Low Carb Low Sugar : Variety Is Key – Recipe for Low Sugar Braised Cabbage

I’m not one for eating the same food every day. I like variety in my diet, as I believe you should look forward to and enjoy what you are consuming.
So when my husband and I decided to give up processed sugar and reduce our carb intake for the month of January 2022, I looked at it as a challenge to come up with interesting menus that would not make us miss what we were cutting out.  With that in mind, I am looking at recipes that I have made in the past as well as new ones that sound good (as I’m always checking out new recipes) and if they have sugar or carbs in them, I’ve taken on the self-challenge of finding substitutes for those items that still make the dish delicious. This is also a good opportunity to try new vegetables or food items. So if you have a favorite recipe that may contain sugar or carbs, can that sugar be replaced with a sugar substitute (Monk Fruit is my favorite sugar substitute and I do like the Lakanto brand), and if there is flour in the recipe, can it be replaced with a nut or coconut flour? One way to find out is to experiment with trading out items – if you’re up for the challenge, you never know what great new twist you could do to that recipe until you try it!
Last night, we were having roast pork for dinner, so I wanted to have a substantial vegetable in addition to salad with it. We had had braised red cabbage over the holidays that was delicious, so I thought I would make that and modify that recipe.  My modifications worked, the low sugar version was also delicious. Here is the recipe below, it has been adapted from a recipe I found in the Food & Drink Magazine, Holiday 2021 issue, a magazine produced by the LCBO (for non-Canadians, this is the Liquor Control Board of Ontario):

Low Sugar Version of Braised Red Cabbage

Ingredients:
1 small red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup Monk Fruit Classic White Sugar Substitute
1/4 cup Monk Fruit Brown Sugar Substitute
4 star anise
3 bay leaves
3 cinnamon sticks
1/2 – 1 teaspoon Kosher salt (put in 1/2 teaspoon and once it cooks down add more if you so desire)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
In a large Dutch oven or pot, combine all ingredients. Set over a medium-high heat until the liquid starts to boil. Once the liquid starts boiling, stir everything, turn the heat down to medium-low and cover with a tight fitting lid.  Let simmer and stir occasionally, until the cabbage has absorbed most of the liquid, about 50 to 60 minutes. Remove the cinnamon, star anise and bay leaves before serving.