On a Lighter Note

I love cabbage. Whether as some sort of slaw mix, cooked cabbage, sauerkraut. I just love cabbage. And, with that in mind, I am going to highlight four cabbage salads that are personal favorites, as a resolute start to the new year. The Sauerkraut Confetti Salad is found in similar form all over the internet, though I have been using this version of the recipe for over 30 years now.

Asian Red Cabbage & Pepper Salad

Serves 4 as a side salad

Asian Red Cabbage & Pepper Salad

1 cup red cabbage, finely sliced
½ red bell pepper, seeded, cored, cut in long thin slices
½ yellow bell pepper, seeded, cored, cut in long thin slices
½ orange bell pepper, seeded, cored, cut in long thin slices 
½ green bell pepper, seeded, cored, cut in long thin slices 
½ cup cilantro leaves
 

CHRIS'S ORIENTAL DRESSING: 

Makes about 1 cup dressing

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated finely
1 small clove garlic, minced finely or through a press
3½ tablespoons honey
2½ tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons walnut or hazelnut oil
⅓ cup good quality olive oil
1 tablespoon dark Asian sesame oil

Make the Dressing first: In a large bowl, place the ginger, garlic, honey and rice wine vinegar and whisk to combine. Combine together the three oils and whisk them slowly into the mixture in the bowl, until emulsified. Store the dressing in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator until needed. This dressing is excellent on most any salad.

Make the salad: (Having all the colors of bell pepper is beautiful, but not totally necessary. Use at least two colors, if possible). Combine all the salad ingredients together in a bowl and toss well to distribute the ingredients. Serve the salad on plates and pass the dressing on the side. DO NOT add the dressing to the salad beforehand, as the cabbage color will run and ruin the lovely appearance. 

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Hot Dressed Slaw

Hot Dressed Slaw

Makes about 8 to 10 cups 

1½ pounds green cabbage, shredded
1 large green pepper, cut in thin strips, lengthwise
1 large red bell pepper, cut in thin strips, lengthwise
½ medium red onion, very thinly sliced

HOT DRESSING:
1 cup white vinegar
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon yellow mustard

Place all the vegetables in a large, nonreactive bowl and toss to combine. In a medium saucepan, combine all the dressing ingredients and bring to a boil. Pour the hot dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat completely. Place the slaw into a lidded container and refrigerate 24 hours before serving.

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Sauerkraut Confetti Salad

My creation of Sauerkraut Confetti Salad

This surprising mixture is exceptionally tasty. It has been some years since I made it, but this link will show a photo that closely resembles mine, when I make it. 

Serves 6

1 large (24 ounce) jar/can/bag sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrot, grated
1 (4-ounce) jar chopped pimientos, drained
⅓ cup salad oil
⅓ cup vinegar 
1 cup granulated sugar

In a bowl, whisk together the salad oil, vinegar and sugar until the sugar dissolves. In a separate bowl, mix together all the remaining ingredients, then pour in the dressing and toss well to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight before serving. 



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.