Thai Inspired Kohlrabi Slaw and Thank You

Nancy Lopez-McHugh · September 2, 2011

“It is never easy to lose a fur baby. They are your children just as much as the ones we give birth to.” Cheryl D Lee of Black Girl Chef’s Whites

Before I get to today’s recipe I want to thank you. I’d specially like to thank Maya (Foodiva’s Kitchen) for her help, support, and for checking up on me:) Thank you Maya for being such a sweet and giving person and friend. It means so much to me and I’ll never forget it.

You know when you are personally going through a difficult time it feels as though you are the only one that has ever felt or experienced that kind of pain and heartache. Last Sunday when I sat down to write the farewell post about my Panchito I didn’t realize the response the post would receive. Thank you for all of the supportive comments, emails, messages, well wishes, poems and for sharing your stories. While all the messages we’ve received have made me feel supported it is your pet stories that make me feel like we aren’t the only ones with this heartache. They make me feel like one day the intense pain and emptiness I feel will begin to subside. Your stories made me realize that the day will come when I’ll be able to only remember all the goofy Panchito stories and to laugh without crying. From the bottom of my heart thank you everyone. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I am so proud of our foodie community for all the friendship, encouragement and support given to one another.

Since Panchito’s passing I have hardly gone into my kitchen. When I have it has been to cook quick and just fill the belly type of meals. Neither of us have had an appetite for much so needless to say I haven’t cooked anything worth blogging about. About 98% of the time when I was in my kitchen Panchito was alongside me and it has been hard standing there alone without him waiting for a taste. One night I was preparing chicken breasts. They come in a pack of 3. Most times it meant a chicken breast for the each of us. I started to cry with the realization that we would only need 2.

I am no longer crying all day long and my swollen red eyes have begun to settle. But throughout the day I’ll see, hear, or remember something and I start to cry again. I can’t help keep looking at the clock at his scheduled walk times. The spot in the entrance where he greeted us when we came in sits empty like the spot beside my desk where he used to lay. It’s all still very raw and I miss him terribly. This morning after yoga I tried meditating. I imagined a warm beach as the sun was beginning to rise. I imagined Panchito running up and down the beach. His legs going as fast as they could and his goofy big ears flopping up and down, a scene repeated every time we went to the beach. That image made me smile, smile from within and it felt good. I know with time it will get easier and for the time being I just keep repeating to myself that Panchito never liked to see me sad. For him and my husband I make myself smile as I attempt to pick up the pieces of my broken heart.

Those of you that know me a little better often hear me say that I am behind, behind on everything. I guess the good thing about being behind is that I’ve accumulated some recipes and photos to share when I am not able to cook. This recipe is one of those accumulated recipes. It is an inspiration of Thai and American cuisine with a dash of Czech. Obviously the Thai inspiration is in the dressing ingredients. The American because Coleslaw comes from America as far as I can tell. The Czech inspiration is because of the purple kohlrabi that is so commonly found here in all the markets.

Kohlrabi is a vegetable related to cabbage and Brussels sprouts . The taste is mild and one I can describe as a bit like broccoli with a hint of cabbage. Kohlrabi comes in a purple or light green color and apparently the purple variety is sweeter. The entire vegetable is edible, I’ve even substituted the leaves for spinach. Try to choose smaller Kohlrabi and that way no peeling is needed. But if you only find a large one then be warned the outer skin is very fibrous almost woody so you’ll need to peel it before eating. Obviously from this recipe you can see that it can be eaten raw as well as cooked. You can steam it, fry it, stew it, mash it, make curry with it or whatever you like.

Kohlrabi is also very low in calories but rich in vitamins and dietary fiber. I’ve mixed Kohlrabi with other vegetables and found it did not over power in taste. Also when cooked I found that it absorbed spices a bit better than when raw. Though native to Europe from what I’ve read it can also be found around the world. So have I convinced you to give Kohlrabi a try? I hope so.

5.0 from 4 reviews

Thai Inspired Kohlrabi Coleslaw

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Prep time

15 mins

Total time

15 mins

Add some new exciting and exotic flavors to your coleslaw. This Thai inspired coleslaw is healthy, low in fat and high in flavor.

Author: SpicieFoodie.com & Nancy Lopez-McHugh

Recipe type: Appetizer, Salad,

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Vegetables Needed:

1 small purple Kohlrabi, matchsticks
1 small carrot, shredded
2 cups cabbage, shredded
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 small red or green chile, finely chopped

Dressing:

1 tbsp rice vinegar
1.5 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp red curry paste
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Toppings:

crushed peanuts
fresh basil leaves and/or fresh mint leaves

Instructions

In a large bowl throughly mix all the dressing ingredients until well combined. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl toss the vegetables then pour the dressing over them. Gently toss until vegetables are fully coated. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or until ready to serve.
Before serving crush desired amount of shelled peanuts. Rinse desired amount of fresh basil leaves. Serve the crushed peanuts and basil on the side to allow each person to top as desired.

Notes

If you are a vegan be aware that commercial curry paste is made with shrimp paste. Alternatively you could make homemade curry paste from my recipe just omit the fish sauce. Recipe found here: http://www.spiciefoodie.com/2009/09/04/red-thai-curry-paste-krung-kaeng-phed-2/

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This coleslaw style salad tasted delicious! It was crunchy, fresh, spicy with a hint of tartness. It can be enjoyed simply on it’s own, as an appetizer or as a side dish. I served it alongside homemade fried rice.