Kid Friendly Apple Coconut Cole Slaw to the Rescue!

A kid friendly cole slaw recipe with special ingredients that get kids eating the bitter vegetable they usually hate.

If you are up to your ears in cabbage like me, you might appreciate a way to get the whole family in on using it up.  Wondering how it is possible to turn a bitter vegetable into something kids will eat?  Here’s a hint:  coconut and dates!

This recipe is based on one in the New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen.  I love her recipes because they include so many ideas for variations.  Since I tend to cook on the fly and rarely follow any recipe to the T, variations are essential.  I can’t claim complete victory on this one though – this version only got a 75% approval rate in our household.  Son #1 gave it a thumbs up, son #2 gave it a thumbs down and my husband said it was the best cole slaw he had ever had!  (and I thought it ranked up there too. :))

Kid-Friendly Cole Slaw

4 cups shredded cabbage

3 large carrots, peeled and shredded

1 Granny Smith apple, shredded

1/2 cup chopped dates

1/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans

Dressing:

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup mayo

1T + 1 tsp. cider vinegar

A squirt of agave nectar (to taste)

I shred the cabbage, carrot and apple in my Cuisinart.  If you don’t have one, then chop the cabbage by hand and grate the carrot and apple on a cheese grater.  Add the dates, coconut and pecans.  Mix all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.  Adjust vinegar and agave nectar based on how tart/sweet you like it (or what you think your kids will tolerate!).  You really don’t need any sweetener if you use vanilla yogurt, but I thought the agave added a nice taste.

P.S.  Thanks for the tips on cole slaw and homemade yogurt in the comments of my recent post.  I still haven’t tried the homemade yogurt but I’m more confident that I can do it w/out a yogurt maker.  I’ll keep ya posted…

P.P.S.  Finally made the homemade yogurt (6 months later!) and absolutely LOVE it!  My husband is so addicted he makes it almost every week!  Here’s the recipe and the method (without a yogurt maker!)