Red Cabbage Salad And Maple Dressing Recipe

Portions: 2
Calories: +/- 520 / Portion
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

 

This colorful salad doesn’t take long to make and is very easy to prepare. Cabbage is an excellent source of Vitamin K, C, and Folate. Red and purple cabbage contains the most amount of Flavonoids, these are antioxidants that help to prevent cardiovascular diseases

 

Apples

Like the old adage says: An apple a day keeps the doctor away, how often did we hear these words before? Apples contain a lot of fibers and a high amount of Polyphenols, plus they are loaded in Vitamin C. Remember to buy organic fruits and vegetables if you can afford it, as it is important to reduce the amount of preservatives, pesticides, and chemicals we are exposed to.

 

Maple Syrup

In regard to the maple syrup used in the vinaigrette, please try to stay away from the market table syrup. Pure maple syrup is a little bit more expensive, but it’s natural and a better contributor to a healthy diet than many commercial syrups which contain chemical sweeteners. Not only does it taste sweet and amazing but is a great source of energy, manganese, zinc and vitamin B2.

Interesting fact: Did you know that over 20 antioxidant compounds have been discovered in pure maple syrup.

 

Digestion of Cabbage

Some people have difficulties digesting food from the Brassicaceae and Cruciferae families such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, etc. as it is harder to digest. In this case, it is suggested to integrate these foods slowly and in smaller portions until your body gets used to it. Most nutritionists recommend to boil or steam the cabbage for a short amount of time before it’s consumed or to ferment it with salt.

 

Denaturation using Lemon Juice

Because we are using fresh cabbage for this recipe, my recommendation is to mix it with the juice of ½ of a squeezed lemon in a sealed container and refrigerate it for 30 to 60 minutes before use. The citric acid creates a chemical reaction called denaturation, which consists of rolling and modifying the structure of the proteins. Since it doesn’t involve heat, we use this term instead of cooking. Some countries use this technique for their traditional meals, like the Peruvian ceviche or the salmon and beef tartar.

 

Salad Ingredients

½ of small chopped purple cabbage ( 2 cups)
1 diced medium red apple.
1/2 cup of crushed walnuts
½ thin-sliced red onion or 2 chopped green onions
½ cup of chopped fresh basil
½ lemon (squeezed juice)

 

Dressing Ingredients

2 tbsp of olive oil
¼ cup of pure maple syrup
2 tbsp of apple juice
1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
1 minced garlic clove
1 tsp of rosemary
Hint of pepper

 

Preparation

1. Mix the chopped purple cabbage with fresh juice of ½ lemon in a sealed container and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes before use. (This step is optional if you experience digestion difficulties with cabbage.)

2. In a large bowl mix the cabbage, diced apple, onions, and fresh basil. You can squeeze the juice of ½ lemon and mix it with all the ingredients to prevent the oxidation of the apple if you didn’t use it for the 1st step of the preparation.

3. Grill the crushed walnuts in a pan at medium heat until golden and set aside to let cool.

4. In a small mason jar mix all the ingredients for the dressing ( olive oil, maple syrup, apple juice, balsamic vinegar and all the spices).

5. Add the walnuts and the dressing to the salad and mix everything.

6. Ready to serve!

 

Recipe made with love by Mélanie Dubreuil

 

http://chefsblade.monster.com/training/articles/216-food-science-basics-denaturing-proteins