Coleslaw - Video Recipe

Coleslaw is made for summer backyard barbecue gatherings and shady picnics in the park. It's easy to make and travel with. Just keep it covered in the refrigerator until serving time for a cool presentation.

I like Coleslaw on my deli sandwiches. It adds a cool crunch to a sliced stack of Pastrami and Corned Beef between 2 slices of rye bread.

I have a Fried Fish Taco that is dressed with cabbage, but Coleslaw would kick the recipe up a notch.

I grew up eating Southern style Coleslaw -- super creamy from all the extra mayo. Go to any local BBQ Joint and choose a side of Coleslaw to go with BBQ chicken or sliced smoked beef brisket.

I only use four ingredients for my Coleslaw, just shredded cabbage and carrot, a lot of mayo, finally salt and pepper, and extra black pepper for me.

The most work you will do is shredding the cabbage and carrot. I use a cheap box grater. But you can buy packaged ready to mix shredded cabbage and carrot.

You can slice and chop veggies by hand of course. The end result is a little chunkier, but it works just fine.

If you have a grater, I like to use the largest mandolin blade opening for the cabbage. Some graters have a few stacked blade slots so your shredding will go quicker. A whole cabbage grates into about 6 cups.

For carrot, I like it a little finer so I use the side with the largest holes, that look like teardrops. A grated carrot will make about 2 cups.

Cabbage is always cheap.  For my recipe, I used a head of cabbage, but you can easily half the recipe ingredients. You can use the other half a head of cabbage for a stir fry, too.

Click on any photo to see larger.

I use a whole inexpensive carrot. Again it's easy enough to make a half recipe. If you use packaged shredded cabbage, my recipe will be cut in a third, that is 2 cups cabbage and half a cup of carrot.

The other ingredients are mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. I like fresh ground black pepper. Once you mix in the mayo add a little seasoning at a time to reach the desired flavor.

Keep it vegan with veggie mayo. There are a lot of mayo types to choose from these days. And real mayonnaise always shows up at my local 99c only Store and Dollar Tree.

I leave out extra ingredients a lot of recipes like to add. Extras include a tablespoon of celery seed. Some like their Coleslaw sweet, so add a tablespoon of sugar or favorite sweetener. A splash of vinegar will give Coleslaw an extra kick. I have a Deli-style Coleslaw recipe that has a little olive oil, just click here to see that one.

I like a simple Coleslaw that's creamy with mayo. Chill it and serve it for your next family picnic or barbecue. And for a potluck, your host will be thrilled to set it out.

Coleslaw - Video

Play it here, video runs 3 minutes, 13 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients

• 1 whole cabbage -- about 6 cups total when shredded.  I used the mandolin slicing side of a box grater. Okay to slice by hand.
• 1 whole carrot,  peeled and shredded - about 2 cups total shredded. Okay to use as little or as much as you like, you can even leave it out.  Used the large-course shredding holes of my grater.
• 1 cup mayonnaise - light or regular strength. Okay to start with half a cup and add a tablespoon at a time to desired creaminess.
• Salt & Black Pepper to taste - about half a teaspoon salt and a whole teaspoon of black pepper. I like the extra pepper taste. 

*Recipes with real mayo should be kept refrigerated until ready to serve. Do not leave Coleslaw out more than an hour or so at a time.

Directions
Rinse cabbage and carrot. Discard old or brown outer cabbage leaves. Peel discolored parts of carrot if necessary.

Shred or slice one whole cabbage --  about 6 cups total when shredded.  I used the mandolin slicing side of a box grater. Okay to slice by hand.

Box grater will fill up with shredded cabbage and become hard to slice cabbage, so be sure to empty grater once it gets half full.

Shred or fine chop one carrot. I used the largest hole side. You should get about 2 cups from one carrot.

Of course, be careful using a box shredder - it's easy to cut your fingertips! When you have just a nub of carrot or a chunk of cabbage left, chop it up with a knife. Discard tough cabbage and carrot root ends.

