Jerk Coleslaw with Plantain Strips

Jerk Coleslaw with Plantain Strips (gf)

One of the best parts about traveling, in our humble opinion, is tasting new foods! When Jenny traveled to Jamaica, she loved trying traditional Rastafarian Ital food — fresh coconuts, and plantains galore. But the one dish no one had veganized was the jerk coleslaw. We had to get to work creating our own version when she got back. We’ve been told it’s very authentic and delish, with a little vegan West Hollywood spin!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1⁄2 large head purple cabbage

1⁄2 large head green cabbage

Dressing Ingredients

3 cloves roasted garlic

1 cup vegan mayonnaise

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus grated zest of 1 lime

2 teaspoons fresh chives, finely chopped

2 heaping teaspoons jerk seasoning blend

1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt, plus to taste

1⁄2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper, plus to taste

Plantain Strip Ingredients

2 tablespoons neutral tasting high-heat oil

1 large green plantain

Dash garlic powder

Directions

Slice purple cabbage in half. Shred by placing flat portion on cutting board. Make even, small slices into cabbage until well chopped. Repeat for green cabbage. Place in a medium bowl and set aside.

For the dressing: Chop garlic and place in a medium bowl. Add mayonnaise, lime juice and zest, chives, jerk seasoning, sea salt and black pepper. Whisk until uniform.

For the plaintain strips: Heat a sauté pan and add oil. Remove plantain from peel. Using a peeler, make long strips lengthwise along plantain. Add strips to oil and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until crisp. Place on a plate lined with a paper towel. Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper and garlic powder.

Toss cabbage with dressing until well coated. To serve, top with plantain strips.

Note: Shred cabbage quickly in a food processor using the slicing blade attachment.

The Sporkie Scoop

FOR YOUR SMARTS Ital food gets its name from the word “vital” and represents the Rastafarian diet. Many Rastafarians are vegan and emphasize using pure, unprocessed ingredients to promote “Livity,” or life energy. We feel this!

FOR YOUR PARTS Have you ever heard of vitamin U? We didn’t make it up.  This vitey is found in cabbage and may actually help heal ulcers! Though it may not be delish, juicing cabbage is effective for treating certain stomach ulcers.