Pork, Cabbage and Apples in the Slow Cooker

I love cooking with my cast iron, but I also love cooking with my slow cooker. 

This was so yummy. Not only did my taste buds jump for joy, my nose did too (or at least twitched) at the smell of apples and pork cooking all day throughout the house. There's just something about the pairing of apples and pork...

If you don't have any of this in the house, you'll want to get you some.

Okay here we go. As always there will be a link at the end of this for you to print the recipe if ye be so inclined. And for the record, I adapted this recipe from an old Rival Slow Cooker Cookbook I picked up at Goodwill. (Psst...there are great cookbooks there for cheap.)

I took 4 pork loins and put them in a glass baking dish and salt and peppered each side of the loins.

Then I brushed on some of that Kitchen Bouquet...

...on both sides of the loins. Set aside.

I sprayed my crock pot insert with cooking spray then added four cups of shredded cabbage.

I cored and diced 3 to 4 apples and added it to the cabbage mixture. You don't have to peel the apples.

Add a half of a small onion chopped.

1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup water

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 teaspoons salt

Mix it up...

...and go get them prepared pork loins.

Place them on top of the cabbage mixture,

cover things up with the lid,

and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours.

Comfort food!

Pork, Cabbage and Apples in the Slow Cooker

Print Recipe Prep: 15 minutes                                  Level: Easy Cook: Slow Cooker                               Serves: 4 Ingredients: 4 pork loins Kitchen Bouquet 4 cups shredded cabbage 3-4 apples, cored and diced 1/2 small onion, chopped 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1 bay leaf 1/4 cup sugar 1 cup water 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 teaspoons salt Directions: Season loins with salt and pepper and then brush each side with Kitchen Bouquet; set aside. Put cabbage, apples and onion in prepared slow cooker. Add the rest except the pork loins. Mix together well. Arrange loins on top of the cabbage mixture. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours.

Pickles 'n Vinegar

I grew up eating pickles 'n vinegar. My mom made it, as well as my aunts and my grandmas. For me every bite is one of those go-back-in-time memories. I figured with the growing season happening all around us, I would share this homemade goodness with you all seeings how all those fresh cucumbers are becoming available in our gardens and at local farmer's markets.

So, so easy!

As always the printable recipe will be at the end of this post.

Mix 1/2 cup brown vinegar...

...with 1/2 cup of water.

Allow to dissolve with one cup of sugar.

Set aside.

I used a 1.75 quart bowl and filled it with peeled sliced cucumbers - I used about 7 medium sized cucumbers, not the pickling size. Then I sprinkled on 1 teaspoon of dill. 

Cover with the dissolved vinegar mixture.

Stir it up and place it into the refrigerator for several hours or overnight allowing it to chill before serving.

Enjoy on your hamburgers, as a side dish or all alone (like I do).

Here's the printable recipe. Enjoy! Happy Summer!

Pickles 'n Vinegar

So easy as a side dish or salad!  Every bite says summer I love you! PRINT RECIPE Prep: 10 minutes                                  Level: Super Easy Chill: several hours                              Serves: 10 Ingredients: 7 medium cucumbers, peeled and sliced 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup water 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon dill Directions:         Mix 1/2 cup brown vinegar with 1/2 cup water. Add sugar and mix allowing it to dissolve. Set aside.         Slice and peel enough cucumbers to fill a glass bowl.  I used 7 cucumbers to fill a 1.75 quart glass bowl which held 7 cups of sliced cucumbers. One medium cuke makes about 1 cup sliced. Cover the cucumbers with vinegar mixture and mix in the dill. Allow to chill several hours or overnight. The cucumber slices will get soft and shrink somewhat.