Add shredded cabbage and carrot to a large bowl. It's okay to use packaged and pre-shredded cabbage and carrot. Use less mayo depending on package size. A typical shredded package of cabbage is about 2 cups.

I start with half the mayo called for, then add a tablespoon at a time as I mix the veggies. Just add enough mayo to reach desired creaminess. I use about a cup of mayo total.

Finally season with salt and pepper. Add a little at a time and taste Coleslaw. A half teaspoon each of salt and pepper is about right. I do like extra fresh ground black pepper, so I add more.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. If you make it a day ahead, you may need to add a tablespoon or two of fresh mayo, to bring Coleslaw back to normal creaminess.

Hindsight
Other recipes call for celery seed, sugar, and vinegar. Make the recipe the way you like it by adding any of the above.

Each day the Coleslaw is in the refrigerator, the mayo will breakdown some and become watery or just dryer. You can drain liquid from Coleslaw and add a tablespoon of mayo at a time, to bring back desired creaminess.

Vegan mayo works fine. There are Coleslaws without mayo. You can just use vinegar and a little olive oil instead of mayo. You may want to add a little sweetener. A handful of roasted peanuts are a nice extra addition for vinegar/oil Coleslaws.

The Best Chicken Salad Recipe - Video

I love Chicken Salad as much as Tuna Salad. It's a milder taste compared to tuna, so the crunchy veggies and mayo/mustard come forward in flavor. My Chicken Salad recipe video will have coming back for seconds and thirds once you've had your first bite.

The ingredient list is small. I like a little fine chopped onion and celery for crunch. And those veggies are about the lest expensive ones you can find at any grocery store.

I also include a tablespoon of pickle relish. I find it at my local 99c only Store and Dollar Tree. You can add more or less veggies and relish to suit your taste. You can even leave out the veggies for a more meaty salad.

I add a little mustard with a lot of mayo for extra creamy Chicken Salad. Again, you can adjust the balance to please yourself and the family. If you don't like mustard then leave it out.

Some recipes call for the herb Dill. Again, use it if you like it, or forget about it.

All the ingredients come cheaply these days. I get dark chicken leg quarters for way less than a dollar per pound and white meat for around 99 cents per pound from Superior, my local Latin market. Dark meat is harder to filet than white meat, but after you've done it a few times it does get easier

I lightly boil or poach the chicken pieces so they stay moist. You can use any chicken you have on hand, either fresh-baked or sauteed, too. I've used leftover roasted whole chicken from the deli case of my local grocery chain store when it's on sale, usually at the end of the work week. Leave out the skin and bones. Canned chicken is fine to use, too - just drain it, like you would with canned tuna.

Poaching Video

I always can find mayo and mustard on sale. And onion and celery are some of the least expensive veggies around.

Click on any photo to see larger.

Chicken Salad is a versatile recipe that's delish between 2 slices of bread, or as an appetizer and spread on any favorite cracker. Put a big scoop on your favorite green garden salad for extra flavor and heft.

So get out the leftover cooked poultry and mix up my latest video recipe of Chicken Salad.

Chicken Salad - Video

Play it here. Video runs 1 minutes, 38 seconds.

To view or embed from YouTube, click here.

Ingredients

• 1/2 chicken breast - cooked and cubed. About 2 cups. Okay to use dark meat leg quarter (leg plus thigh.) Use leftover cooked turkey during Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays.
• 1/4 cup chopped onion - okay to add more or less to taste. I fine chopped 1/4 of a white onion. You can use any type of onion including red and green onion.
• 1/2 cup chopped celery - okay to add more or less to taste. I used one celery rib.
• 1 tablespoon pickle relish - optional.
• 1 teaspoon mustard - or Dijon mustard. I've made this salad without mustard.
• 3 tablespoons mayo - any favorite light or whole mayo. Again add a tablespoon at a time to reach your preferred creaminess.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• 1/4 teaspoon Dill - herb can be dried or fresh. Optional ingredient.

