Cole's Slaw

Some people hate mayonnaise. I do not understand those people. In my book, there is nothing better than a smear of Hellman's on a turkey or ham or roast beef sandwich. But I know their aversion to the white stuff often keeps them from enjoying all of the delicious deli salads (potato, macaroni, tuna, cole) that are smothered in the creamy condiment. THIS cole slaw recipe has NO MAYO WHATSOEVER and it is my new very favorite way of preparing the dish. It came to me courtesy of one Mr. Cole Simmons, son of the fabulous Susan Begy, and so I have dubbed it Cole's Slaw (I mean, what ELSE could I possibly call it?) and modified it just a bit for your consumption. 

Cole's Slaw

Half a head of red cabbage

1/3 of a red onion 

1/2 bunch of cilantro

2 garlic cloves

1 1/2 tsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1 lime 

1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp cumin 

1 tsp fresh ground pepper (more or less to taste) 

1/4 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted

Cut the cabbage head in half, then quarter it and remove/discard the thick inner stalk. Lay those quarters flat on your cutting board and slice the cabbage lengthwise into thin ribbons, then add those beautiful purple ribbons to a large mixing bowl. Chop the red onion and the cilantro leaves (removed from stems), mince the garlic, and add all of them to the bowl, along with the soy sauce, olive oil, lime juice and the rest of the spices. If you can manage it, toast the walnuts either on low in a pan on the stovetop or on a cookie sheet in the oven while you are assembling the rest of the slaw. (I have trouble multitasking and usually do this before I start chopping the other ingredients or after I'm done.) Allow walnuts to cool, then add them to the mix and toss all of your ingredients to coat and serve! 

It's good the day you make it, but it's MAJOR good the next after it's had time to marinate in the fridge overnight. This salad has a zip to it that you wouldn't believe. Hope you enjoy! 

- Cathleen