Cauliflower Slaw With Horseradish Dressing

I have a confession to make…

I eat like a man.

I don’t mean I look like a man when I eat. Well geez I hope not. I mean I kind of eat man sized portions. I know Mr Market Basket is bigger and does more physical work than I do, but I still eat pretty much the same size meals as him. I exercise everyday and I don’t think I eat too much. I don’t feel exceedingly full or anything. I’m just a solid gal who needs a full tank to keep her engine running. I fail to understand when I see other women my age have a dish a quarter of the size I would, or when they push a half finished plate of food away with a puff of exertion and comment on how stuffed they are. That never happens with me. The thought of halving my portions terrifies me… I’ve tried reducing my intake, but then I don’t exercise as much. I exercise more, and my appetite goes up exponentially. It’s impossible for me to exercise regularly and be limited on the calorie front. Aint gonna happen. Upon reflection though, I think a healthy appetite is, well, healthy. Like most women out there I’ve had more than my fair share of body issues. I’ve wasted so much time worrying about my various flaws instead of focussing on the better bits. It’s true, I’ll never be a bikini model but things could be a lot worse. At the end of the day I just want to be happy and healthy. Which, thankfully I am.

Just like me, this salad is kind of a mix. It’s mainly super healthy, with a bit of indulgence thrown in. I gotta be honest, there hasn’t been a whole lot of love shared between me and cauliflower over the years. I don’t know why, I’m not dead against it although I must admit I don’t love its texture when cooked, and its flavour has never really rocked my world. I was feeling bad for lack of effort towards cauliflower thus far and as they are quite prolific and cheap at the moment, I decided to getting my creative cauliflower vibe happening. As I’m not a lover of it cooked I tried it raw in a salad. Now my view of cauliflower has changed! Sliced thinly into miniature albino trees, it’s not only pleasing on the eye but also offers a satisfying crunch. I paired it with leaves of peppery cabbage and dotted the lot with salty hits of bacon. The dressing delivered a creamy piquancy that was a perfect companion to the raw vegetables.

This is a cracking salad. I thought it was too healthy to pique Mr Market Basket’s interest but with his senses alerted, he sampled some and insisted on a healthy helping then pouted when there was no seconds. It’s a great alternative to a traditional coleslaw and I must say I thought I was pretty clever serving it on the large cabbage leaves – a perfect disposable plate for a picnic! If you’ve not bought horseradish cream before, you should be able to find it at your supermarket with the mustards. I love the stuff, particularly with beef stews and on roast beef sandwiches. This is a dish I will be repeating for work this week, it’s one of those salads that tastes even better the next day.

Cauliflower Slaw With Horseradish Dressing

Serves 2

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons horseradish cream

2 tablespoons chives

Squeeze lemon juice

3 cups cabbage, shredded

3 cups cauliflower, sliced thinly

150 grams diced bacon, cooked

Create the dressing by combining the sour cream, horseradish cream, chives and lemon juice.

Combine the cabbage, cauliflower and bacon.

Add the dressing and toss until well combined.