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Wednesday, December 10, 2014
My First Coleslaw
Yep, this was my first ever coleslaw. I have never been a coleslaw eater. Frank likes it, but has run into few recipes that are suited his taste. This recipe was definitely an experiment. In an effort to lower the carbohydrates we eat, I have been looking for new ways to eat the types of basic foods we like. We both like cabbage, and I have been cooking with it quite a bit. Then I began to wonder about coleslaw. I looked up half a dozen recipes, and took from each of them what we liked, and left out what we didn't like or want, like sugar.
Here is the recipe I came up with.
3 cups shredded cabbage 1/2 cup shredded carrots 1/4 cup shredded onions 1/4 cup shredded sweet peppers
We bought the cabbage and onions. I picked the carrots from the garden. This is the first time we have had carrots in the garden in the winter. It is so neat to be able to walk out and pick a few for a meal. They aren't very big, but they are quite tasty, to me anyway. When you ask Frank how they taste he just comments, "Like a carrot." The sweet peppers were frozen from the garden this summer. So, two of the four ingredients came from here. It would be wonderful if we could make this dish from all home grown ingredients. Maybe next year.
I used the KitchenAid to shred the vegetables. I chose the smaller shredding head to see how the texture would turn out. The pieces are pretty small, but turned out fine. I think next time I will experiment with the larger shredder head to see which type we like better.
The dressing I used consisted of: 1/2 cup mayo 2 tbsp. cider vinegar 1 tsp. mustard 1/2 tsp. celery seed
I was skeptical about this dish. Frank's evaluation of the taste would be the deciding factor on the success or failure of this recipe. And, guess what? He likes it! We may leave out the onions next time, or reduce them to see how that changes the flavor. For me. Coleslaw is going to be an acquired taste. It's okay, and I will eat some, but not much. It was surprising that my first shot at making this dish was a success. Surprising, but nice.
Learning. We never get tired of it. It keeps us interested and engaged in living. You just can't beat learning something new everyday. Please share your recipes, experiences, or comments about making coleslaw. I'd love to learn even more.
I hope you learn to like coleslaw, Fern. I think it's a very healthy dish.
You might try leaving out the onions and putting in some chopped apples. That adds a natural sweet taste. For the dressing I have been making my own concoction of about equal parts mayonnaise and buttermilk with prepared mustard, sour cream, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar to taste.
My mother always made a sweet oil and vinegar dressing for her slaw. Good luck with your experimentation!
I agree, C.M., it is a very healthy dish. This morning I have been reading about lacto-fermentation using cabbage and other vegetables. They even have a coleslaw recipe. This will be one of my next experiments. Thank you for sharing more ideas for slaw. I really appreciate it.
Frank and Fern - i am not a big fan of coleslaw but yours does look yummy! we are big fans of cabbage here and i like to make sauerkraut and kimchi out of it - you already know of the health benefits of fermented cabbage. did you know that fermenting cabbage really ups the vitamin k??? which is especially helpful during winter months. do you do your own sprouts? sprouts are full of vitamins (especially d vitamins which are so good for you in the winter).
we put cabbage in soups and stews during the winter but another favourite way to eat it is to cut it into long shreds and then just fry it up in some butter with sea salt and black pepper - yummeh!
i haven't been to KFC in a million years but your coleslaw reminds me of theirs...i may just give yours a try! your friend, kymber
It was fun to get your comment this morning, Kymber, after spending time reading about fermenting cabbage. I have ordered a fermenting crock and hope to be learning yet another new skill soon.
You jumped the gun on the sprouts. One of the next posts will be about the sprouts growing on the lip of the kitchen sink. (-:
I have a cabbage, turnip, carrot, onion, chicken with broth, etc. soup on the stove this morning. I haven't tried frying it up in butter, though. That sounds very tasty. Thank you!
I'm not a big fan of coleslaw either but when I do make it I keep the cabbage in bigger pieces than the onions/carrots. Also, because I must limit sat fat in my diet I use non-fat Greek yoghurt instead of mayo and let the coleslaw sit for at least an hour to let the flavors blend. I prefer to eat coleslaw with something that is fatty - to my taste it cuts the 'fat in the mouth' feeling - like pairing it with fried fish, fried chicken, hamburgers, etc. Of course I don't eat fried foods anymore, but when I did that's when I like coleslaw. And raw cabbage is a good source of Vit C especially in the winter as it keeps so well.
