Coleslaw, Black Pepper Style

This unusual coleslaw has been a hit at the last couple dinners. When one guest asked which was the spicy salad, I was stumped, having made an effort to restrain my use of "hot" spices when cooking for a crowd. The next day I tasted this coleslaw dressing and experienced what she was talking about. Freshly ground black pepper seeps into the creamy sauce and gives it an impressive flavor. If you can plan in advance, leaving the flavors in the dressing to marinate with each other overnight can give you a much more complicated version of an underappreciated classic that can be both low carb and low fat.

1 small head of cabbage 1 cup of shredded carrots, 2-3 full sized 3-4 red potatoes, boiled in a quart of water with 1 teasponn of salt. Cook until done but not mushy. You should be able to stab with a fork and the potato stays on at the right doneness. Jar of bamboo shoots, 3/4 cup coursely chopped. Don't use canned if possible 3/4 cup frozen peas, boil for 1 minute and drain or place frozen peas in a colander and pour boiling water over until defrosted. If you want to be lower carb, leave out the peas.

3/4 cup plain full fat Greek yogurt 1/2 cup mayo (if you want a low fat dressing use all yogurt. If you stick with lowfat yogurt alone it does sacrifice a lot of flavor but also cuts a lot of calories). 1/2 cup red wine vinegar 1 t salt 1 t garlic powder 1 t freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon sugar (skip for low carb)

Combine dressing ingredients the night before if possible to allow spices to permeate the sauce without making the veggies soggy. Chop the cabbage. Make an effort to chop the ribs more finely, the leaves more coarsely. Fine chopping makes a great salad; that's how you get more flavor on your tastebuds! Shred the carrots. Combine the veggies. Combine with dressing just before serving.