Day 4 of Healthy Week! How're you doing? I have to say that after all the carbs of last week, I'm enjoying this lighter approach and I haven't felt too deprived. Now that Spring has decided to show it's happy little warm face, it just feels "righter" to eat more veggies and salads. I think we're all just happy to have some color in our lives again!! And speaking of color, how pretty is this zucchini slaw with its rainbow of colors? Not to mention flavors and textures too. If you're looking for a colorful crunchy way to add more veggies into your life, look no further! 

Are you a coleslaw or a potato salad person? I am definitely more in the coleslaw camp. There's just something about the combination of cabbage and carrots with that tangy sauce that does it for me--potato salad has to be made just right and not covered in a goopey sauce, yuck! Yet as much as I love the slaw, I've never eaten one that has zucchini as its base, which is a crying shame because it's really yummy and I've been missing out all these years!!

If you have a mandoline, this is the time to use it, though you can definitely chop this all up by hand--it just goes a lot faster with that handy dandy tool--especially when your handy dandy husband is helping out!!

Once all the veggies have been julienned, you toss them with a light, creamy and sorta spicy dressing that really pulls everything together, but because it's made with light mayonnaise, you don't get a lot of added fat and calories.

As reward for his labor, my husband got first dibs on this and he went wild, piling it on his sandwiches (they're matzah-based this week). I can already tell this will be making a regular appearance at our summer BBQ's. See I told you this week would still be fun!

Zucchini Slaw with Creamy Spicy Dressing

Serves 4-6 as a side dish

Prep Time: 30 minutes (less if you use a mandoline or julienne peeler)

Ingredients

For the slaw

• 2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed

• 2 yellow summer squash, ends trimmed

• 4 carrots, peeled and ends trimmed

• 1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded

• 4 scallions

• 2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

For the dressing

• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise

• 1 tablespoon mustard ( I used Dijon-cut it by half if you don't love mustard)

• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

The Recipe

1.  To make the slaw:  Using either a mandoline fitted with the thin julienne blade, a julienne peeler or a sharp knife cut the zucchini, summer squash, carrots and red bell pepper into 2-inch pieces and place into a large bowl. Chop the scallions by hand and add them and the chopped parsley to the bowl as well. 

2.  To make the dressing:  combine the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl using a whisk. Pour over the julienned vegetables and toss well. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or chill until ready.

3.  Slaw keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Enjoy!

Note:  Recipe adapted from Fresh Every Day by Sara Foster. I doubled the amount of carrots, cut the amount of mustard in the dressing in half as well as the black pepper.

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