Salads with Mayo

Today we’re gonna talk about salads with mayo. On other blogs, I’ve given you how to make mayonnaise from scratch.

I’ve shown you how to make coleslaw, macaroni salad, etc.

It’s not that you need to eat these as a meal (although I sometimes do) but these are a good little side dishes that are easy to make and have them just sit in your refrigerator (for up to a week). And to be frank with you, there are times that even I don’t feel like cooking.

So yesterday morning, I decided to start with cabbage because I know that’s a great vegetable for you to eat. And when I was at Jimbos, I noticed they had a vegan macaroni salad that I know my daughter really likes. Personally it doesn’t have enough flavor for me so I was excited to take it home and experiment.

Here are some of the things that I experimented with yesterday.

First I take that vegan macaroni salad and look deep into it. All kinds of textures including capers. Nice little cut up vegetables. But the mayonnaise (and I usually like either homemade or veganese) just gives me nothing.

At first I think: maybe you need salt and pepper but when I start thinking about salt, Tuna comes up for me.

Luckily I clean out my pantry every couple of months, so it is stocked with safe catch tuna. And it’s amazing what a little decent mayonnaise, tuna that’s been crumbled with a little salt and pepper can do for a side dish like this.

Coleslaw just can’t be the same.

I guess if you go to a really good deli and the coleslaw is good you don’t have to do anything more. But I’m home. And this is San Diego, not New York.

So here is what I do: I take the small head of cabbage. I core it, and with my knuckles out controlling the knife (like a claw on top), I cut the cabbage in very thin slices.

And even when I do that I find that the ends are still thicker than what’s going on in the middle.

So I decide to use the ends to make egg rolls another day. I put them into a bag, have Foodsaver suck the air out and throw them into the fridge.

To continue …. I now have pieces of cabbage. I turn the cabbage the opposite way I sliced it and one more time I chop chop chop chop. That gives me the consistency of Coleslaw.

There are some pretty standard things we put into coleslaw. Sometimes it’s caraway seeds, but there’s always ‘the standard’.

Just like a Mira Poix is always celery onion and carrot, coleslaw is always cabbage, carrots, finely grated onions (less is more) and mayo. Have you ever seen Coleslaw made with turmeric and black pepper? Well why not? It’s an antioxidant and it adds a different level of flavor and health to the dish.

I did say this is an experiment right? So I add them. Can you guess what is missing? No. No it isn’t that.

What is it Chef?

It’s pickle juice from the jar of pickles sitting in your fridge especially if it’s Sour and Dill!

And when I go to add mayonnaise, I always add a little bit of apple cider vinegar to thin out the mayonnaise. And that’s your flavor!

Take a look at how yummy that bowl at the top of this blog, with two tones of color, more than two sets of texture and two kinds of flavor scream at you EAT ME!

Whether you use it as a side or a snack, this is a great way to get more vegetables into your life.

With garlic, gusto and gratitude,

Chef Marian 🥂

📧 ChefMarianKitchenConfident@gmail.com

🌎 chefmarian.com

📍 Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest | San Diego & Carlsbad Foodies