Happily Whole

Living well from the inside out

An Easy Purple Cabbage Meal & a Simple Gift of Instant Gratification

 

Sometimes the very simplest things offer the most satisfying rewards. I believe God does this as a gift to boost the busy mom, revive a hardworking wife, energize the overwhelmed career woman or urge on anyone seeking satisfaction without ALWAYS working so hard! He wraps up an abundant blessing, a gift of gratitude expressed or the much needed encouragement in a simple little box to serve as ammunition to stay in the fight.

You see, He knows we get weary and worn down from the unending work! He recognizes when something’s gotta give or we'll sink, all balled up, into a corner at our wits end. In essence, at times I believe God knows we need the gift of a little instant gratification.

So, sometimes when everything seems just a touch too hard and daily duties blend together in a blur, God offers a sweet remedy to raise our spirits. Even better, He knows what each of us uniquely needs to nudge us back on track and gain clarity in the midst of chaos. Often all it takes is a kind word of encouragement from a friend, that special embrace from someone you love or a simple acknowledgement of your efforts. If you ask me, that's the real good stuff given at just the right time all wrapped up in simple little packages! When we unwrap the perfectly timed simple gift, with very little effort we find ourselves all filled up.

Now as you know, one of the ways I enjoy showing love to my family has a teeny (or big) bit to do with food—creating the clean, nourishing kind with real-food ingredients in ways they actually all love! I love how work of my hands and love from my heart can be laid on a plate for them to consume! It’s a challenge I enjoy, especially when they go back for seconds saying, ‘this is SOOOO good!’.  But sometimes amidst all the other things I have to accomplish and I’m feeling beaten down from days on end of unfinished to-do lists, finding time for kitchen creativity is tough!

That’s why, especially now that my family has more than doubled in size, keeping some easy yet healthy dishes in my handy-dandy kitchen tool-kit has been key. They offer me respite in the kitchen yet offer big rewards from their favorable reactions! Thank you, God, that sometimes the simplest meals offer the biggest rewards!

And now it’s time for me to fess up and share one of my secret simple meals….

I’ve been keeping this little ditty to myself. It’s a simple meal requiring little skill and contains only a few ingredients. The simplicity almost embarrasses me because I serve it so frequently. If fact, I don’t even tell my family how little time I spend preparing this easy, real-food, incredibly healthy meal! They love it so much I can’t come to confess I’ve shed no blood, sweat or tears to serve this one.

From the time they walk in the door and their eyes light up at what’s on the stove (checking the pots is what most of them do before even saying hello) until they sit at the table with this purple concoction resting on their plates, they can’t wait to dig in! Then once the meal is over, I often hide any remnants of leftovers so my sweet, hard-working husband can take them for the next day’s lunch.

That’s exactly why I can’t hold it back from all of you anymore! And ladies, listen: sometimes it’s better to let them believe you’ve slaved over what you’re serving while you sit back, smile and let their praises sink in! After all, plenty of our other behind-the-scenes sweat and service go unnoticed.  Why not give thanks for this simple success!? 

Oh...before I go, I want to show you another tool I've used to keep things simple and organized....it may seem a little over the top, but it's worked to keep me focused, organized and maintain perspective: Draft Each Day

We make a meal out of this and a little bit of crisped up multigrain bread dipped in seasoned olive oil. It's simple, healthy and complete! 

Ingredients

  • 1 small (or about ¾ of a large) head of purple cabbage, chopped in bite-sized pieces
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons of butter or ghee (I highly prefer the flavor of ghee in this recipe but have made it with butter successfully)
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • ½ sweet onion, chopped in small pieces
  • 4 chicken sausages, sliced in small bite-sized pieces (I like to use Annie's spinach feta chicken sausages but you can choose your preferred flavor)
  • 1 teaspoons coarse pink Himalayan salt (if you need a shake more, add it on the plate per preference)
  • Optional-grated Asiago cheese

Recipe Instructions

  • Do all the chopping, slicing and mincing of your ingredients. 
  • Put just one tablespoon of the butter/ghee into a large skillet to brown the sausage pieces. 
  • Add the garlic and onion and let saute for just a minute. 
  • Add another tablespoon of butter/ghee and once it melts, add the chopped cabbage to the pan. Sprinkle with the salt. Stir to coat cabbage with salt and butter/ghee. Cover and cook for about 7 minutes or until the cabbage is at your desired softness. 
  • You can always add a touch more butter/ghee if it seems dry but usually 2 to 3 tablespoons is all I need total. 
  • Optional: Sprinkle the cheese on the top, close the pan for a minute or two to slightly melt. 
  • Serve and enjoy! 

Recipe Notes

**NOTE: I have made the cabbage like this without the sausage for a side dish and it's still yummy! So, if you're not into trying the healthier, less processed versions of chicken sausages out there, try just making the cabbage, garlic and onion for a side dish! 

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