Cole Slaw and Citrus Fruit Slaw (with Traditional and Maple Yogurt Dressing)

Baked beans and coleslaw is a traditional Maine dinner that is served at many a Saturday night church supper in villages all over the state. In our house, very much in keeping with that tradition, they were on the menu just about every week that I can remember. 

Of course, Mom knew that coleslaw is loaded with nutrition. The main ingredient is cabbage, along with some carrots and celery, and sometimes green pepper, all powerhouse vegetables that are full of vitamins and fiber.

But she also knew it was very cheap, which she no doubt loved just as much about it. It only costs pennies when you make your own, as we did. Starting from the age of about 11 or 12, we would be assigned the job of chopping the vegetables and making the salad. It was a kitchen chore deemed easy enough for a child to take on.
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But many people don’t realize how very simple it is to make your own coleslaw. As a result, the end up buying the pre-chopped, bagged version that you find

​in the produce section of grocery stores -- at prices that are typically 3-5 times more expensive - or even more - than the cost of a head of cabbage, a carrot, and a bit of celery.

That’s a very stiff premium to pay for a little convenience. Mom would have been shocked at paying such a price.

And it really is just a very small savings in terms of time because making coleslaw is a very straightforward, quick procedure that you can accomplish in minutes. This recipe shows you how. And the prep is the same for every coleslaw recipe, from the basic one with a simple mayonnaise-based dressing that most people are familiar with to the second variation I provide here.

Once you know how to make one coleslaw, you can make any type of coleslaw that you’d like. It’s just a matter of adding a different dressing, or ingredients to suit your taste or fancy.

There really is absolutely no reason to pay the exorbitant price for the ready-made coleslaw So save yourself some money and try making your coleslaw from scratch the next time you make it.  
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Here’s the recipe:  

Citrus Fruit Coleslaw
Makes about 8-10 servings
Prep Time - 10 minutes
Total Cost of Recipe - Approximately $2.00-2.50
Total per serving cost- Approximately 25¢-35¢

Ingredients:

For Regular ColeSlaw:
Small head of cabbage (about 1-1½ pound) or half of a larger head
1 small carrot
½ stalk celery
 
For Citrus Fruit Slaw add the following ingredients:
1 orange or tangerine
1 apple
¼ cup raisins (optional)

For the Maple Balsamic Dressing:
½ cup plain full fat yogurt or combination of mayonnaise and yogurt
1-2 teaspoons maple-flavored pancake syrup (to taste)  
1-2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

For a More Traditional Dressing:
4 teaspoons vinegar
1-2 teaspoons sugar (to taste)
½ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
½ -¾ cup mayonnaise

Recipe continues after photos.

Procedure:

1. Cut the cabbage into wedges. Chop it relatively fine – or more coarsely, if that suits you better. Do this by cutting the wedges into strips about ⅛-¼-inch wide. Then cut and across the strips to make pieces about ¼-inch in length.  You want to make about 2-2½ cups or so.
2. Wash and peel the small carrot, and slice it lengthwise into 4-6 narrow strips.
3. Cut across the strips to create a finely chopped consistency and pieces about ⅛ – ¼-inch in size. This will make ¼ - ½ cup.
4. Wash the ½ celery stalk and cut off both ends.
5. Slice it lengthwise into about 4 strips. Cut across the strips to create a finely chopped consistency similar in size to the carrots. You want to make about ¼ -½ cup.  
6. Mix the chopped cabbage, carrot, and celery together in a bowl. You may proceed to dress it with a traditional dressing provided below, or any dressing of your choice, or you may proceed with the ingredients for the citrus fruit slaw. 
7. Wash and peel the orange or tangerine. Cut it into quarters, and then cut across the quarters to make smaller pieces. Pull the remaining sections apart into individual pieces.
8. Wash the apple and cut it off the core. Slice each piece into thin strips and then crosswise to create a finely chopped consistency.
9. Mix the cabbage, carrot, celery, apple, orange, and the ¼ cup of optional raisins together in a bowl.​

Procedure for Maple Balsamic Dressing:

1. Whisk and mix the ½ cup of yogurt and/or mayonnaise, the 1- 2 teaspoons of maple-flavored syrup and the 1-2 teaspoons of  balsamic vinegar together in a bowl.
2. Scrape this yogurt mixture onto the cabbage mixture.
3. Stir the ingredients together well.
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Procedure for Traditional Mayonnaise Dressing:

1. Whisk the 4 teaspoons of vinegar, the 1-2 teaspoons of sugar, and the ¼ teaspoon of salt together until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
2. Add the ½ teaspoon of dry mustard and the  ½-¾ cup mayonnaise and whisk together.
3. Scrape the mayonnaise mixture into the cabbage and stir everything together to make sure it’s coated well.
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve.