Tricolor Coleslaw

Tricolor Coleslaw

Leftover madness continues!

This vibrant coleslaw was inspired by leftover shredded cabbage and more chopped green onions from the Taco Salad Bar the other night.

A night or two later, I decided coleslaw would be good with the salmon patties I was planning.

And I was so right! The flavor match was perfect -- fresh, bright, crunchy and fruity played nicely with the rich salmon.

And what a lovely feast for the eyes too!

I'll be making this all summer long, with variations on a theme.

Like lemon or lime juice -- pineapple, mango or tart apple -- and other varieties of cabbage, as they become available at the farmers' market -- although that red cabbage can't be beat for its dramatic punch of color, don't you think?

What the heck -- how about a little extra crunch with almonds, pecans, chow mein or rice noodles?

Just let you imagination run wild through your vegetable drawer.

But let's be careful out there.

While technically a leftover, unidentifiable vegetable slime falls way beyond the scope of leftovers for coleslaw -- or just about anything else. Except maybe a prize-winning science experiment, but school is out, so forget about that.

Vintage is not an endearing quality in a vegetable.


And it's not at all trendy like, say, heirloom vegetables.

In fact, I don't want to be a snob or anything, but if you don't know the difference between "heirloom" and "vintage" as it applies to vegetables, please stick to the ready-made coleslaw from the deli counter.

But please keep reading food blogs, even if it's just for the valuable service provided for healthy eating!

(Note to self: Clean out vegetable drawer!)



TRICOLOR COLESLAW
Note: These measurements are all approximate - please adjust for your taste and what you have on hand.
1/2 head red cabbage, chopped or shredded
4 green onions, chopped
1 can mandarin oranges, chopped (reserve juice for dressing)
2 carrots, grated or shredded
Citrus dressing:
1/3 to 1/2 cup light olive oil
reserved mandarin orange juice
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 - 2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

In a large bowl, toss together the red cabbage, green onions, mandarin oranges and carrots. In a small bowl or jar, blend dressing ingredients and shake in a jar or whisk to blend thoroughly. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat evenly. Cover bowl and refrigerate coleslaw for several hours before serving.

Another Note: This would be great on fish tacos!
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