Raw Slaw
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Classic Vinegary Cole Slaw |
Whether it's
beside fried chicken, a burger, or a sandwich, I think we can all agree that Cole Slaw is the staple side dish. It's
refreshing, crunchy, and if you're like me and prefer vinegary Cole slaw to a
mayonnaisey aka creamy one, it provides that lovely acidity we need to cut
through all the grease.
For the purists
out there, I'm going to give you a more traditional recipe for vinegary Cole Slaw,
followed by my take.
Here's
how you do it traditional:
Ingredients
1/2 a head of Green Cabbage and 1/2 a
head of Red Cabbage OR 1 Whole Green Cabbage OR 1 Whole Red Cabbage - I used 2
kinds for colour contrast - Rinsed, the core cut out with your trusty paring
knife - see the image below - and then sliced as thinly as you can -These
varieties of cabbage are not only cheaper than others, they are extremely versatile and can be used in
anything from stir fries, to veggie pancakes and fritters, to slaws, to cabbage
rolls!
2 or 3 Carrots - The tough woody bits at
the ends removed with a paring knife, and peeled and grated
1 Cup of White Vinegar
1/2 Cup of White Sugar
Salt and Pepper - to taste
2 Tablespoons of Dijon Mustard
Equipment
Measuring Cup
1 Small Pot
1 Whisk
Measuring Spoons
1 (small) Paring Knife
1 Regular Kitchen Knife
1 Cutting Board
1 Large Bowl
1 Pair of Tongs
1 Peeler
1 Box Grater
Plastic wrap or a plate slightly smaller
than your bowl.
Put your sliced
cabbage in your salad bowl and break the slices up with your hands to separate the
layers.
Dump in the
carrots.
In a small pot,
pour in the vinegar and sugar and heat on medium, whisking until the sugar
dissolves.
Turn off the
stove and take the pot off the heat.
Whisk in the
mustard and season with salt and pepper to your taste.
Pour the warm dressing
over the cabbage and carrots and toss with a pair of tongs to coat.
Cover the bowl
with plastic wrap or the plate and put it in the fridge for at least 10 minutes
to allow the cabbage to soak up the dressing.
This will serve
at least 6 people as a side dish, and will keep for at least 3 days in the
fridge.
Enjoy!
Asian
Style Slaw
As borders fade
and cuisines merge, more and more flavours from the east are coming west with delightful
results! Cole slaw no longer has to taste like only vinegar and sugar or
mayonnaise. With a little imagination and a love of those flavors, you can take
an ordinary classic and make it into something extraordinary!
Inspired by the crunchy
vegetables in Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches, I decided to tweak the classic Cole Slaw recipe to fit my love of Asian flavors.
This will feed
at least 6 people as a side dish, and will keep for at least 3 days in the fridge.
Here's
how you do it My Way:
Ingredients
1/2 a head of Green Cabbage and 1/2 a
head of Red Cabbage OR 1 Whole Green Cabbage OR 1 Whole Red Cabbage - Rinsed,
the core cut out with your trusty paring knife and sliced as thinly as you can
1 Cup Grated Daikon Radish - Daikon is the
short name for the big radishes commonly used in Asian cuisine. See the image
below. They can now be found in many major grocery and fruit stores, and in Asian
Markets. The radish needs a good rinse or peeling before grating it. Depending on
the size of your radish, half of one will get you the amount you need for this
recipe.
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Daikon |
2 or 3 Carrots - peeled and grated
1 Tablespoon of Sesame Seeds - Toasted -
to toast the sesame seeds, put 'em in a hot pan for a minute and then take the
pan immediately off the heat. This will allow the seeds to release a bit of
their oil and become crunchy, nutty and delicious.
1 Cup Vinegar - you can use white, rice
wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or a mix.
1/2 Cup of White Sugar
2 Tablespoons of Soya Sauce
1 Teaspoon of Fresh Grated Ginger
1 Drop of Sesame Seed Oil
Hot Sauce - To Taste - Optional - Sriracha, a Thai chili sauce, would work well
Salt
and Pepper - To Taste
Equipment
Measuring Spoons
1 Small Pot
1 Box Grater
1 Whisk
1 Large Bowl
Plastic Wrap or a plate slightly smaller
than your salad bowl
1 Knife
1 Cutting Board
1 Pair of Tongs
As you would
with classic Cole Slaw, dump the cabbage in your bowl and break up the layers
with your fingers.
Dump in the grated
carrots and daikon.
In a small pot,
pour in the vinegar and sugar and heat, whisking until the sugar dissolves.
Add the soy
sauce and the ginger and whisk together, leaving the pot on the heat for a
minute more.
Remove it from
the heat and add the sesame oil, hot sauce, if using, salt and pepper and whisk again.
Pour the warm
dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat using your trusty tongs. Add your
toasted sesame seeds and toss again.
Cover the bowl with
plastic wrap or a plate and put the bowl in the fridge for at least 10 minutes to allow
the salad to soak up the dressing.
Once it's ready,
you can serve it as a side dish, or as a crunchy element in burgers and
sandwiches!
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Fried Rice with Asian Style Slaw |
Enjoy!
And stay tuned
for next week when I'll be making everyone's favourite: Caesar Salad!
Samantha R. Gold
Questions? Comments? Requests?
Bring it on!
I can be reached at: for.the.culinarily.challenged@gmail.com
Trolls will be unceremoniously
deleted and dismissed.