10 Day Coleslaw

 Cabbage is an old time food that is affordable, in-season, very nutritious and it fits right into winter salads and hearty soups and stews.  

I don't know if you remember the Mennonite cookbooks written by Edna Stabebler.  I have "More Food That Really Schmecks."  She described how in the fall she would buy the biggest, heaviest cabbage she could find at the market and then stored in a plastic bag in her cold room until  it shrank enough to fit in her fridge!  Every week she took off a few of the outer leaves to make coleslaw, hot slaw or to shred and keep for several days in an airtight container in the fridge so she could easily mix as much as she needed with salad dressing or add to other salad ingredients.  Edna said that one cabbage would last her for months - she lived alone!  The book was printed in 1983 but copies are still available used.  It is a good book to have if you are looking for practical recipes that use in-season ingredients available in Canada.  

Coleslaw in one form or another is my "go to" winter salad.  I remember a coleslaw I made years ago that had a boiled vinaigrette that was poured over the shredded vegetables and it kept for three weeks!  I am of course intrigued by any recipe that promises to last and even improve over ten days. Plus with busy schedules it is convenient to have a ready-made salad in the fridge you can take as part of your lunch or add to meals.

We made this in our cooking class at the YMCA a few weeks ago and it was delicious.  After seven days (photo below) it did taste even better!  This was a rough chop salad.  You can finely shred the cabbage  easily using the shredding blade with the food processor.  We used a dark brown "demerara" organic sugar and it gave it a bit of a brown colour but some additional flavour.  I want to try it again using local honey instead of sugar.

INGREDIENTS:

Imperial	Metric Measure	Ingredients
8 cups	2 liters	Cabbage, green, shredded
4 cups	1 liter	Carrots, grated
1 cup	250 ml	Green pepper, diced fine
1 cup	250 ml	Onion, diced fine
1 ¼ cup	310 ml	Apple cider vinegar, natural (preferably with “mother”)
½ cup	125 ml	Olive oil, extra virgin
½ cup	125 ml	Sugar (I used organic dark brown sugar, demerara)
1 tsp	5 ml	Celery seed
1 ½ tsp	7.5 ml	Mustard powder, dry (like Coleman’s, no name is fine)
1 tsp	5 ml	Salt, sea
½ tsp	2.5 ml	Pepper, black

METHOD:

1.  In a large bowl combine the shredded cabbage and carrots, diced peppers and onions. Set aside.

2.  Combine vinegar, oil, sugar, dry mustard, celery seed, salt and pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil over moderate heat, stirring to dissolve sugar, boil 3 minutes.
3.  Pour hot dressing over cabbage mixture and toss well. Let stand at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, tossing occasionally. For best results, cover and refrigerate 2 days. Keeps up to 10 days in refrigerator.

NUTRITION FACTS (per 108 gram serving)

Calories	100
Total Fat (g)	6
Saturated Fat (g)	1
Cholesterol (mg)	0
Carbohydrate (g)	13
Fibre (g)	2
Sugar (g)	6
Protein (g)	1
%Daily Values
Sodium	6 (140 mg)
Calcium	4
Iron	4
Vitamin A	80
Vitamin C	45

Eating cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables can help prevent cancer.   Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable as are broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower and kale.  The cruciferous are rich in a variety of compounds which may slow cancer growth and development in humans. The indole-3-carbinol (indoles) are linked to the anti-carcinogenic effects.   Cabbage contains high levels of antioxidants known as polyphenols and anthocyanins.   They protect against oxidative stress in the brain and Alzheimer's disease.   Cabbage is low in calories (only20 calories in a cup), high in vitamins K and C and a good source of fibre, vitamin B6, folate, and manganese.   Red cabbage has 3 times as much vitamin C as green.  

Above are pretty, young red cabbage and broccoli in my garden in June.

Visit my 2011 class calendar which has been updated with new theme dinners,  gluten free  and healthy cooking classes.

Visit my web page

Tastefully yours,

© Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc

Visit me at www.chapmanslanding.com 

Red Cabbage & Carrot Salad Indian-style

Both red cabbage and carrots are in season right now. I used them to make this simple and satisfying salad that is full of immune boosting fruits and vegetables! Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables makes it less likely you will catch a cold or the flu. An adult female should eat at least 3.5 cups (875 ml) or 7 or more half-cup servings every day (for men this is 8)!

