Start the new year off well with a healthy resolution: eat your veggies!
Here are two ways to enjoy our featured vegetables, from the cabbage family. We're using handy pre-shredded cabbage (both green and red), and wonderful Brussels sprouts.
It's tangy, with sweet tastes of cranberry and crunches of toasted nuts. Choose your favorite robust-tasting veggies for this dish - we used pre-shredded cole slaw mix (green cabbage and carrots) mixed with shredded red cabbage, both found ready-to-use at the supermarket. How about broccoli slaw, or shredded baby kale?
Tasters suggest serving this alongside a pork roast, or as a topping for hot dogs!
Winter Slaw (Cranberry Nut Slaw)
For dressing:
- 1/3 C mild to medium intensity extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ C Maple balsamic vinegar
- 4 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp salt
- 1/2 medium red onion, minced
For salad:
- about 10 C cabbage, shredded (see note, below)
- ¾ to 1 C dried cranberries
- ¾ to 1 C nuts, chopped and toasted – your favorite (I like walnuts)
- optional – ¾ C fresh parsley, chopped (or other herbs, to taste)
- salt and pepper, to taste
Blend together the dressing ingredients.
Place the salad ingredients in a large bowl, and toss with dressing. Add parsley, if using, and season with salt and pepper if desired.
Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for flavors to meld (overnight is fine, and preferred by some).
Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.
Note: We like a combination of bagged cole slaw veggies (14 oz.) and bagged shredded red cabbage (8 oz.) - or try any mix of 10 C shredded veggies, such as broccoli or kale.
Here's a recipe that may even please non-Brussels-sprouts-lovers. Those of us who already love them will be very happy!
This is an excellent recipe for playing with. Add more cheese, if you'd like. Tasters suggested adding bacon bits for even more savor. Or substitute Salt Traders' bacon sea salt or their Garden Herb for the Nordur.
Your recipe will be a smash!
Smashed Brussels Sprouts (based on a recipe from delish.com)
- 2 lbs. Brussels sprouts
- about 2 Tb Tuscan herb infused olive oil, or more as needed
- salt (a flaky finishing salt such as Nordur works well)
- freshly ground pepper
- ¼ C Parmesan cheese, or to taste
- for serving, if desired: Balsamic vinegar (try Traditional, Maple, Fig, or Neapolitan Herb)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Boil sprouts in water to cover, until soft but not mushy – about 10 minutes or more, depending on size of sprouts. Drain, rinse with cold water, then drain again.
Proceed with recipe, or cover sprouts and refrigerate until ready to use. (I boiled mine the night before using, and stored them in a zip-top bag in the refrigerator.)
Place sprouts on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Using a potato masher, Mason jar, or flat bottomed glass, smash each sprout, the flatter the better.
Drizzle sprouts generously with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Bake about 5 minutes, then remove from oven and top with Parmesan cheese. Return to oven to continue baking until crispy, and cheese is golden, another 15 minutes or so.
Best served immediately. If desired, drizzle with Balsamic vinegar before serving.
- Linda Davis Siess