That's a good point, Bellen, to keep the vegetables different sizes. I will see about serving it with a meat instead of a salad plate and see if I like it better that way. Thanks for the tip!
I make coleslaw a lot. When I was growing up, my mom made coleslaw for almost every supper. She would doctor it with apples and walnuts, or some pineapple. You can use canned peaches or whatever sounds good to help sweeten it up. (She used the same tactic for all of that oatmeal she tried to get us to eat.)
I'm not sure if it would be better with some form of sweetener, Odiie. We rarely use sweeteners in anything, so we prefer most dishes without them. I just can't picture cabbage and peaches together, but the apples sound good. I am happy to have all of these ideas. There are so many different ways to do things.
4 egg yolks at room temperature 1 TBSP lemon juice 1 Tsp Dijon mustard Salt and pepper ⅔ cup olive oil [Good quality EVO] ⅔ cup coconut oil (warm) Instructions
Put egg yolks into blender or bowl and whisk/blend until smooth Add lemon juice or vinegar, mustard and spices and blend until mixed SLOWLY add oil while blending or whisking at low speed, starting with olive oil. Start with a drop at a time until it starts to emulsify and then keep adding slowly until all oil is incorporated. Store in fridge up to 1 week.
I like this recipe but it works the best with fresh eggs..I tried it with store eggs and it was not such a success as when I use the eggs from our farmer. Homemade mayonnaise should add more to your slaw.
Thank you for sharing this recipe, Fiona. I made mayo many, many years ago. The only thing I remember about it was eggs, oil and it tasted fine. And I'm not sure where I got the recipe. And, you're right, it would be interesting to have it for the next coleslaw. Thanks again.
Hello folks! Try purple cabbage shredded with dried cranberries and a small amount of miracle whip. Its really different and tasty. Merry Christmas and God bless!
Growing up, my mother always used Miracle Whip but we can't use it now because of the soy. Now when we use mayonnaise, we always add some additional vinegar (this is the tangy zip of miracle whip). I also like to add some celery seed or salt. I'm not a big and of celery but it adds a good flavor to slaw.
Fern, you seem to be following the same path I am at almost the same time! I am starting to learn about lacto-fermentation also. Have you ever heard of GNOWFGLINS? Wardee runs a website that has online couses in preparing whole foods traditionally so that they are easier to digest and more nutritious. She has courses in sourdough, lacto-fermentation, dehydrating, culturing dairy, cheese-making and more. She has TONS of information. I added together all the lessons from all the classes and there are over 180 lessons! I got a whole year membership through a healthy living bundle, but I think that when you sign up for your monthly membership you can go through any and all classes that you want. Time, as always, is my obstacle!
We bought the cabbage and onions. I picked the carrots from the garden. This is the first time we have had carrots in the garden in the winter. It is so neat to be able to walk out and pick a few for a meal. They aren't very big, but they are quite tasty, to me anyway. When you ask Frank how they taste he just comments, "Like a carrot." The sweet peppers were frozen from the garden this summer. So, two of the four ingredients came from here. It would be wonderful if we could make this dish from all home grown ingredients. Maybe next year.
I hope you learn to like coleslaw, Fern. I think it's a very healthy dish.
ReplyDeleteYou might try leaving out the onions and putting in some chopped apples. That adds a natural sweet taste. For the dressing I have been making my own concoction of about equal parts mayonnaise and buttermilk with prepared mustard, sour cream, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar to taste.
My mother always made a sweet oil and vinegar dressing for her slaw. Good luck with your experimentation!
I agree, C.M., it is a very healthy dish. This morning I have been reading about lacto-fermentation using cabbage and other vegetables. They even have a coleslaw recipe. This will be one of my next experiments. Thank you for sharing more ideas for slaw. I really appreciate it.
DeleteFern
Frank and Fern - i am not a big fan of coleslaw but yours does look yummy! we are big fans of cabbage here and i like to make sauerkraut and kimchi out of it - you already know of the health benefits of fermented cabbage. did you know that fermenting cabbage really ups the vitamin k??? which is especially helpful during winter months. do you do your own sprouts? sprouts are full of vitamins (especially d vitamins which are so good for you in the winter).
