The
ABC's
of Cooking with
Lynn Fredericks
author of Cooking
Time Is Family Time
Spinach,
Red Cabbage and Green Mango Salad
Yield:
4 Servings
Green mango is simply unripened mango, the fruit of which is pale greenish-yellow
before maturing into a deep ripe orange color. It is highly prized for
its tartness and firm texture and utilized in Southeast Asia and Thailand
in particular. In this salad, a French-Asian hybrid idea I devised to
appeal to kids and adults alike when entertaining, the mango is a foil
for the much more delicately flavored spinach and cabbage and contrasts
well with the salty capers. Because it is unripe, it is firmer in texture
and easier to handle and slice than ripened mangoes. If it is too difficult
to find unripe mango, by all means use a ripened one. It will still
taste good, just a bit sweeter and the texture will be a bit mushier.
Mangoes taste excellent in salads with salty ingredients like the capers
in this recipe.
-
1 cup grated red cabbage
-
6 cups spinach
-
4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
-
2 Tablespoons capers, chopped
-
1/3 cup pitted Nioise olives
-
1 shallot, minced
- 1/2
cup extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher
salt and black pepper
- 1
mango
Equipment:
an empty jar with a lid
1. Have older kids slice and chop the red cabbage into thin strips.
Place the cabbage in a small bowl. Little ones can help you clean and
dry the spinach. Then have little ones tear the leaves into 3-inch pieces.
2. In a small saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the red wine vinegar until
just boiling. Pour the warmed vinegar over the prepared cabbage, stirring
well to distribute the vinegar and set aside.
3. Have older children chop the capers. Meanwhile little ones can assist
in pitting the olives: place the olives on the cutting board with a
towel over them. Take a kitchen mallet or rolling pin and gently pound
the olives to break them open. Remove the towel and have the kids help
slide the pits out of the olives. Discard the pits and place the olives
in a bowl.
4. Have older kids peel and mince the shallot, while you and younger
kids place the remaining 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar in the jar.
Add the olive oil, salt, pepper, capers, shallot and olives to the jar.
Tightly close the lid and let the kids shake it vigorously--they love
this as it gives them a sense of power!
5. Have older children help you slice the mango. In a large bowl, place
the spinach, mango and the seasoned red cabbage. With clean hands, have
children toss the salad. Then, pour the salad dressing over the greens
and have them toss again. The salad is ready to serve.
Cooking
with Kids Home
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