Recipe(tried): Braised red cabbage with blueberries for June and Gladys (and me!)

I am going to post this as it is printed in the magazine. As I mentioned, it is not specifically for the slow cooker, but will lend itself nicely to it.

Braised red cabbage with blueberries:

6 juniper berries, crushed
4 whole cloves
1/2 cinnamon stick, broken roughly into pieces
4 cm piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
25 g/1 oz butter
450 g/ 1 lb red cabbage, finely shredded (use a food pro to speed up)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp cider or wine vinegar
zest of 1/2 a small orange and juice of 1 whole orange
freshly grated nutmeg
1 rounded tbsp dark muscovado sugar
150 g blueberries (that'll be about 1 cup, methinks)

tie up the juniper, cloves, cinnamon and ginger in a muslin square (cheesecloth). Melt the butter in a large saucepan, tip in the red cabbage, onion, apple and garlic, and cook for 5 mins, stirring occasionally.

Add the rest of the ingredients except the blueberries. Stir, then tuck in the spice bag. Cover and cook gently for about 1 1/4 hours or until tender but still juicy. Check it doesn't dry out-- if it starts to, add some water.

Remove the spice bag, stir in the blueberries and season if you wish.

Can be made a day ahead--add the blueberries after reheating.

per serving: 63 calories, protein 1 g, carbohydrate 9 g, fat 3 g, saturated fat 2 g, fibre 3 g, added sugar 3 g, salt 0.06g

Notes from Carolyn:

unless I trip over some, will not be using juniper berries
after the parcook step in the saucepan, I will cook it on low in the slowcooker for 3 or 4 hours

that's my plan, anyway! If you two (June and/or Gladys) have any other comments, please do share!

Happy cooking,

love,

Carolyn!