I fought the Slaw, and I won



Jen's slaw

I shall name thee "The-Coleslaw-That-Others-Wish-They-Were-Having-Right-Now". Or... The Better Slaw for short.  

It's been a while since I've posted any kitchen creations here. So, tada!... I'm not really a big fan of coleslaw, but yesterday, I could no longer ignore the presence of the cabbage that's been glumly sitting in our fridge. Outside of stews, Pancit, and curried cabbage, we just don't have a great big selection of cabbage recipes. And with this "realization" came the opportunity to come up with one.  So, if you're like me who's not a fan of coleslaw, give this novel synthesis (ahem) a try.

One head of cabbage + 1-2 pears + a handful of raisins + a few stalks of celery + half a fennel bulb. Julienne-cut all the veggies. Season with a bit of salt and pepper, a sprinkling of nutmeg, and for the secret ingredient - a dash of cumin. Don't forget the mayo (light), but don't overdo it too, otherwise you won't taste anything else. I also added a little apple cider vinegar to dilute the creamy mayo texture.

You might be wondering about the proportions. Frankly, you're not in a laboratory, and none of those combination will ever explode - and don't go trying to disprove me. Just don't be afraid to adjust to suit your taste.  For me, since I have a sweet tooth, I decided to add another pear. Heck, I would have added some marshmallow too, but that would have been be too weird.

For those of you who keep a Kosher home like we do, it's probably obvious that this recipe is Pareve. But tonight, since we're having a dairy meal, I'll toss in some Feta cheese to the remaining slaw. I might as well add some walnuts too to give it a different texture. Yummm. 

Hmmm. So, what should you have this as a side of? May I suggest some meatloaf and potatoes for an All-American meal like we had yesterday? Also, take Spring as your inspiration, and put some color on your plate. For my meatloaf, I used the other half of my started fennel, and added Trader Joe's Soyaki to give it that nice brown, caramelized color when it's cooked. I rolled it up in foil, embutido-style, and it's good to go in the oven.  I usually put a peeled stick of carrot in the middle, and call it "meatloaf surprise", but I was pressed for time, and carrot, last night. 

And no, Sir-ee! Idaho potatoes won't do. Get some purple potatoes for that pop of color and more. These potatoes may cost you an arm and a leg, but they still cost a lot less than gas prices these days. What's "more"? A recent study has shown that purple potatoes can decrease blood pressure by about 4 % without causing weight gain. That decrease may seem insignificant to you, but it's been deemed sufficient to potentially reduce the risk of some types of heart disease. 

Purple potato wedges - yet to be seasoned and roasted (Photo by me)

I prefer marinating them with italian herbs and olive oil then roasting. If you want to do greek-style potatoes, just add some lemon juice. So, if you want to plan a simple (yes, trust me, I'm a mom) menu for tonight, this is the one to try.