I’m guessing your refrigerator is full of leftover odds and ends from holiday parties or family gatherings. Typically when I’m looking for a recipe, I try to choose something that I already have the ingredients for, or at least I know I will use. I hate to waste food. I’m a bit OCD about it. I’m guessing it comes from years of my mother reminding me of the starving children all over the world. I’ll go to great lengths to use or preserve food. If I can’t preserve it, I put it with the yard waste to turn it into compost to give it some purpose.
This year I hosted a holiday party which of course means lots of appetizer recipes. I made these yummy spring rolls, which were a hit by the way. I ended up with more than half a head of red cabbage (the red cabbage provided awesome color in my spring rolls). Cabbage isn’t something I typically use so I searched for recipes. In addition to several grilling and sauteing tips I found some pictures of really pretty coleslaw. All you need is the cabbage and carrots to make a gorgeous raw veggie dish.
The recipe calls for grating the cabbage and carrots, but I usually take the easy route, so I chopped the cabbage and used a peeler to make thin pieces of carrot. Just make sure to keep the pieces small. You don’t want huge cabbage pieces taking over.
If you love the traditional creamy coleslaw dressing, check out this Homemade Coleslaw recipe. I tried a lighter combination with a vinaigrette.
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey or agave
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- salt and pepper
I had to adjust the quantity of the ingredients as my cabbage head was huge. The recipe is good for a small head of cabbage. You’ll want enough dressing to lightly coat the slaw. Too much vinegar can be disastrous. You can dress it up with parsley or green onion.
Give this a try and let me know how you like it!!
More holiday leftover ideas to come.
