A Festive Slaw For Thanksgiving or Christmas

 

I have been rolling up my sleeves, patting down my apron, wielding the knives and getting my thinking cap on these last few days – all in the interests of coming up with some new FESTIVE sides for the coming weeks ahead – when Thanksgiving and Christmas loom, along with other celebratory events on the calendar.

 

I don’t often mess with the main event family favourites – everyone loves their own family take on things more than someone else’s, but occasionally I do think we can tinker with a side dish to make it a little more bariatric-friendly. Slaw is one side dish that I think is long overdue for a re-vamp. I’m a little tired (maybe after the summer) of the usual white cabbage, carrot and mayo version, but know it’s a staple of the buffet table.

 

So I present you today with a new seasonal variation which I think is something of a triumph. It has crunch (a must), has seasonal ingredients (a bonus), keeps well (very favourable), and now weighs in lighter than any original version (my gift to you). This does away with the slow – slaw! (or quick) dance around the buffet table while deciding if you can have one spoonful or two.

 

It’s made using in-season red onions, red apples, nuts, pomegranate seeds, red cabbage and dried cranberries. The mystery ingredient is shredded Brussels sprouts instead of shredded white cabbage – only a few – but trust me they work marvellously and don’t overwhelm the mixture. The slaw is then tossed in an apple cider vinaigrette with just a hint of wholegrain mustard. It’s a winning combination.

 

It keeps amazingly well and dare I say even improves with a little standing. If you’re making a few days in advance (and why not?) then keep the apples and nuts separate to add on the day of serving so that their colour and texture stay fresh.

 

Festive Slaw with Smoked Salmon and Egg Mayo on

Bariatric Portion Plate with Bariatric Cutlery

 

FESTIVE SLAW

Ingredients

METRIC/US

about 12 Brussels sprouts (about 150 g/5 oz), shredded

1 medium carrot, peeled and grated

75 g/3 oz (small wedge) red cabbage, finely sliced

½ small red onion, finely sliced

25 g/¼ cup unsweetened dried cranberries

25 g/¼ cup pecans or walnuts, sliced

1 red apple, cored and thinly sliced

1 tbsp lemon juice

few pomegranate seeds and/or redcurrants

Dressing:

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp sugar-free syrup or agave nectar (I used Sweet Freedom)

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

3 tbsp olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Method

1.  In a large bowl, mix the Brussels sprouts with carrot, red cabbage, red onion, dried cranberries and pecans or walnuts.
2.  Mix the apple with the lemon juice and add to the slaw mix with the pomegranate seeds and/or redcurrants.
3.  To make the dressing, mix the cider vinegar with the syrup and mustard. Whisk in the oil to make a vinaigrette and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4.  Add the dressing to the slaw and toss well to coat. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Refrigerated this way the slaw will keep for up to 5 days (see tip in intro).

 

SERVES 8

WLS PORTION: ½

V suitable for Vegetarians

 

CALORIES PER PORTION: 110

PROTEIN: 1.4 g

CARBOHYDRATE: 8.8 g

FAT: 7.7 g

 

Images copyright © Bariatric Cookery (UK) Ltd