Homemade Coleslaw

I hope this finds you well in these strange times.

I count myself very blessed. My husband can work from home, and I have two of my three children living with me. When I had my catering business, I thought that cooking for large groups of people was what made me happy. Turns out, I love cooking for four people. I also love the challenge of coming up with new or old recipes with the food I have. No more popping out to the shops for that missing ingredient.

I am sharing another of my old favorites, my ‘recipe’ for homemade coleslaw. I have have created a new video to show you how to to make it. In the video, I am adding the coleslaw to a Ploughman’s lunch.

Ploughman’s Lunch with Homemade Coleslaw

A Ploughman’s lunch is a traditional English* meal. As the name suggests, it is the type of meal a farm worker would have had for his midday meal. Nowadays, a ploughman’s lunch is a typical offering in pubs in the U.K., well it will be, once they reopen. It consists of a piece of ham or cheese with some raw vegetables like apple or celery with some chutney and crusty bread. In my version, I add some homemade coleslaw.

(*Not Scottish. Where I come from in Scotland, we call our midday meal ‘dinner’. I did not know the word lunch existed until I was about 14! And our evening meal is called ‘tea’ or ‘supper’ Confused? Also, Scottish farm hands would have eaten something made from oats, rather than wheat. )

Homemade Chutney

The video mentions a homemade chutney. The link for that recipe is here

Family Favourite

I love homemade coleslaw.  I think my dad first started making this when I was young, certainly it has always been part of  my food memory, and it is so much better than any bought version.

It  pairs particularly well with pulled pork, although my favorite combination is coleslaw and home baked ham.

Also, as we are all shopping less frequently, homemade coleslaw is made from ingredients that keep well in the fridge or are already in your cupboard. 

Variations

You can vary the bits that go into.  I seem to have become fixated with cranberries and pistachios, especially if I am am making this around Christmas, but any nuts or dried fruit will work. If you do not have yogurt or sour cream, just use mayonnaise.  This is also more of a method, so the quantities are a suggested guideline. Honestly I do not really pay attention, it is hard to go wrong with this recipe.

Homemade Coleslaw

Ingredients

• white cabbage shredded ( I quite often cheat and buy mine already shredded) around quarter to half a small one (fresh cabbage keeps really well in the fridge)
• shredded or julienned carrots (again I sometimes buy mine julienned, from Trader Joe’s) one medium carrot (again carrots keep a long time refrigerated)
• handful of shredded Brussel sprouts or broccoli (optional)
• handful of cranberries or other dried fruit of your choosing
• handful of peanuts or pistachios or again whatever you would prefer
• green apples, diced (or red, but the green adds a lovely sharpness)
• mayonnaise and sour cream or plain yogurt in a two to one ratio

Method

Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Start with one tablespoon of sour cream and two tablespoons of mayonnaise and mix into the dry ingredients, continue adding in the same proportions until everything is nicely coated.

Stay Safe! Stay Home!