Instead, I decided to chop that baby up and turn it into a super simple side salad. All you'll need to do the same is a little ketchup and mayonnaise.
Yes, you heard me right. Ketchup and mayonnaise.
I know a lot of foodies think condiments are horrible (all those preservatives!), but I'm just a girl trying to stretch her food budget and ketchup and mayo are staples for a reason: They're versatile, they're relatively inexpensive, and they last FOREVER in your fridge. They're also not really that bad for you either, when used in moderation. Plus, in this case, I'm using them to make an easy and simplified version of Thousand Island Salad Dressing. Trust me, the tangy, deliciousness tastes positively divine paired with raw cabbage.
So, mix up 1 Tbsp ketchup with 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp of mayonnaise. Chop up your cabbage into thin strips (I've found that the thinner the tastier!). Combine, and... Voila!
Note: You can adjust the ketchup-to-mayo ratio depending on how much you like the taste of mayonnaise. I actually prefer a 1 Tbsp to 1 Tbsp ratio, but I've noticed most other people seem to prefer a more mayonnaise heavy recipe.
This salad goes well with meat, rice, and sushi, and is especially great as a bento box filler because the cabbage won't wilt even if it's stuck in a backpack all day.
Count me in as one who won't disparage ketchup and mayonnaise. When I was growing up a stone's throw from NYC, Monaghan's Deli created a killer roast beef sandwich on rye. The condiments? You guessed it: ketchup mixed with mayonnaise. Even tho I now live in the Sunshine State, I still order my roast beef sammies the same way. Much to the puzzlement of the guy/girl behind the counter, lol. But as they say...if it ain't broke...
ReplyDeleteExactly! And, that roast beef actually sounds pretty delicious to me! Going to have to try it sometime.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I think people would be pretty surprised at the number of fancy restaurants that use ketchup or mayonnaise as the base for a sauce or two. It's just that many foodies I've met take on this attitude of "condiments are evil" that's always puzzled me.