Island Mango Slaw

Yum

I hope everyone has been doing well.  I've been missing in action for a couple of weeks as we just returned from a trip to Hawaii last night.

I'm a beach girl at heart and going on vacation anywhere tropical is my thing!  We had an excellent, adventure filled vacation over the past several weeks and I have to tell you we ate like kings.  We delved into the Polynesian flavors and ate everything from fish, sushi, tropical fruits and juices, to desserts!

Today we are missing those flavors and truth be told we are suffering from a little bit of jet lag.  Our food today needs to be easy and simple to put together, but we still want to taste those tropical flavors.  So some Hawaiian grilled chicken is in order along with a side dish that has tropical flair.

ISLAND MANGO SLAW

The cooling effects of mango and Greek yogurt meets spicy jalapeno in this island take on a slaw.  This is the perfect side dish to make this summer.  Summer's not over by a long shot.  We still have several months of warm weather to bear and this dish will be on the menu throughout the remainder.  It's perfect along grilled dishes such as chicken or fish.  We also like to serve it with sandwiches.  In fact I've also used this as a component in flatbread turkey sandwiches, so look for that recipe soon!

So go grab some ripe mangoes at the store and make this slaw right away.  Your taste buds will be singing with flavors of the tropics! 

Enjoy!

Island Mango Slaw

serves 6

\

1/2 medium head Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced into strips (about 8 cups) 

1/2 small head red cabbage, thinly sliced into strips (about 6 cups) 

2 medium carrots, cut into julienne strips 

1 small sweet yellow pepper, cut into thin strips 

1 small sweet red pepper, cut into thin strips 

1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced 

1/2 medium mango, peeled, cut into thin strips 

1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped 

Dressing: 

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt 

1/4 cup thawed orange juice concentrate 

4 teaspoons lime juice 

1/2 teaspoon olive oil 

1/2 medium mango, peeled and coarsely chopped 

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced 

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped 

1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a medium bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients, from the cabbage to the jalapeno.  Add the dressing ingredients to a blender and process until smooth. Toss dressing with slaw and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. 

Jicama Radish Slaw

Yum

I keep hearing that summer is over.

I'm not sure where this person lives...certainly not Southern California because it's still 100 degrees here everyday.  In my book that is summer still going strong!

I wonder why people want to rush into the next season?  All the stores have fall clothes and Halloween items already and I'm still in my bathing suit.  Even people pinning to Pinterest have joined the fall band wagon.  All the pins are of PUMPKIN already and it's not even Labor Day!

Well I'm going to slow things down a bit and bring you a summer dish that would be perfect to serve at your upcoming Labor Day bash.  Jicama Radish Slaw is a wonderful side dish that it easy to take along to a party, or quick enough to throw together for a backyard cookout.

The prep is easy, and will serve a medium crowd of about 8, but you can double this recipe if you plan on having a lot of people to feed.  Oh, and the flavors...a little pop of Asian flair will hit you when you take that first bite into a slaw that's crunchy from the jicama and carrots, and brings a little heat and earthiness from the radishes.  This light and fresh side dish will be the perfect compliment to hot dogs, burgers, sandwiches, or even kabobs.  It really goes well with anything.

Summer is still calling, so enjoy this salad and savor the last days.

You may also like:

Cucumber, Tomato, and Avocado Salad

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Fruit Salad with a Red Currant Raspberry Sauce

Springtime Pasta Salad

Tomato Tabbouleh Salad

Jicama Radish Slaw

serves 8

1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 of a medium jicama, peeled and cut into thin matchstick size pieces (about 3 cups)
3/4 cup radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 cup julienne or packaged coarsely shredded fresh carrots
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Lime wedges (optional)

In a large bowl whisk together cilantro, vinegar, oil, salt, and crushed red pepper. Add jicama, radishes, carrots, and green onions. Toss to coat. Serve immediately or cover and chill for up to 2 hours. If desired, garnish with lime wedges.    

source:  Diabetic Living Guilt Free Potluck Favorites, slightly adapted

    

Fresh Apple Slaw

One of the things I struggle with is changing up my side dishes.

Do you tend to gravitate toward the same ones as well? Well this summer I changing that.

I've made a pact to incorporate new side dishes using fresh summer ingredients. There are so many things to explore but I know just where to begin!

One thing I do on the weekend's is to make a batch of some type of salad for us to eat on during the week. That may be a pasta salad, quinoa, orzo, corn salad, bean salad...etc.

I'm thinking coleslaw this week.  We had a nice basic one for the 4th of July which was great, but I want to change it up a bit.  Make a slaw with a vinaigrette dressing instead of the heavy mayo one.  And...I'll add some apples for some zip.  I just bought some wonderful new apples called "Envy". Outstanding.  Crisp and juicy, with a bright flavor, but not tart.  You must try them if you see them at your grocery store, they are that good.  

So out of this came my Fresh Apple Slaw.  

Perfect for alfresco dining and picnics.

Perfect for summer.

Enjoy!

Fresh Apple Slaw

Serves 6-8

1 pkg of coleslaw mix with red cabbage
2 cups of julienne carrots

1 Envy apple, sliced thinly
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine coleslaw mix, carrots, and apples in a large bowl. Whisk together vinegar, honey, olive oil, salt & pepper in a medium bowl.  Toss vinaigrette with slaw apple mixture; cover and chill up to 4 hours.

Smoky Coleslaw

Well hello there!

Is everyone getting in the American Spirit?  Ready to celebrate??

I love the 4th of July holiday.  LOVE IT!   Ever since I was a little girl I looked forward to our 4th of July celebration.  Memories of family, American spirit, parades, fireworks, great food, and homemade ice cream always come to mind.

Yep, that's me!  Nice decor huh?

So what's a BBQ, a picnic, or just a holiday without great side dishes????
Boring....

So I bring to you a coleslaw...but not your everyday coleslaw...certainly not boring!
This will put some zip in your get-a-long!!

Coleslaw is generally eaten as a side dish along side BBQ or fried chicken.  It's also good along side of sandwiches.  It goes perfect with my BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches (click the title to view the recipe)!!

It's also great as an ingredient in sandwiches such as BBQ Pork, Hamburgers, or on Hot Dogs.  Experiment, it's fun!

So what's different about this coleslaw?  The dressing...it's not your usual sweet mayo based dressing...this one is smoky and sweet together.  You have to try it!

First you make your dressing in a large bowl.

Add the coleslaw and stir to coat with the dressing.

Cover and refrigerate to meld the flavors!!!  Simple...but what a flavor punch this has.
Hope you enjoy it and your 4th of July!!

Smoky Coleslaw 

1/2 c apple cider vinegar
1 T brown sugar
2 t smoky chipotle paprika (or just smoky paprika)
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/3 c canola oil
1 16 oz bag of coleslaw mix

In a large bowl mix together the vinegar, sugar, paprika, salt & pepper.  Slowly drizzle in the canola oil while whisking.

Add coleslaw mix and toss well to coat. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for a least 2 hours to blend  all the flavors.


Source:  Adapted from Sandra Lee's Smoky-Sweet Slaw