polish Sausage with Cabbage, Apples, and Caraway Seeds)

Full Recipe Costs $3.95
Per ¼ recipe serving: $0.99 each (FOR A DINNER! This could answer the question, “How low can she go?!”)

Recipe By: Susie T. Gibbs
Serves: 4    Serving Size: About 1 1/2 cups       Yield: 6 Cups Veggies, 1 Link Sausage
Preparation Time: 10 Minutes
Saute Time: 20 Minutes
Start to Finish Time: 30 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy Peasy Nice & Breezy

This is a perfect fall, one-pot-wonder. It fills you up and has just a little touch of something sweet. All our German Texans know, caraway seeds and cabbage go together like PBJ! The old wisdom was that caraway seeds help relieve the potential gasiness of the cabbage.

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds – toasted
• 4 pieces bacon
• 2 cloves garlic – peeled and sliced
• 1 1/3 pounds cabbage – about a 1/2 head
• 4 ounces onion – chopped
• 2 tablespoons  bacon grease
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon thyme, dried
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper – freshly ground
• 12 ounces sausage, pork and beef, smoked
• 3 ounces Granny Smith apple – cored and chopped
• 1 teaspoon vinegar, cider

 

1. Toast caraway seeds in a dry sauté pan until they become fragrant. Remove from pan and reserve.
2. Peel and slice garlic thinly. Peel and chop onion. Wash and chop cabbage.

   

3. Cut bacon into 1/4 inch pieces. Place bacon in sauté pan and cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of bacon grease. Add garlic, onion and cabbage. Add seasonings except vinegar. Add whole link of sausage into the pan. You will add apple later.
4. Sauté over high heat, stirring frequently to redistribute veggies. Move sausage around until it’s positioned on the bottom of the skillet. Sauté veggies around the sausage, allowing the meat to remain in contact with the bottom of the pan and brown.
5. Cook until cabbage is al dente (partially tender). Add chopped apple. Sauté until veggies are done to your preference (about 2 minutes). Adjust salt and pepper. Top with crispy bacon crumbles. Serve immediately. Sprinkle with pickled pepper vinegar to your preference.

 

Per Serving: 414 Calories; 30g Fat; 21g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 73mg Cholesterol; 1069mg Sodium; 10g Net Carbohydrates.

 

Serving Ideas: Serve with sliced tomatoes and parmesan crusted cheese stuffed rolls.

 

SUSIET’s NOTES:

Sausage season in Texas begins each fall during hog slaughtering time. I may be rushin’ this recipe a bit, since hog season doesn’t really start until end of October or November! Sauteed cabbage and onions with garlic is a nearly perfect side dish. It adds bulk and comforting filler to meals with very few carbs. Buying a link of sausage when it’s on sale is a great protein combination with the cabbage.

Normally sausage can run between $3.50 to $6.00 per 12 – 16 ounce link. But when it’s on sale; it’s a perfect time to buy as much as possible. It freezes great and one 12 ounce link serves 4 people easily.

For very few added carbs, 1 small Granny Smith apple (about 3 ounces) adds a touch of sweetness to the heat and vinegar. If you can’t handle the carbs in the GSA, you can also make the GSA knockoffs using cherimoya squash and a bit of sugar-free apple cider drink mix (alligator pears or merlitons for all my Cajun pals out there). This recipe just spells fall! Serve this one-pot-wonder with sliced Campari or grape tomatoes and a drizzle of olive oil.

I’m not gonna lie to you – Parmesan crusted cheese stuffed rolls will make your bobby socks go up and down. Read all about them over at Fluffy Chix Cook. They’re a twice cooked Revolutionary Roll. I’m sure I didn’t invent the procedure. Revolution Rolls and low carb go all the way back to the Great Dr. A, but this is my take on them.

 

ENTREE 2 – Total $6.96

Monster Claws with Spicy Asian Apricot Mustard Dipping Sauce (Oven Fried, Coconut Crusted Chicken Fingers with Dipping Sauce)

Full Recipe Costs: $6.96
Per ¼ recipe serving: $1.74 each

Recipe By: Susie T. Gibbs
Serves: 4    Serving Size: 4-5 Claws, 2Tbsp Dipping Sauce    Yield: 16 – 20 Monster Claws, ¾ cup
Preparation Time: 25 Minutes
Baking Time: 20-25 Minutes
Start to Finish Time: 45 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Chicken fingers never looked so ghoulishly delightful. Oven baking these make quick work and easy clean-up. They freeze and reheat very well.

