Sunday, May 24, 2009

RECIPE: BROCCOLI SLAW

I have Rachel to thank for this one, because she pointed this product out to me in a Safeway store a couple of weeks ago... it's brilliant, tasty, and nutritious!

BROCCOLI SLAW

1 bag Eating Right (Safeway's 'healthy' store brand) Broccoli Cole Slaw, or equivalent*
1 apple (I used Fuji), cored and cut into 1/2" chunks
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/4 c. sunflower seeds, lightly toasted in a dry skillet over medium heat
Eating Right Asian Sesame-Ginger vinaigrette dressing spray, to taste, or dressing of your choice (see note, below)

Combine all into a medium sized bowl and refrigerate until serving.

NOTE: That is how I made it, and I think it is mighty tasty. The recipe is actually on the bag of broccoli cole slaw, but I didn't have most of the original suggestions so I just kinda 'wung' it. The actual recipe suggests using Eating Right's Poppyseed and Caramelized Onion Dressing (1/2 c.), 1/2 c. crushed pineapple, and 1/4 c. dried cranberries. That sounds good, too, but I haven't tried it yet. Variations listed on the package also include:

1/2 c. seedless grapes
1/4 c. sliced almonds
1/4 c. raisins
1/2 c. diced pears

*The only ingredients in this package are broccoli, carrots, and red cabbage, so if push came to shove, one could always make it oneself. :) The broccoli used is the stem portion, sliced into matchsticks, so next time you're steaming broccoli florets for dinner, set aside the stems for this tasty, cool and summery salad!

4 comments:

  1. Cool, I love broccoli slaw! I've had one where you use the seasoning packet from Oriental ramen noodles to make a dressing and then toast the dry noodles to add some crunch. I just made an excellent berry dessert that I'm sure could be modified to be a little less rich. It's basically frozen berries with some crushed chocolate chip or almond shortbread cookies crumbled on top with a little sugar, little butter and baked. If you increase the amount of berries, and decrease the amount of cookie, it could be pretty light actually.

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  2. Oooh, those ideas sound wonderful!! How about posting them in actual recipe form, with amounts and such?? I LOVED that slaw that Chris made last year with the ramen in it... is that the one you mean? That had regular cabbage in it, didn't it?

    The berry dessert sounds great... I wonder if they make a light (healthy) vanilla-like cookie that could be subbed for the shortbread, which by definition has a ton of butter in it? I will look around at the store next time I'm there, for sure!

    Thanks, Marnie! I am always looking for dessert-y items that are healthier options that still feel/taste like a treat.

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  3. Welcome back mom! On the desert recipe front, here's something you might like. Not uber desserty, but it is light and refreshing! (I don't even like watermelon, but I love this)

    Chilled Watermelon Strawberry soup
    modified slightly from: http://www.recipezaar.com/Strawberry-Watermelon-Soup-57455

    Ingredients:
    4 c (~ 1 small) watermelon, cubed, seeded
    2 T sugar
    1 pint strawberries, hulled
    1 cup plain yogurt (lowfat ok)
    juice from 1 lemon
    several mint sprigs, minced

    Directions
    1. puree watermelon with sugar in blender or food processor, transfer to large bowl
    2. puree strawberries, add to watermelon
    3. add yogurt, lemon juice, and mint. Whisk until well combined.
    4. Chill until ice cold

    I estimated eight 1 cup servings, and here's some basic nutrition info (this is if you use whole milk yogurt):
    Cal: 70
    Fat: 1.5
    Carb: 13.6
    Protein: 1.8

    To make it more desserty, you could try a 1/2 cup of lowfat frozen yogurt with 1 cup of this soup ladled on top

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  4. Ooooh, Sarah, that sounds cool and refreshing!! I'm with you on the watermelon, so it's good to know that this is still tasty... if I just stumbled across this recipe I would likely just skip over it, so THANKS!

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