A magician never reveals his secrets, but Olivia Lee would like to share her recipe for the scrumptious coleslaw that was on offer at Pink Day. Pink Day was a charity event held in Central park to raise awareness for Breast Cancer and raise funds to help less fortunate women receive treatment. May Cheng of Hummingbird is also still taking donations at The Wellness Spa. Cheng hopes to raise RMB 6,000 more of her goal of RMB 10,000.
The recipe below was taken from Olivia’s blog:
This is probably one of the most healthy salad mixes I can think of which packs in all the anti-cancer properties that all cabbages have. Yes, even Chinese cabbage has very powerful anti cancer properties. Because a lot of its chemo-protective properties are lost from cooking, ideally it should be eaten raw, lightly cooked or consumed as a pickle as it is prepared in sauerkraut or kimchi. Additionally, I am quite sure the dressing helped convert many a cabbage salad skeptic.
If you need another reason to be eating your veg, some reports say that anthocyanins such as those found in red cabbage (and other dark fruits and veg) may help with weight management too!
BTW those anticancer and fat management properties will be useless if you are still eating rubbish (i.e, refined carbohydrates, trans fats etc).
Asian Coleslaw
Serves five (or ten in small party servings)
The primary flavor key here is the sesame seed paste. Sesame seed paste sold in China is a better option than tahini. The difference is that the latter is not made from toasted sesame seeds. If you do not have sesame seed paste then use peanut butter. However , the flavor will be different. To be honest, I do not measure out the dressing ingredients. I tend to eyeball it, taste and adjust the seasoning and vegetables as I go.
I like making a large amount of the dressing in the blender, the ginger fibers and garlic are well pulverized. The taste also ends up smoother. I use some and store the rest in the fridge. With the amount of soy and vinegar used, it will probably sit fine on the shelf if used in a month. If you like it spicy, toss in some dried chilli powder!
I have included Chinese text in case you need ayi/driver to shop or do the basic prep for you.
- 90 ml rice wine vinegar 白米醋
- 90 ml olive oil 橄榄油
- 5 tbs sesame seed paste 纯芝麻酱
- 45 ml soy sauce 生抽酱
- 1 tsp brown sugar 红糖
- 2 tbs minced fresh ginger root (better as a paste or mashed with pestle) 姜泥
- 1.5 tbs minced garlic (better if pulverized) 蒜泥
- 445 g thinly sliced green cabbage 圆白菜 切细丝
- 180 g thinly sliced red cabbage 紫卷心菜 切细丝
- 150 g shredded napa (Chinese) cabbage 大白菜 切丝
- 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced 彩椒 切丝
- 2 carrots, julienned 胡萝卜 切丝
- 6 green onions, chopped 香葱 切1厘米
- 25 g chopped fresh cilantro 香菜 切 1厘米
Directions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic. [better when done in blender I reckon]
2. In a large bowl, mix the green cabbage, red cabbage, napa cabbage, red bell peppers, carrots, green onions, and cilantro. Toss with the peanut butter mixture just before serving.
Olivia Lee is our nutrition columnist here at beijingkids and while she’s not working on her next article, baking healthy treats, or having fun with her lovely family, she’s holding interesting seminars (mini-group sessions) from home.
Image by hepp taken from flickr
