BRAISED CABBAGE AND TOFU IN CIDER WITH APPLES, CARAWAY, AND ONION

Braised cabbage in cider with apples, onion, caraway seeds, and baked tofu. I stole this recipe from @mortenlovach but he makes his with beer and veggie sausage which and sour cream which, honestly, is way better. But this gluten free and dairy free option serves a medicinal purpose today. Cabbage is loaded with electrolytes and minerals, and so much fiber! It kind of works as a scrubber to grab onto old dirt that might be lingering around in your digestive tract and get it on the move. So not only is this hearty and warming on a cold day, but it's a great way for me to scrub away anything I may have accumulated on my bartenders weekend (tuesday/Wednesday) for a happy, healthy gut and a flat belly. Sometimes balance is just one day away! 


YOU WILL NEED:
1 small head of cabbage, chopped into pretty big chunks
1 large organic apple, or two small ones
1 large white onion, or two small ones
3 cloves garlic
Olive Oil
12 oz cider, or you could use any blonde beer
3 branches thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or any kind but balsamic)
1 tablespoon caraway seeds (this really makes it)
1 tablespoon mustard (any kind you like) 
about 8oz or one package baked tofu, or you could use tempeh, or any veggie meat substitute, just read the label if you're avoiding gluten
chili flakes (optional)
Saute the onion in olive oil until translucent, add the apples and cabbage and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper, and you can drizzle a little extra olive oil on top so it all looks a little coated. All of this will cook down so if your pot looks pretty full, don't worry.  When things sound pretty hot in the pan, pour the cider in, and add the garlic, thyme, vinegar, mustard, bay leaf, caraway, and whatever tofu or whatnot you're using. Stir it all up, the liquid should be almost to the level of  the vegetables. Turn the heat to medium, cover, and let cook for about 30 minutes or until everything has started to meld together. Check your seasoning, and finish with a big drizzle of olive oil (or butter if you go that way). Serve with some extra mustard on the side with some potatoes, as a stew on it's own, or take it to work with some quinoa, like I did!

Enjoy!