Ingredients

For Monster Claws

• 1 1/4 pounds chicken breast, no skin, no bone
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup All Whites Egg Whites (or 3-4 egg whites)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup pork rind crumbs
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour – Bob’s Red Mill
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes, unsweetened
• 1 tablespoon parsley, freeze-dried
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper, or purple pepper, or 2 large jalapeno peppers
• 6 sprays olive oil spray

 

For Spicy Apricot Mustard Dipping Sauce

• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1/8 cup water
• 1/4 cup preserves, apricot, sugar free with fiber (like Polaner Brand)
• 1/8 cup soy sauce, Tamari, or substitute Coconut Aminos to go soy-free!
• 1 teaspoon sambal oelek
• 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

For Monster Claws

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Line baking sheet with non-stick aluminum foil.
2. Wash and dry boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cut breasts into “fingers” by slicing across the breast in about 3/4 inch strips – about 4-5 per breast half.
3. Combine the first group of spices: granulated garlic, ground ginger, salt, pepper, and cayenne and sprinkle over all sides of the chicken fingers. Combine grated Parmesan cheese, pork rind crumbs, coconut flour and coconut flakes along with remaining spices: parsley, garlic powder, ground ginger, salt and pepper. Mix to combine and set “crumb” mix aside.
4. Add egg whites to a bowl. Beat slightly with a fork until bubbles start to form.
5. Cut bell peppers or fresh jalapeno into 3/4 wide strips. Cut each strip into triangular pieces by slicing the strip on the diagonal. You will alternate the direction of the cut to make a triangle with each cut. Set aside.
6. Dip fingers into the egg white wash. Shake off excess. Set fingers onto a plate that has been sprinkled with your crumb mixture. Press crumb coating into claws. Repeat with all the monster claws. Sprinkle more coating mixture over both sides of fingers. You may also place coating mixture into a plastic bag. Work in small batches as the coating doesn’t adhere well once damp. Shake to coat. Using an old Tone’s spice container or old green-can Parmesan can works great for this purpose because of the large holes in the shaker top. It’s better to shake on the toppings than roll the chicken in them because you use less. Firmly press coating onto all sides of the fingers.
7. After breading fingers, make a small slit into the end of each finger. Gently position the widest end of the green pepper triangle into the chicken finger to form the claw. The smaller the slit the better.

Congrats! You now have monster claws – much spookier than chicken fingers! Spray each side of the claw well with olive oil spray. Place on non-stick aluminum foil and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and turn claws to the opposite side. Return to oven and bake another 8-12 minutes or until claws are done and crispy. Don’t overcook them!

For Dipping Sauce

1. Combine dry mustard powder with water. You might need more or less than 1/8c. You want it to be about the consistency of syrup. Stir until all lumps are gone. Combine mustard with remaining sauce ingredients. Stir well.
2. Taste and adjust ingredients if necessary. It makes about 1/2 cup of sauce and about 2 tablespoons of sauce per person. (Note about Tamari: Tamari is a wheat free, fermented soy sauce. If you must avoid soy like me, substitute coconut aminos for the soy in the dipping sauce. It’s well-worth a few extra carbs for the coconut aminos.)

 

Per Serving: 356 Calories; 55g Fat; 44g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 101mg Cholesterol; 1419mg Sodium; 7g Net Carbohydrates.

 

Serving Ideas: Serve Monster Claws with a crisp green salad and House Vinaigrette or Asian slaw and be done with it. You can find the Asian slaw recipe at Fluffy Chix Cook. Don’t forget the spicy dipping sauce!

 

SUSIET’s NOTES:

Wow, these are such a fun item! Anyone can eat chicken fingers, but monster claws? Perfect for Halloween! This breading combination and dipping sauce works great for other things like breaded boneless chicken thighs, shrimp, fish, and pork chops or pork fingers too!

The dipping sauce rocks. It’s a takeoff of an old combination Daddy taught me from our old Chinese Take-Out Days: duck sauce, Chinese mustard, and soy sauce in equal parts with a spoon of hot chili paste thrown in for insanity’s sake! But since duck sauce is chock-full of sugar and soy sauce is no longer a commodity I eat with hormone positive breast cancer, I make our own riff on it.

We love to surprise people by using triangles of fresh jalapenos for our monster claws but that’s how crazy Texan Chile Heads roll! Happy Halloween!

Visit Fluffy Chix Cook for more one-pot-wonders to nip the fall chill in the air and if you promise not to trick us this Halloween, we might be back with a bonus Budget Low Carb Halloween Meal! Check back soon to see if we’re just trickin’ ya, or if you’ll find a treat waitin’!