Summer is a popular time for picnics and barbecues. After a long winter it’s nice to be able to get outdoors. It’s also a good time to lighten up our diets. Instead of heavy potato salads, creamy cole slaws and buttery corn on the cob, try bringing this “Montreal Style” cole slaw to your next picnic. It doesn’t contain any mayonnaise so it’s light and safe to leave on the picnic table without refrigeration.
Montreal style
cole slaw is made with sugar and vinegar instead of mayonnaise. Celery seed gives it a nice burst of fresh flavor. Below is an adapted version of this cole slaw that substitutes the sugar with
no calorie sweetener for a low calorie version of this sweet and tangy side dish, perfect for any picnic table.
| Serving size:
|
1 Cup
|
| Number of servings:
|
8
|
| Calories per serving:
|
23
|
| Ingredients
|
Calories
|
| 6 cups of shredded cabbage
|
102
|
| 2 cups of shredded carrots
|
75
|
| 1/4 cup white vinegar
|
7
|
| 1/2 cup no-calorie sweetener
|
0
|
| 1/2 tsp salt
|
0
|
| 1/2 tsp celery seed
|
4
|
Place shredded cabbage and shredded carrots in a bowl. Sprinkle in celery seeds. In a separate small bowl, combine the white vinegar, salt and no-calorie sweetener. Stir until combined. Pour vinegar dressing over the shredded cabbage and carrots. Stir until cabbage and carrots are coated with the dressing. Serve.
Barbara's Tips
I shred the carrots with a box grater and cut the cabbage finely with a knife. But you can use a food processor for both.
Once dressed, the cole slaw can sit for hours without getting wilted. If you are taking it to a picnic, leave it in the refrigerator to marinate until you are ready to go.
Essential Flavor Ingredients
No Calorie Sweetener is a good low-calorie alternative to sugar in almost any recipe. It provides sweetness without adding calories. In this recipe, the sweetness helps balance out the acidity in the dressing.
White Vinegar is a liquid consisting mainly of acetic acid and water. The acetic acid is made by fermenting ethanol. Vinegar’s acidic nature makes it a good ingredient for salad dressings and pickling liquids.
Celery Seed comes from a plant that is closely related to celery. It has an intense celery taste so a little goes a long way. It is commonly used in cole slaws or potato salads as well as pickling.
