Cabbage Slaw with Spicy Pineapple Vinaigrette

This is so last minute. I didn't plan on posting about my slaw. I didn't even plan on making slaw! But as you can see the young cabbages looked so pretty. Even the cell-phone photo can't dim the beauty of those tender lavender-edged leaves.


I picked a few, added in some young broccoli leaves and headed inside trying to figure out what I had in the pantry and frig that would come together as a good vinaigrette. I only had a couple hours before we were due at my brother's house for a New Year's Day lunch.  My sister-in-law had confirmed the menu (even though here in the South and on the first day of the year who would ever need to confirm the reverent tradition of black-eyed peas, turnips, and corn bread? A cabbage slaw would be the perfect raw food addition to all that yummy Southern comfort food!!

I nixed the idea of a creamy/mayo base and decided to go with tart instead. The olive oil, apple cider vinegar and lemon needed some sweet relief and the coconut nectar worked great. But, unfortunately, as you can see in the picture, the bottle of nectar was nigh empty. Actually, the shortage was a fortunate fate that led to the entire theme of the slaw---pineapple!!

So in with the pictured dressing ingredients went a generous splash of fresh juice that had collected in the bottom of the container---you know the plastic one I always mean to transfer the enzyme-plastic-eating-pineapple out of when I get home from the grocery, but never do:((

It was then I decided to cut the rest of the pineapple into tidbits and include them in the salad too.
(No pictures of the star ingredient---Sorry, I was in a hurry to get the whole thing marinating!)

Besides the cabbage, I also included white onion, red bell pepper and carrots--all thinly sliced---and, as always, plenty of coarse black pepper and Celtic sea salt. Even with the bad lighting you can see it made a festive-looking dish and tasted great!

Oh!!! Almost forgot to tell you what made it spicy!! My one "cheat"--- Wickles.

 

I call this spicy relish a "cheat" on an otherwise exemplary health-rated lineup because it contains white vinegar and a few other"unmentionables," but it was left at my house after a cookout earlier this summer . . . Why does it have to be so darn tasty . . . ? And I only used maybe a tablespoon in the whole recipe . . .