Let me be totally honest with you. Not that long ago, I hated cabbage and cole slaw. No ifs, ands or buts about it. I wouldn’t even try cole slaw, and if someone put it on my plate, it would end up in the garbage disposal or trash. Then I turned vegan, started using maple syrup on a few dishes to sweeten them up, and my taste buds changed. It was a transformation that seems very strange to me.

I started liking a lot of foods that I wouldn’t have even looked at in the past. The fact I like cole slaw now even blows my wife away.

Cole slaw is one her favorite side dishes. It tastes good and is very healthy for you. Cabbage is very low in saturated fat and cholesterol. It is also a good source of protein, dietary fiber and vitamin C, among other things.

To make it into a main dish, you can mix it with some whole wheat rice, kidney beans and some tofu. Give it a try, and enjoy that vegan thing.

1 head of cabbage

1/2 green pepper

1/2 orange pepper or 1/2 red pepper

1/3 cup of vegan mayonnaise (Vegenaise)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon fresh basil

Dash of salt

Core the cabbage and cut in thin 2- to 3-inch slices. Seed and cut the peppers into thin slices as well. Combine the cabbage and peppers into a bowl. In a separate bowl, stir or whisk together the Vegenaise, Dijon mustard and maple syrup. Add salt until you like the taste. Then add to the cabbage and mix well to ensure that the cabbage is coated. Chop the basil and add into bowl. Refrigerate a couple hours to allow the flavors to mix, and then serve.

 

Jeff Peterson anchors the 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. news on WGME-TV and is a vegan.