Directions
Use boneless and skinless cooked chicken. I used leftover breast meat from a roast chicken.

You can boil/simmer chicken pieces about a half hour in seasoned water. Or, saute chicken in a little oil. Just make sure chicken is cooked all the way through - no pink or red juices.

While chicken cooks you can chop celery and onion. I like onion in salads (tuna, chicken, turkey, egg) fine chopped. For celery, I like pieces a little larger. Okay to chop veggies anyway you like.

Now time to bring it all together. Add chicken and chopped veggies to a bowl.

Mix in a tablespoon of pickle relish. Add 1/4 teaspoon of the herb Dill (optional.)

Stir in a tablespoon of mayo at a  time to reach your desired creaminess. I mixed in about 3 tablespoons. Add teaspoon of mustard. Okay to add or subtract amounts of mayo and mustard.

Finally salt and pepper to taste. Store Chicken Salad in the refrigerator. If you wait a couple of hours before serving, then all the ingredients will have time to meld and become more intense.

I like to scoop my Chicken Salad onto a toasted onion bagel. You can serve Chicken Salad with crackers as an appetizer. Add a scoop of Chicken Salad to your fave salad.

Egg Salad

Eggs are cheap and so is this recipe. Half a dozen boiled eggs with a little mayo and some chopped celery will yield a bowlful of creamy deliciousness that can go between 2 toasted slices of bread, or as a topping to your favorite salad.

The price is right, I always find a dozen eggs for 99.99 cents at my local 99c only Stores. And eggs keep weeks in the refrigerator until ready to use. They also sell small 15 ounce jars of mayo, from off-brands to vegan.

Celery is a cheap veggie. Chopped celery adds the right amount of crunch to my Egg Salad recipe.

It's a simple recipe that I don't make enough. If you eat Tuna Salad (my recipe here) all the time, try mixing it up and make my cheap$kate Egg Salad.

Ingredients (about 3 sandwiches)

• 6 eggs - I used small eggs. Boiled, peeled and chopped. about 2 cups total after chopped.
• 1/4 cup mayo - I used light mayo. Okay to add more. Add an extra teaspoon at a time to reach desired creaminess. Large eggs will need more mayo.
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped - including leaves on the stalk -- if it comes with them. About 1/2 cup total after chopped.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Water to boil eggs.

*Many recipes call for mustard, I like it without. But you can add it - try a teaspoon Dijon or regular mustard. You can also use 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard powder.

Directions
In a pot add eggs and cover with an inch of water. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Just when eggs start to boil, turn off the heat completely and cover the pot with a lid (or plate.) Let sit for 15 minutes. Eggs will continue to cook in the hot water.

Meanwhile chop one stalk of celery, including leaves. Chop finely.

After 15 minutes, remove eggs and rinse off in cold water, so you can peel them without burning your fingers. You can also let them sit in a bowl of cool water with some ice cubes for about 5 minutes.

Now time to bring it all together. Peel, discard shells, and chop the eggs. You can add them as you chop to a large bowl. I usually chop the eggs in half, them place them yolk side down on chopping board and finish slicing.

Add all the chopped eggs to a bowl. Mix in the chopped celery. Finally scoop in 1/4 cup of mayo. Mix well. Salt and pepper to taste. Try out a small spoonful of Egg Salad. At this point you can add more mayo if you like, a teaspoon at a time to reach desired creaminess.

I find less mayo and mustard (optional) the better, as they easily overpower the mild egg flavor.

A scoop of Egg Salad goes well with your favorite vegetable salad. Egg Salad is a tasty party dip on your favorite chips or crunchy veggie slices. Also try a spoonful on an avocado half. But I like an Egg Salad Sandwich the best.

This recipe is easy to double using a dozen eggs -- just add another 1/4 cup of mayo and another rib of chopped celery. Keep finished Egg Salad covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.