Coleslaw

According to Wikipedia, "The term "cole slaw" arose in the 18th century as a partial translation from the Dutch term "koolsla", a shortening of "koolsalade", which means "cabbage salad".[2]


An old wives-tale for the origins of coleslaw, came from London in the late eighteen hundreds, where stories were told of it being "Coles Law" to combine cabbage, carrot and mayonnaise. This was told in hope that children would eat coleslaw and obey the laws he had put in place. Cole, was a brutal man with a big chest and children were afraid of him"

I found this recipe here and there´s even a video explaining how to do it.

•300 g of white cabbage, thinly sliced

•2 carrots, peeled and grated
•2 spring onions or scallions, thinly sliced
•2 tbsp of mayonnaise
•2 tbsp of sour cream
•1 tsp of mustard
•2 tbsp of vinegar
•1 tsp of sugar
•salt and pepper
•1 large bowl
•1 small bowl
•1 metal spoon
•cling film

20 minutes

Step 2: Make the dressing
The secret to a fantastic coleslaw is in the dressing. To make the dressing put the mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, vinegar, sugar and salt and pepper into a small bowl and combine with the large spoon until the mix forms a rich, creamy dressing.

Step 3: Add the dressing to the vegetables
Put the cabbage into the bigger bowl, then the carrots and finally the spring onions or scallions. Mix all the vegetables up and then pour the dressing on top. Mix together again until all the vegetables are smothered in dressing.

Step 4: Cover and chill
Next, cover your coleslaw with cling film or saran wrap and put it in the fridge for an hour to chill slightly. This will allow the vegetables to marinate in the dressing, which will make it taste even better.

Pic from http://farm1.static.flickr.com/101/285977983_17431c3381.jpg

Salada de maionese (Brazilian potato salad)

This is another recipe that goes well with barbecue. It also goes wonderfully with roasted chicken, fry chicken, etc.

Time of preparations: 45 min

5 medium sized potatoes, cooked and chopped in cubes (about 1.5cm)
2 medium sized carrots, cooked and chopped in small cubes
100g of green beans
2 apples
200g of ham (sliced thick: ask at the counter to cut it 1 cm thick. One slice or two will do), chopped in small cubes
150g of peas
250g of mayo
2 eggs, cooked and chopped finnely
200g of olives (with no seeds), chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
chives and parsley
salt/pepper

When the cooked ingredients have coolled, mix all the ingredients (but the mayo). Put them in a serving bowl and add the mayo to taste: can be just a bit or a lot. Check for salt and add more, if you want. Leave it in the fridge untill serving time. Serve it cold.

Vanessa's special salad

This salad is a meal on its own and works pretty well on summer days.

1 bag of salad (or lettuce, chopped up)
350g of greek yogurt (1/2 pot)
a handful of fusilli pasta
4 cloves
salt
a drizzle of oil (to cook the pasta)
a handful of raisins
1 apple, chopped in cubes (1cm each)
a handful of grapes
a handful of croutons
2 tbspoons of sugar
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
grated parmesan

In a hob, add the pasta, the cloves, the salt and the oil. Add the water and cook it as instructed. Drain it, remove the cloves and wash it in cold water (the pasta needs to be cold for the salad).
In a small bowl, mix the greek yogurt with the sugar. If you want it to be more juicy than thick, you can add a bit of water (2-4 tbspoons, depending on how liquid you want it). Try it to make sure it is a bit sweet.
In a big salad bowl, add the lettuce, the raisins, the apple, grapes, tomatoes and the pasta. Mix it up and add the yogurt sauce, the croutons and grated parmesan (as much as you like) on top of it all.

Stir fry salad

2 carrots, chopped lenghtwise
1/2 cabbage
4 tspoons of cumin seeds
oil
juice from 1/2 lime

Heat up the oil and add the ingredients. Stir fry for 9 min.

Caramelised onion in balsamic vinegar salad

Time of preparation: 30-45 min
serves 2 portions

Makings of salad (can be just lettuce or those salad bags)
2 medium strawberries, chopped in small chunks
2 tbspoons of olive oil
2 tbspoons of sugar
2 tbspoons of balsamic vinegar
1 onion (medium size) in thin slices

For the caramelised onions:

On a nonstick pan, heat the olive oil and add the onion, the sugar and the 2 spoons of balsamic vinegar. Stir well in medium heat for 15 minutes. The volume of the onions will reduce drastically. Lower the heat and let it cook, stirring occasionally for 15-30 more min (depending on the stove). If you think it is getting too dry (there should be a small sticky juice), add 1 or 2 more spoons of vinegar. It is done when the onions are cooked and soft.
Turn off the heat and let it cool down.

For the salad:
In a plate, distribute the salad, the chopped strawberries. If you want, you can also add croutons and raisins.
Distribute the caramelised onions on top of the salad. Add 3-4 tbspoons of water to the pan, to scrape the flavour goodness from the bottom. Distribute this sauce over the salad.

Suggestion: you can serve this salad with toasted bread topped with goat cheese (slightly grilled) on the plate.