Seasonal Slaw

It's late autumn and the weather in the UK has suddenly turned rather chilly. It's the time of year for comfort food - soups and stews and and a mighty dollop of fruit crumble. But sometimes these can all be a bit heavy; the solution is a great seasonal salad, packed full of immune boosting nutrients for the inevitable sniffs and snivels as well as lip-smacking flavour.
And to match the dazzling autumn trees, this seasonal slaw has an array of deep orange and reds to provide well needed colour to an otherwise green leafed plate!
For those with a dairy intolerance, shop bought coleslaw is generally a no-go area, with some milk product popping up in the long list of ingredients on the packet. And once you've read that list, somehow it doesn't seem quite so palatable! Unless they're described as creamy coleslaw, they all taste rather vinegary to me as well…..

So this autumn slaw is a real change in direction from any of those vinegary or creamy ones you may have come across before. It's sweet, but has a sharp flavour from the apple and lemon juice. It's definitely crunchy and has great textures. In fact, I find it really moreish and one serving is just not enough. Which is no problem, as it's really healthy and good for you as well as tasty, so there's no downside - unless the beetroot affects you on it's way out!! Many people experience red wee after eating beetroot - beeturia! - which isn't too much of an issue as it's just a short term issue. Apparently for some, though, it may mean there's a problem with iron metabolism.
The three main veg in the slaw - carrot, beetroot and red cabbage - are all packed full of phytonutrients of varying kinds which are anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and known to help the body detoxify. Beetroot also has fabulous amounts of folate, manganese and fibre as well as vitamin C which is also a big feature of the benefits of red cabbage. Surprisingly, red cabbage has over 50% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C, much more than citrus fruit. And being a cruciferous vegetable, red cabbage has marvellous anti-cancer properties too!
So try this slaw as a side, or the main feature of your lunch. Not only is it packed full of flavour and nutrients, it really does look pretty on the plate! (To add more zing, you can use red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice, but this doesn't work for those who have to avoid fermented foods due to yeast allergies.)
Autumn Slaw

1 medium carrot
1 small raw beetroot
1/8 of a red cabbage
1 small stick celery
1 Cox's apple
2 tablespoons sultanas
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
Pop the sultanas in a dish with some hot water for a few minutes so they plump up. Drain and put to one side. Wash all your veg thoroughly. Grate the carrot, beetroot and apple. Thinly slice the cabbage and celery. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl with the lemon juice and season to taste. Add more juice and seasoning as required. Leave to one side for a while to let the flavours develop then serve and enjoy.