Ok, it doesn't NEED to be spicey... but.. mine was.. I like spicey.. I like warmth in my food, especially when it's already a cold salad... This is a great salad if you like to eat middle eastern, or Eastern Mediteranean foods.. I first stumbled across it when at my FAVORITE Vegetarean hotspot in Woodstock IL, EXPRESSLY LESLIE's... now mind you... THIS is NOT her recipe... she's NOT about to give me any of her trade secrets... her's is much much better.. but ... I simply can not always GET out there, and I can't afford to always Buy my salads.. so I shall try and try and try.. and so far... THIS is my closest attempt :)
1/2 head finely chopped red cabbage (I cut out the white core)
1- 1 1/2 small red onion finely chopped
mayo ( tricky... I don't have a perfet meaurement for you.. guessing about 1/4-1/2 cup...)
Lemon juice (again, adding JUST a smidgen at a time... so perhaps do as I did.. < 2 T to flavor)
Olive Oil
Tahini 2 t
Parsley
Cilantro
Sea Salt
Cumin
Hot Hungarian Paprika
HERE are my Exact ingredients for you :) I think pictures are so much fun don't you? They can really GRAB our attention, and help us in a store when we are shopping :)
now perhaps I did not need to use so much of the HOT Paprika, perhaps it would have been fine with a little less.... it was still wonderful... But this is my favorite brand, I will not use another, and I HAVE tried so many others... Perhaps there is some amazing brand that I haven't YET tried, but so far, THIS is it for me :)
HERE is my Cumin.. I am not exactly as SOLD on this brand as I am on my Paprika.. so if you have some fabulous suggestion, pour it in the comment section! I like it fine, but, I don't feel emotional about it at all.. It doesn't clump bad, and tastes nice ...
Here is my mayo.. it is lower in sugar, and frankly, THIS is the one made with CANOLA and NOT SOY... I have a really hard time with finding ANY mayo that is NOT SOY SOY SOY... just look at the Lables my friends... YOU will be suprised... Even at Trader Joes, my friendly Favorite Grocer, I can NOT find a single mayo that fits our families NEED to be as SOY free as possible...
so this is the MAYO for me :) also, IF I remember correctly, Spectrum is GMO free food..
NOT that everything on my list is..
I have NO idea if ZIYAD is..
But it sure is one of the TASTiest Tahini's I have YET had!
Have you had THIS yet? YUM!
Here is my Sea Salt! :) I like this particular one From Costco, because it has a grinder attatched... lame reason I KNOW! but.. it grinds nice, and travels easy and is affordable... I do use other salts, but not today!
I had had great plans with these lemons I had purchase... but... alas they were MOLDY when I got them out. So glad I had my handy dandy Volcano Organic Lemon Juice!!!!!! :) always ready ALL the time, for those LEMON emergencies! :) Also a great Costco purchase :)
A lovely head of Cabbage, I only used 1/2 but ... perhaps I will make this recipe again tomorrow, the not as spicy version.... or maybe some other exotic food.... :) hmmmmm hungry girl here!
red onions... I am NOT allowed to eat the other kind... which is fine with me, because these actually SIT with me better.. I DO NOT know why, but they DO :)
Cilantro... Lovely Cilantro... Smells of wonderful things, and PULLS out toxins & metals from your system! Who knew such a delicate little green herb could be such a mighty force to be dealt with in our bodies!
Parsley... once thought to be a boring herb, it really is exciting.. in bulk! I use this like it is going OUT of style! I only like to use flat leaf parsley and I buy 4-6 bunches at a time at my local grocer, I can NOT get organic so I do the veggie wash.. But in the summer you should see all my flower pots...
Parsley parsley everywhere!!!!!!!!!!
here is the Princess, my darling Soux Chef (aka assistant) helping me by chopping in the herbs in the kitchen..
adding the herbs to the finely chopped cabbage & onions :) pretty pretty!!!!
Tadah! Isn't it pretty... That red thing is my spatula :)
Isn't it pretty?
So.. HOW did I do that?
Well..
chopping onions teeeeney tiny, and cabbage as small as I could with my fancy chef knife... Perhaps some of you are super cool with something like... a machine that does that... I AM not that cool...
so...
then THE PRINCESS chops the herbs in the bowl chopper thingy
and I mix the red cabbage & red onion
with the mayo & drizzle of olive oil & tahini & lemon juice
and stir and stir and stir...
adding a smidge more of this or that...
till it looks just right...
(so annnoying to you..right... which means YOU have to come back and read again the PERFECT recipe)
(you know when I get it PERFECT with EXACT measurements)
you do think that
that
COULD happen
right?
anyways..
stir stir stir..
adding cumin
sea salt
and paprika
WATCH the paprika
IT is what makes things hot..
you might be tempted to use NORMAL paprika
but ...
that is NOT adventurous AT all...
that is for BORING people
and really..it won't taste right...
so try it,... just add a little
and stir stir stir...
and have a taste...
then if it needs more add a LITTLE
and
stir stir stir....
lastly add your herbs
and stir stir stir...
taste...
how does it taste?
need more lemon?
or more cumin?
what do YOU think?
remember
those three spices are ALL that is needed
because LEMON
OLIVE OIL
and the TAHINE
really blow the normal OFF the roof of any mayo!!!!
most people I know who HATE mayo
LOVE this recipe
so Bon Appetite!!!
