Carrot Coleslaw

 

A zesty carrot coleslaw with just a hint of sweetness and a subtle kick to keep the tastebuds piqued. Although this recipe uses mayonnaise it's not overtly creamy or heavy however still retains its coleslaw status merely by ingredients. I have made another version of this carrot coleslaw using other ingredients such as sesame oil, horseradish, rice vinegar, honey, crushed chilis, sesame seeds, pickle juice and radishes. It's a playful recipe that can adapt and add a bit of colourful zing to any spring or summertime meal.  

Carrot Coleslaw

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3 carrots 

2 1/2 cups thinly sliced or shredded cabbage

4 spring onions

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons mayonaise

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Grate the carrots and grate or thinly slice the cabbage. You could also use ready made shredded cabbage.    

Place the grated carrot and cabbage into a large mixing bowl. Thinly slice the spring onions and add to the carrot and cabbage mixture. Toss together.

In a smaller bowl whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, honey, dijon mustard and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the top of the carrot cabbage mixture. Toss making sure the vegetables get well coated with the dressing.  

Sautéed Cabbage & Vegetables

 

An express vegetable sauté that transforms cabbage and a variety of vegetables with a delicate hint of garlic although you may want to add more garlic for an intense garlic flavour, if you wish. Garlic herb butter is key, if you do not have any, then use regular butter and add minced garlic and toss in some herbs. A splash of white wine never goes a miss however a flavoured vinegar will do if you do not wish to add the wine. As you can see this recipe is quite simple and flexible with ingredients and may be modified to your taste. Simple, savoury and delicious!  

 

Sautéed Cabbage & Vegetables

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about half a green cabbage, thinly sliced

3 celery stocks, chopped

1 onion, thinly sliced

4 cups sliced mushrooms

2 cups grated carrots (approximately 3 large carrots) 

6 tablespoon of garlic herb butter, or 1 tablespoon butter per cup of vegetables

1 tablespoon olive oil

splash of white wine, optional 

In a large frypan melt the garlic butter over medium high heat, stirring, ensuring not to burn the butter. Once the butter has melted add the olive oil, swirl together, then add the onion, carrot, celery and mushrooms to the pan. Gently stir then add the cabbage and gently toss, the best you can, to coat all the vegetables in the butter mixture. As the cabbage cooks down, it will get easier to do. Add the splash of white wine, toss to coat again and keep tossing, cooking until tender but still crisp. 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Pan-fried Potatoes with Shredded Carrots

The potato has been one of the most modest side dishes, as well as being a staple. Pan-fried potatoes can easily be made into a side dish or a main. Adding shredded onions, carrots and or cabbage is a nice way to add a bit of flavour. You can do this with regular sized potatoes although you will have to cut them in half before boiling and cut them again when cooled. My mum would always do pan-fried potatoes, whether they were boiled or mashed, with leftovers potatoes. It was a great way to use up those leftovers and create a side dish for a meal.     

Boil the mini potatoes, in a large pot with water, until just tender. Drain and allow to cool enough to cut each mini potato in half. Heat a little oil or butter in a fry pan over medium high heat. Add the cut potatoes and sauté for a few moments. Add fresh or dried herbs, salt and pepper. Then add whatever shredded vegetables you wish. Sauté for a few more minutes, until potatoes are nicely golden brown and the shredded vegetables are semi-soft. Serve. 

Hope everyone had a good weekend and is keeping well. - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Red Cabbage

Red cabbage is an easy side dish that has all the right elements... sweet, sour, and crunch. As the cold weather gets more frequent I tend to make this dish more often as it goes with just about anything; and the prep may put some muscle in your arm. There is a fair bit of chopping. With a sprinkle of chia seeds this has a more up to date appeal plus added fibre. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend, we did. It seems like week has been a fast one that has one going in many directions. - JD  

Red Cabbage with Mushrooms, Nuts, & Bacon

Cabbage is an ingredient in Irish cuisine and rightfully so. With the many colours comes different flavours; and this recipe has red cabbage lightly braised with bacon, mushrooms, and hazelnuts. With the prep work aside this dish is not complicated to create and makes for a lovely side dish.

