One day, my son and I were rushing to Costco while my daughter was at gymnastics. They were giving samples of the Columbus Turkey Bacon (it’s nitrate, MSG and gluten free). In attempt to keep my kid quiet in the store, I gave him a sample. He LOVED it. So I tried it, and it was really good! I normally do not like turkey bacon, but this has a nice texture. My kids will eat it plain for breakfast. So, if you think you dislike turkey bacon, try this brand and let me know your thoughts!

Did I mention that I never used to eat bacon because it is bad for you? And, it is…Ugh, guilty pleasures. I felt like I had given up everything with my diet, so I caved after I went dairy, wheat and egg free. I felt like I needed some pizazz in my diet. But, guess what?!  You can make this recipe vegan in a snap with coconut bacon! Cookie and Kate has a recipe! Check it out at: http://cookieandkate.com/2014/how-to-make-coconut-bacon/.

Chili Peppered Cabbage with Bacon, Peppers, Onions and Garlic

• bacon (whatever kind floats your boat: 1 pack turkey, pork, or coconut; if you are making coconut bacon you will need coconut flakes, GF soy sauce, GF liquid smoke, and maple syrup)
• 1 head of cabbage
• 1 red bell pepper
• 4 drops Black Pepper Essential Oil (I use Young Living Vitality Black Pepper) or 1 tsp ground pepper
• 1 onion chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon gluten free chili powder 
• 1 teaspoon onion salt (I used Redmond Real Onion Salt)
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste – I used Redmond Real Salt)
• 2 – 4 tablespoons olive oil

Tips: 

• If you are making the coconut bacon it takes 2 minutes to prep and 13 minutes to cook. Set your oven for 350 degrees, and mix it together.
• For the turkey bacon, I set the oven to 375 degrees, put the bacon on a cookie sheet, and bake it for 15 – 20 minutes. I like to bake my bacon on a cookie sheet in the oven because it’s easy; I set the timer, and start chopping my veggies. Then I won’t burn it on the stove, splash grease everywhere, and set off the smoke alarm.
• You can read about my dish on cooking with essential oils here and real salt here.

Directions:

1. Prep the bacon, and while it’s baking – chop the cabbage, onion, and garlic.
2. Heat a large pan to medium heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil for turkey bacon or 4 tablespoons for the vegan / vegetarian option using coconut bacon.
3. Pull the bacon from the oven, and pour a little of the grease, and put the bacon back in the oven. Obviously, skip this part if you are using coconut bacon.
4. Add the cabbage, onion, and garlic to the pan.
5. Chop the red bell pepper next, and then add it to the pan (I like it a little crisper so I don’t cook it right away).
6. Continuously sauté vegetables and add the Young Living Black Pepper Essential oil, paprika, chili powder, onion salt, and salt. The secret to this dish is the chili powder, and I like the subtle flavor of the Black Pepper essential oil. 
7. Vegetables will be tender and done at approximately the same time as the bacon. Pull your bacon off the pan, and chop it into small chunks with a knife.
8. Mix the bacon and the veggies together, and serve.

My son and I ate it as a complete dish. My 4-year-old gobbled it up!! He said that it needed the bacon because he didn’t like the cabbage and peppers alone; that’s cool with me – when he eats cabbage and peppers, I do a happy dance!