Try this salad as a nice change from traditional coleslaw or "cold slop" as my nephew Ryan called it when he was four. It is reminiscent of the carrot and raisin salad that was popular when I was growing up. The recipe is Indian inspired and was first made as part of my "Tikka and Tandoori" cooking class. The addition of nuts is a suggestion I incorporated from a class participant.

Makes 8 x 1/2 cup - 125 ml servings

4 cups (1000 ml) cabbage, red, raw, shredded
2 cups (500 ml) carrots, grated
3 Tbsp (45 ml) candied ginger, raisins and/or dried sour cherries
1/4 cup (60 ml) slivered almonds
2 Tbsp (30 ml) dark brown sugar - demerara
1 cup (250 ml) sour cream, organic, light
2 Tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed - juice from 1/2 small lemon
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) black pepper, freshly ground 


Optional: chili powder or fresh minced red hot chile!  Most of us have Mexican style chili powder in our cupboard and this would work fine.  So does powdered cayenne if you prefer a bit more heat. I usually make it with just the black pepper.


METHOD:
1. Shred red cabbage and grate carrots. Mix with raisins (and/or dried candy ginger, sour cherries) and slivered almonds. Slice larger pieces of ginger into smaller pieces.

2. Stir together sour cream, fresh lemon juice, dark brown sugar and freshly ground black pepper. Add to vegetables and mix well. Chill and serve. 

NUTRITION FACTS (per 125 ml serving): 110 calories, 5 grams of fat, 2 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 55 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate, 2 g fibre, 3 g protein. %Daily Values are 90% vitamin A, 50% vitamin C, 8% calcium and 4% iron. Percent daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

© Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc
Visit me at www.chapmanslanding.com
for course information, menus and registration.

Cabbage - a year of food by the season

I grew red cabbage in the garden for the second year in a row and it did really well.  It is a cold weather crop (don't get me going!) and can survive some early frosts.  I like that it is a ready to harvest this time of year when most of the other vegetables have come and gone. The photo here is taken mid-July amongst early onions.



Slugs eventually move in and start eating the cabbage so I pick what we haven't yet eaten around the third week of October. 



Split open my pretty red cabbage reminds me of pagan goddesses at a moon worship ceremony. I know, I have an active imagination!



NUTRITIONAL and MEDICINAL FACTS:

You can benefit from eating more cabbage. I noticed in Mexico that they serve tacos and many dishes with finely shredded cabbage, and not lettuce, as we do here. I also saw Jamaicans eat a lot of raw shredded cabbage as salad with meals.

Cabbage is high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable as are broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale. The cruciferous are rich in a variety of compounds which may slow cancer growth and development in humans. The indole-3-carbinol (indoles) are linked to the anti-carcinogenic effects. It may also protect against oxidative stress in the brain and Alzheimer's disease. Red cabbage also contains polyphenols and anthocyanins which give added antioxidant properties.

Cabbage is low in calories and high in vitamins K and C and is a good source of fibre, vitamin B6, folate, and manganese. Red cabbage has 3 times as much vitamin C as its green sister.

Fermented foods, like sauerkraut and Kim chi are both made from cabbage. They are all the rage these days and add healthy probiotic bacteria to your digestive tract.  I have had requests to offer a course on making healthy probiotic foods and I hope to do this in 2010.



COOKING:

I find red cabbage sweeter and prettier to look at compared to green cabbbage. All cabbage goes well with apples, onions, leeks, parsley and potatoes. Condiments such as horseradish, mustard and vinegar go well with the distinct flavour of cabbage.  I especially like it in coleslaws and tossed into salads. Cooked cabbage is great in soups, casseroles and stir-fries. In fact, shredded cabbage is a great substitute for bean sprouts in Asian recipes like Pad Thai. You can make a simple cabbage stir fry with olive oil, minced onion, shredded apple and some caraway seed. I sometimes add grated potato. Finish it with freshly ground black pepper and a generous splash of apple cider vinegar.

Boiling cabbage releases sulfur compounds and the odour which many people find unpleasant.  Eat raw or cook quickly for less smell.  To prevent red cabbage from turning blue during cooking add vinegar, apples, wine or other acids. Stir-frying cabbage quickly will also eliminate the odour problem.

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Our next cooking class is "La Cucina Italian" Saturday November 7th from 2-6 p.m.  For menu and registration visit me on the web. Our 2010 calendar is under construction and I have added new theme dinner classes and gluten free cooking classes.
© Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc
Visit me at www.chapmanslanding.com