Here, I’ll Make You A Salad

I’ve been eating LOTS of veggies lately.  Our Baby Boot Camp MOLO Fitness Challenge Team (good grief, sometimes I can’t even believe that I do stuff like this) read Eat to Live this year and so I’ve been shooting for the “one pound of raw veggies, one pound of cooked veggies EVERY DAMN DAY” thing for a couple of weeks now.  It feels good.  It feels real good.  It does seem like a lot of veggies, but I’ve also cut waaaaay back on how much meat and other animal products I eat, so the veggies take up the space.

 

“Is she out of her mind?” you might be wondering.  Amelia, the girl who once had a license plate holder that declared “Meat is Yummy”?  (I also had a fascination with mullets and gaudy footwear… perhaps it is better NOT to recall my adolescent quirks.)  Well, meat is yummy, but as my father-in-law is fond of saying, I plan to live forever or die trying.  Decreasing animal products in my diet will decrease the potential for cancer and other diseases, so let’s eat salad!

 

My go-to salad is the Sweet Kale Salad from Costco.  It’s in the refrigerated vegetable section, and it’s delicious.  Tony and I eat a bag each week, and they’re Costco-sized bags, too.  So, so good.  In fact, I have not found any other way that I like kale or Brussels sprouts.

 

But this salad is not that salad.  This salad that I am going to make for you today is a coleslaw.  Not just any coleslaw, but the best coleslaw you have ever had.  And here, I’ll say the magic words: no mayonnaise.  Mmm!

 

The way this recipe came to me is somewhat weird.  A friend’s grandmother sidled up to my mom at some community event when I was in high school with the recipe written on a note card and said, “Here, Jane.  You need this.”  Mysterious and strange?  Those are the best kind of friends.  I’m going to make it my goal to do the same for someone someday.  Or maybe I’ll go to a party and “make it rain” recipe cards for a bigger impact.

 

 

Beautiful, n’est-ce pas?  Here’s how you make this delectable salad treat:

 

First, the dressing.  Get out a medium saucepan and place it on the stovetop on medium heat.  Whisk together 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup vinegar (white or apple cider work well), 1/2 cup white sugar, and 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard.  Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let cool.

 

Next, the salad.  Mix together two medium cabbages, one red, one green, all chopped up, a biggish drained jar of sliced Manzanilla olives (the green kind with pimiento), and some other sliced vegetables (I like sliced bell peppers and sliced carrots, but I think even cucumber and zucchini would work well.  If you’re real savvy, you might be able to slip some finely chopped kale or Brussels sprouts in there, but that’s for experienced salad people or people who like kale.  I’m sticking with cabbage) in a BIG bowl.  Drench the salad with the cooled dressing, toss, and let it sit for a bit (20 minutes or so) before serving.  Oh!  The flavor explosion! 

 

This salad will probably impress your friends.  Someday, you can slip them the recipe like you’re some kid of spy.  The CIA of cooking, that’s our organization.