Red Cabbage with Mushrooms, Nuts, & Bacon

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Serves 4

1/2 large red cabbage

2 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil

6 thin bacon strips, cut into bite-size pieces

1 onion, chopped

2 teaspoons thyme leaves

2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped cremini mushrooms 

1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

grated zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 cup meat stock

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

pat of lightly salted butter

Substitutions: meat stock for a low sodium stock such as chicken or vegetable stock.

Quarter the cabbage lengthwise and discard the tough core in the centre. Slice the leaves widthwise into ribbons.

Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish or deep skillet over medium - high heat. Cook the bacon for about 5 minutes, until crisp.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and thyme, and cook for 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.

Add the mushrooms and cabbage, and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until starting to soften. 

Stir in the nuts, lemon zest, sea salt, pepper, and sugar, and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Pour in the vinegar and stock, cover, and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until the cabbage is tender.

Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in the parsley and a pat of butter just before serving.

Broccoli Slaw

I made this as a side dish to go with the tofu wraps we were having for dinner however the broccoli slaw seemed to be placed more inside the wrap than outside. It was a great way to add more fibre and crunch and worked well with the marinated tofu and freshly cut veggies. With only a few ingredients; this broccoli slaw is quick to make and very simple. 

Broccoli Slaw
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1/2 cup low sodium light Mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1 package (340g) of Broccoli Slaw


Empty the bag of broccoli slaw into a large bowl and set aside. 

In a medium sized bowl stir all the remaining ingredients together until well combine. 

Once the dressing is all mixed together pour over the broccoli slaw and gently toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Notes: You could add some crushed almonds, cranberries or flax seeds for added crunch and texture.    

Enjoy! - JD

Colcannon

This Sunday breakfast consisted of a simplified version of Colcannon. Served with a side of veggie sausages and topped with green onion. This is a very easy dish to make for breakfast or dinner. Traditionally Colcannon is made with carrots and cabbage or kale and cabbage. I wanted to test this recipe just to see how well it would be received by the hungry masses and then take it from there. I omitted the carrots and cabbage. Essentially to make colcannon you boiled potatoes, carrots and cabbage together in a pot. When they are tender drain and mash together. Add butter and brown sauce to the mash to flavour. Serve immediately. My version of colcannon is to mash all veggies together and turn out the mash into a lightly greased 9x11 pan. Then with a spoon make six indentations. Crack an egg into each. Bake covered in an 375º degree oven for 20 minutes or until each egg is poached to your liking. Serve hot. -jw

Red Cabbage

Another favourite thing of mine is red cabbage. Red cabbage is high in Vitamin C, rich in Vitamin A and abundant in Vitamin E. The darker and brighter a vegetable the better. Even though I had found a recipe in one of my many cookbooks, the recipe I used was given to me over the phone. This person was very sure and keen on sharing their recipe with me. You will need: one red cabbage, two apples, two white onions, olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar and salt and pepper to taste.

First you want to finely chop the cabbage, apples and onions. I used Gala apples, you may also use Granny Smith apples for more of a tart flavour. When finished chopping add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pot. Add a little salt and pepper. Start by putting a layer of red cabbage on the bottom, then follow with a layer of onion and then a layer of apples. Pour a tablespoon or two of red wine vinegar and a tablespoon of sugar, I used brown sugar, over the first set of layers. Repeat until all the cabbage, onion and apples are in the pot.

Your layers should look somewhat like this. With everything in the pot, simmer on medium high heat for an hour or two. Stir occasionally. Not letting it stick to the bottom of the pan. If juices run out add a bit more red wine vinegar. I supposed you could add some red wine to the pot, I did not. If you want the dish to be more sweet add more sugar. It's all personal preference.

When the house smells wonderful and everything has simmered down... remember the crunchy red cabbage and onion and the crisp apples... they have all come together. Stewed down into this yummy dish that is best served warm.

Have it with sausages, chicken or fish. It is a tasty side that will add colour and crunch to your meal.