Coleslaw-in-a-Cinch

Welcome to my world, where the prospect of eating vegetables makes my family run the other way.  Yours, too?  Never fear, I have stumbled upon an answer to the produce question:  Coleslaw-in-a-Cinch.

Ingesting whole foods into your body just plain feels good!  Man-made foods do not offer the kind of peaceful yet energetic physiological foundation for our bodily systems as does crisp, colorful produce. 

If you - and the people you love - have consumed a great deal of processed food, retraining may be in order.  Palates can be compromised by fake foods that are laden with salt, sugar, chemicals and additives.  Fresh tastes are ofttimes subtle; yet they are true and distinctive once you get to know them.  Sure, apples may seem tired and common compared to Doritos;  however, fruit isn't coated with a nasty, chemical powder (MSG) that deceives our taste buds, overstimulates our brains and confuses us to crave non-food.  

We should be feeding ourselves - and our children - “real foods that God made,” as I repeatedly tell my daughter (in an laborious effort to indoctrinate her.)  Admittedly, she remains unconvinced that bananas and pears and raisins and carrot sticks taste better than ice cream and candy bars.

Still, I persist in the push for produce.  But hectic days and action-packed evenings sometimes work against me.  It certainly takes time and discipline to regularly chop veggies...and I'm not usually willing to spend hard-earned bucks on overpriced pre-cut, pre-packaged fruits and vegetables.  That is, except for bags of coleslaw, whose attributes truly outweigh the extra bit of cost.  Plus, shredding cabbage is not my idea of a good time!

Coleslaw-in-a-Cinch is a time-saving, work-easing solution for a healthy supper side dish.  My family LOVES it, which amazes me.  I fear the day they realize how healthy cruciferous vegetables are: high in vitamin C, fiber, and a host of other nutrients and phytochemicals.

This creamy coleslaw proudly boasts a mayonnaise base.  Against the grain of some popular belief, I don't regard mayo to be our enemy.  What's a little soybean oil, eggs and vinegar?  Those Mediterranean folks, who eat eggs and practically subsist on (olive) oil, are doing just fine - no widespread heart disease or obesity.   On the contrary, our most threatening foodie foe is sugar - each and every form of it.  So my coleslaw also employs the sweetening wonders of stevia instead of sugar.  Stevia, derived from a natural leaf, does not spike blood sugar like other real and artificial sources.  I like to use the Sweetleaf brand which comes in individual, beverage-sized packets.  Stevia works well in salad dressings, bringing its sweetness without any noticeable bitter aftertaste.  But if you prefer, you can use a little plain old sugar, about a tablespoon.

Maybe I'm a little hypocritical, using stevia for coleslaw but dousing my Sticky Chicky recipe with molasses, brown sugar and honey...for details, look for it in the right margin under "Recipes".

Coleslaw-in-a-Cinch

an original recipe by Kelly Jo Vanderstelt

 1.  Mix together in a large bowl:

• 1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
• 1 Tsp. Dijon
• 1 packet Stevia Sweetener
• A Pinch of Salt

 2.  Toss in a Bag of Coleslaw and mix together gently until well-coated.

3.  This is your chance to be creative.  Toss in whatever finely chopped vegetables or other additions as you please.   I used six radishes and half a cucumber.  You might try carrots, beets, bell peppers, jicama, zucchini, yellow squash, celery, green onions, green olives, or cherry tomatoes. 

Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish.