Summer Slaw

Memorial Day has come and gone. The first pitcher of Sangria and case of brew have been polished off. The grill is in full force and ready to perfect any piece of meat that graces its touch. And you’ve officially started cheating on your hot caffeinated fix for the cooler iced version.

It’s safe to say that summer is in full effect…

You’ve worked hard this year. Long hours, Client dinners, Business trips, Never ending commutes….but now it’s time to replace some of that with some well deserved summertime…Weekend BBQs, Pool Parties, Summer Vacations, Beaches, Boat Trips, and more. And whether you’re married with kids, heading that way in your current relationship, or a solo act, there’s one thing that’s a must for everybody. You gotta look GOOD! No excuses….

Now I know, with every weekend being a party it can be hard to be on your best behavior. That beer eyes you up and down everytime you reach for a water in the cooler instead, summer dishes seem to appear at the blink of an eye, and who can forget barbecue sauce? But like we just talked about…you’ve worked hard this year and chances are some of that effort was spent on murdering some extra bodyfat and fine tuning some muscle.

That being said, here’s a way to ensure that as the cold weather starts to return, your bodyfat won’t along with it. You can call “Summer Slaw” its insanely simple to make and delicuous for anybody’s taste buds. Also it’s straight up raw and doesn’t have any of that “food” like “mayonnaise” and for those of you like me, it’s also gluten, dairy, and soy free. Enjoy!

Time: Less than 30 minutes

THE ESSENTIALS:
•Badass Chefs Knife
•MASSIVE bowl (There’s a lot of cabbage, trust me)
•Cutting board
•Additional Bowls/Utensils
•Tasting Bowl (A true chef must always “check” their product)

THE GOODS:
•1/2 Head Purple Cabbage
•1/2 Head White Cabbage
•1 Large Fennel
•3 Carrots (optional: I use it for color to be honest)
•Fresh Cilantro
•Balsamic Vinegar
•Extra Virgin Olive Oil
•RAW Honey
•Fresh Black Pepper
•Celtic Sea Salt
•Sunflower Seeds

The Steps:
#1 – Prep the vegetables. Wash ’em. Peel off some of the outer layers of cabbage and slice off the bottom, cut and prep fennel.

#2 Cut the (2) heads of cabbage in half. Cut each cabbage again 1-2 times across the opposite way depending on how big you want your cabbage strips. Finely slice the cabbage and place in a bowl.

#3 Do the same with the fennel. Shred the carrots using a hand shredder. And lastly, finely chop the Cilantro and add all to the cabbage

#4 In a separate small bowl, add: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balasmic Vinegar, and Raw Honey. Finish with Black Pepper and Celtic Sea Salt all to taste and then add to the slaw.
#5 Mix the slaw throughouly and finish with a generous handful of sunflower hands.
#6 If applicable, place in fridge and allow time for flavor to really set in and also for the vegetables to break down a little. (But you can also make it up a second before leaving for a party, it’s still just as tasty)

#7 Load up on veggies at the BBQ and skip the corn on the cob, potato salad, rolls, and other bogus food.

Feel free to use a little creativity and modify it to keep the flavors fresh and new all summer long.  If you’re like me you’ll need it because I make it about 4 times a week! Just make sure you spread the love and post your recipe in the comments below!