Skyrim-Inspired Apple, Bacon, Cabbage Saute

I hope everyone had a terrific Fourth of July! I can't say I did much celebrating. My day consisted of working (time and a half!), 236 swings celebrating 236 years of independence, coconut chicken curry, a delicious local brew, and completing a couple of quests in Skyrim.

Get ready folks. I'm about to completely nerd out.

One of the recipes that you can make in Skyrim is Apple Cabbage Stew, which I happened to make last night while gaming at my "home" in Solitude. The ingredients are simply apple, cabbage, and a pile of salt. This magical combination, which must taste boring, restores 15 points of stamina and 10 points of magicka.

So I decided to cook up something at my home in Oakland, CA inspired by this magical recipe, and much less boring.

Servings: 2-4

Ingredients:

1/2 lb of thick-sliced bacon or pancetta, cut into chunks (Trader Joe's Ends and Pieces will do)

2 small granny smith apples, cut into small chunks

1/2 medium head of cabbage, thinly sliced, heart removed

6 tablespoons chicken broth

1 tablespoon coriander

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon red pepper flake (optional spicy kick, more if you're a badass)

Salt to taste

1. Saute bacon over medium high heat until somewhat crispy.

2. Add apples and saute until brown, then add cabbage and chicken broth. Side note: I make my own chicken broth and freeze it into ice cubes trays. I used four ice cubes for this recipe.

3. Once cabbage is soft, add spices.

4. Saute into Oblivion (haha, Elder Scrolls) until cabbage is quite soft and has melded with the spices, about 20 minutes. The apples should be caramelized and hard to distinguish from the bacon.

Serve with pork chops!

This recipes restores 30 points of health and 100 points of awesome.