Looking for a quick satisfying meal? Consider cool refreshing squash complemented by spicy chili peppers. Each providing their own alternating sensations of delightful coolness and sharp heat... It’s a lot easier than you might think to make your own zucchini, summer squash, chayote, and serrano chili pepper coleslaw.
I carefully considered various ingredients in creating my own best recipe. The result is this spicy/subtly sweet twist on a traditional coleslaw. Many of you are probably accustomed to enjoying coleslaw as a side dish. However, this hearty version is a main dish. You can enjoy this alone and be completely satisfied. I experimented with several combinations until I came up with this particular blend of ingredients I felt complemented each other best. In the past, I’ve created more complicated recipes, however, I found that the simpler quicker recipes are more useful for the majority of readers.
We all would like to eat healthier meals, but with limited time sometimes it’s just easier to make a quick and usually not too good-for-you choice. So it’s by focusing on easier less time-consuming recipes I hope that I’m helping someone out there who wants to make a good food choice, but just not exactly sure how to go about it.
Chayote Mexican Squash
I really like this squash, which adds a great cooling element, especially when using the serrano chili pepper. If the pepper is too spicy and/or if you can’t find chayote, you can still make and enjoy this recipe. If you dislike hot pepper, consider adding a milder pepper, sweet pepper or no pepper at all.
I’d like to share a few of the many health benefits of this recipe’s main ingredients.
Carrots- Regularly eating carrots will naturally help fight aging with their vitamins A and C. They will also help skin issues internally. Carrots are really helpful for a variety of skin ailments. They also help prevent cancer and heart disease.
Zucchini- Can help prevent heart attacks and contribute to prostate health. Zucchini is full of magnesium, zinc, vitamins C and A. Regular inclusion in your diet will help lower blood pressure. The manganese in zucchini assists in the digestion and breakdown of carbohydrates, very helpful in maintaining a healthy diet.
Summer Squash- High in vitamin A and C, and B. The manganese and magnesium helps to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Regularly eating summer squash will help keep our eyes and heart healthy.
Chayote- Also known as Mexican Squash, it is full of B vitamins, vitamin K, vitamin E. It’s native to Mexico, and belongs to the gourd family. While it has a reputation as being bland raw, it’s really a perfect contrast to the spicier ingredients in this recipe.
Serrano Chili Peppers-Contains Vitamin b6 and vitamin c, can help in controlling diabetes, heart disease and cardiovascular disease. It’s spicier than a jalapeño pepper, and also native to Mexico.
YIELDS
4 servings
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
- 1 cup Carrots
- 1 cup Zuchini
- 1 cup Summer Squash
- 1/2 cup Chayote
- 1/2 of the pepper about 1 tablespon Serrano Chili Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1/4 cup White Vinegar
- 1/4 cup Coconut Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
Directions
1.) Use a medium sized bowl. As you shred and slice the ingredients, place them into the bowl.
2.) Use a box grater to shred the carrot. 1 medium sized carrot is about 1 cup.
3.) Use the same box grater to shred the Chayote.
4.) I used a spiral slicer to cut the zucchini and the summer squash. If you don’t have one you can either use a julienne slicer or simply a sharp knife that use to cut the pieces thinly. It’s more difficult to use a knife, but definitely possible.
5.) Use a sharp knife to thinly sliced then dice the pepper
To make the Dressing
1.) If you have Mason jar use that. If not another container such a Tupperware container will work as well. I am partial to mason jars. I always have them handy and they are my go-to for everything. You need to be able to mix the dressing, being able to shake it evenly disturbs the ingredients and blends them toughly
2.) Add the vinegar, lemon juice, ginger, garlic powder, coconut sugar, salt and pepper.
3.) Pour on coleslaw and enjoy
*If you are not planning on eating the coleslaw right away you can store in the refrigerator. I wanted to advise you of two things. The flavor will be stronger the longer it sits in the refrigerator marinating. The ingredients in the coleslaw naturally contain water. The longer they sit, the more water will be released. Just use a utensil to pick up the coleslaw without the additional water.
I made this recipe 3xs this week, and thoroughly loved it every time. I sincerely hope you enjoy it as much :)
Also by Alex: Raw Kiwano Sorbet
Grilled Baby Potato Salad
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Photo: Alex Kudukis
Grilled Baby Potato Salad
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