I have been on a big slaw kick. I was so burnt out on my regular salads which are usually spinach, and needed something different and crunchier. I came late to slaws because I had such a strong aversion to mayonnaise as a child, and even now unless it's flavored, it still creeps me out. I had never been exposed to slaws without mayo, so slaws were off my radar until just a few years ago. In the last few years I have made so many slaws (sans mayo) that are so different than what I thought slaw was growing up and now I can't get enough. Plus, I love how long a head of cabbage lasts in the fridge. Here's the one I made last week of ingredients I had handy that we devoured. Full disclosure—not the kids, they won't get near it.
Slaw:
- 1/2 head cabbage, chopped
- bunch of cilantro, finely minced
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 2 carrots, grated
Add-ins:
- 1 cup cooked black beans
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- large handful cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- a handful of diced extra firm tofu (probably not needed)
Dressing:
- magic sauce! (to this I added lime juice, a pressed clove of garlic, and hot sauce)
- roasted peanuts
I tossed all the veggies and add-ins and then added a teaspoon of sesame oil and rice vinegar just to give it a sheen. I keep it in the fridge like this until I am ready to eat it. I like this salad crunchy, so I don't add the dressing until I am about to eat it. Same with the nuts. Then I thinned the dressing with a little water, plated up the salad, drizzled the dressing on top, and then added some roasted peanuts. Delicious. I have been known to use this as a filling inside a big soft tortilla if I am feeling crazy, but I also like it just as a salad.
Food related:
- I made both homemade ketchup and baked onion rings sunday and ate them up. They were not quite a success—so I need to experiment more. There are so many recipes out there. While these were very tasty, the coating would not stick to the onion rings, so in the end I found myself eating roasted onion rings with toasted breadcrumbs on top and delicious ketchup. Not so bad, but not really photo worthy. Also, it really stunk up the house. But I have not given up on baked onion rings. I got in a huge fight with fried ones last year from a favorite hamburger joint and I swear my gut has never been the same since. I am getting old.
- Speaking of alternatives to frying, a smart commenter a bit back suggested that I bake the chevre cheese rounds, not fry them in butter, and I did (at 425 degrees for about 12 minutes) and have never looked back. They freeze so well unbaked—I just keep them already breaded in the freezer and bake them while I get the soup/salad or bread ready I'm going to eat them with. Brilliant!