ReplyDeletewe put cabbage in soups and stews during the winter but another favourite way to eat it is to cut it into long shreds and then just fry it up in some butter with sea salt and black pepper - yummeh!
i haven't been to KFC in a million years but your coleslaw reminds me of theirs...i may just give yours a try! your friend,
kymber
It was fun to get your comment this morning, Kymber, after spending time reading about fermenting cabbage. I have ordered a fermenting crock and hope to be learning yet another new skill soon.
DeleteYou jumped the gun on the sprouts. One of the next posts will be about the sprouts growing on the lip of the kitchen sink. (-:
I have a cabbage, turnip, carrot, onion, chicken with broth, etc. soup on the stove this morning. I haven't tried frying it up in butter, though. That sounds very tasty. Thank you!
Fern
I'm not a big fan of coleslaw either but when I do make it I keep the cabbage in bigger pieces than the onions/carrots. Also, because I must limit sat fat in my diet I use non-fat Greek yoghurt instead of mayo and let the coleslaw sit for at least an hour to let the flavors blend. I prefer to eat coleslaw with something that is fatty - to my taste it cuts the 'fat in the mouth' feeling - like pairing it with fried fish, fried chicken, hamburgers, etc. Of course I don't eat fried foods anymore, but when I did that's when I like coleslaw. And raw cabbage is a good source of Vit C especially in the winter as it keeps so well.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point, Bellen, to keep the vegetables different sizes. I will see about serving it with a meat instead of a salad plate and see if I like it better that way. Thanks for the tip!
DeleteFern
I make coleslaw a lot. When I was growing up, my mom made coleslaw for almost every supper. She would doctor it with apples and walnuts, or some pineapple. You can use canned peaches or whatever sounds good to help sweeten it up. (She used the same tactic for all of that oatmeal she tried to get us to eat.)
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if it would be better with some form of sweetener, Odiie. We rarely use sweeteners in anything, so we prefer most dishes without them. I just can't picture cabbage and peaches together, but the apples sound good. I am happy to have all of these ideas. There are so many different ways to do things.
DeleteFern
Have you ever made your own mayonnaise?
ReplyDeleteIngredients
4 egg yolks at room temperature
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 Tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
⅔ cup olive oil [Good quality EVO]
⅔ cup coconut oil (warm)
Instructions
Put egg yolks into blender or bowl and whisk/blend until smooth
Add lemon juice or vinegar, mustard and spices and blend until mixed
SLOWLY add oil while blending or whisking at low speed, starting with olive oil. Start with a drop at a time until it starts to emulsify and then keep adding slowly until all oil is incorporated.
Store in fridge up to 1 week.
I like this recipe but it works the best with fresh eggs..I tried it with store eggs and it was not such a success as when I use the eggs from our farmer. Homemade mayonnaise should add more to your slaw.
Thank you for sharing this recipe, Fiona. I made mayo many, many years ago. The only thing I remember about it was eggs, oil and it tasted fine. And I'm not sure where I got the recipe. And, you're right, it would be interesting to have it for the next coleslaw. Thanks again.
DeleteFern
Hello folks! Try purple cabbage shredded with dried cranberries and a small amount of miracle whip. Its really different and tasty. Merry Christmas and God bless!
ReplyDeleteThat is a different kind of recipe, and it sounds interesting. Thank you for sharing. We wish you a blessed Christmas.
DeleteFern
Growing up, my mother always used Miracle Whip but we can't use it now because of the soy. Now when we use mayonnaise, we always add some additional vinegar (this is the tangy zip of miracle whip). I also like to add some celery seed or salt. I'm not a big and of celery but it adds a good flavor to slaw.
ReplyDeleteI think the vinegar addition sounds good. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
DeleteFern
Fern, you seem to be following the same path I am at almost the same time! I am starting to learn about lacto-fermentation also. Have you ever heard of GNOWFGLINS? Wardee runs a website that has online couses in preparing whole foods traditionally so that they are easier to digest and more nutritious. She has courses in sourdough, lacto-fermentation, dehydrating, culturing dairy, cheese-making and more. She has TONS of information. I added together all the lessons from all the classes and there are over 180 lessons! I got a whole year membership through a healthy living bundle, but I think that when you sign up for your monthly membership you can go through any and all classes that you want. Time, as always, is my obstacle!
ReplyDeleteI have heard of GNOWFGLINS, but haven't looked into it. Thank you for sharing the information, Machelle.
DeleteFern