Red Cabbage Braised with Beets

I don't have a lot of recipes for beets, which is something I intend to change. When I was a kid, I regarded them as public enemy number one. It wasn't until I was in my thirties that I developed a taste for them. They combine really well here with red cabbage, and help make a richly coloured dish. Red cabbage by itself tends to fade as it cooks, to a much less attractive greyish lilac; the beets keep it bright, and the vinegar and sugar give it a subtle sweet-sour tang. The recipe is adapted from Epicurious, mostly by cutting it in half - which still makes enough for 2 meals for the 2 of us, which is fine since it re-heats well.

4 servings
40 minutes - 20 minutes prep time

1 small onion
1 tablespoon butter

3 cups finely shredded red cabbage
2 medium beets

1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Sucanat or brown sugar
salt & pepper

Peel and chop the onion, and put it in a large saucepan with the butter. Sauté it over medium-low heat until soft and starting to brown a little; about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile chop the cabbage, and peel and grate the raw beets.

Mix the water, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a small dish.

When the onions are ready, mix in the cabbage and beets, and the seasonings. Mix well. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add a little more water if it seems to be drying out, although it shouldn't be particularly juicy by the end.