Cardamom and Tea

Rainbow Red Cabbage Slaw

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This rainbow red cabbage slaw is super colorful, and it tastes just like it looks, with lots of citrusy flavor. The dressing has a generous amount of orange zest, a bit of lemon zest and juice, and a few other little accents. And you can make it with just about anything you’ve got on hand, as long as you have a head of red cabbage.

Read on for a few tips for success, or jump to the recipe + video to hit the ground running.

rainbow red cabbage slaw
drizzling dressing over rainbow red cabbage slaw

A few tips for rainbow slaw success:

(and this goes for pretty much any slaw, not just this red cabbage one!)

Salt your veggies ahead (if you have time):

  • If you have time, salting your veggies first is always a good idea. The salt will draw some of their moisture out, ensuring that you don’t end up watering down the dressing. Instead, you just drain away that excess moisture, and dress your veggies from there.
  • I recommend 10 to 15 minutes for the full effect, but even 5 minutes makes a big difference. I recommend prepping your ingredients, salting them, and then mixing up the dressing—that’ll buy you at least 2 minutes of salting time, even if you’re in a hurry.
  • If you don’t have time, you can easily skip this step, no worries. I’ve made it both ways, and the slaw will be tasty either way. It’ll just be tastier if you don’t skip it.

Use a food processor (if you own one):

  • This is such a time saver, especially if your knife skills aren’t the best.
  • You might be most used to using your food processor with the blade attachment, but dig out the slicer and grater attachments whenever you have to prep a lot of ingredients for something like a slaw.
  • Don’t bother rinsing out the food processor between ingredients—just swap out the attachment from slicer to grater and continue on.
rainbow red cabbage slaw
rainbow red cabbage slaw

Don’t let anything go to waste!

  • Bell peppers:
    • You can simply make this with a single bell pepper, but if you want the full rainbow slaw effect, you can use thirds or halves of an orange, red, and/or yellow bell pepper.
    • Make sure you slice up the leftovers and store them in the fridge for dipping in hummus or adding an extra veggie side to lunches.
  • The orange:
    • This dressing includes lemon zest and juice, so you’ll probably end up using the whole thing. But it only calls for orange zest, because orange juice tends to water down a dressing.
    • But don’t let that orange go to waste after zesting it! It’ll keep for another couple days in the fridge—just slice it up and eat it as a snack.
  • Red onion and carrots:
    • If you opt for red onion instead of green, you’ll probably have some left over.
    • You probably also have some carrots left in that 16oz bag you bought. Slice a carrot up along with the leftover onion, throw them all a plastic bag, and freeze for next time you need to make anything that calls for mirepoix (if you have celery on hand, even better—add that too, and you won’t need to add it later).
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Rainbow Red Cabbage Slaw

rainbow red cabbage slaw
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Ingredients

For the slaw:

  • 1 small red cabbage [1lb / 455g]
  • 1 bell pepper, optional*
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 small bunch green onions or 1/2 of a small red onion
  • 1 small bunch cilantro
  • Salt, as needed

For the citrus dressing:

  • 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice (zest it first!)
  • 1 Tbsp honey or maple syrup
  • 2 tsp orange zest
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed through a press (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
  • 1 pinch black pepper

Instructions

  1. Prep your ingredients—choose whichever way you’d like!
    • BY HAND:
      • Thinly slice the red cabbage, bell pepper, and red onion (if using).
      • Grate the carrot with a box grater.
      • Chop the green onions (if using) and cilantro.
    • WITH A FOOD PROCESSOR:
      • Cut the cabbage into wedges that will fit through your food processor’s feed tube. Set up the slicer attachment. Process the wedges.
      • Cut the bell pepper into quarters, remove the stem, pith, and seeds. Stack them together and process with the slicer attachment. If you’re using a red onion, cut into smaller wedges and process it too.
      • Replace the slicer attachment with the grater attachment. Process the carrot.
      • Chop the green onions (if using) and cilantro by hand.
  2. Optional salting step**: Place the veggies in a mixing bowl, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt, toss together, let sit for 10-15 minutes, then drain them, discarding the liquid.
  3. Whisk or shake together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, orange zest, lemon zest, garlic, pepper, and 1/2 tsp more salt. Drizzle the dressing over the veggies, and toss to combine.

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Notes

* I used 1/2 of a yellow and 1/2 of a red for more of a rainbow effect. But you can even just use 1 green if that’s what you have on hand. If you don’t have a bell pepper, feel free to use extra carrot and/or cabbage, or omit it and cut back on the dressing.

** You can skip this step if you’re short on time, but if you have even 5-10 extra minutes, I recommend it. It will keep your salad from getting soggy and watering down the dressing. But I’ve made it both ways, and it’s great either way.

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Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies

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These pistachio chocolate chip cookies are big on pistachio (in both color and flavor!). And they feature the no-fail chocolate chip cookie dough recipe I’ve been perfecting for years. They’re always chewy in the center and crisp around the edges.

So how do you make chocolate chip cookies this green and pistachio-ey? It’s pretty simple!

Bright green color

  • Their bright green color comes from a dusting of raw green pistachios.
  • But if you don’t have any on hand, you can use whatever pistachios you’ve got. I’ve got substitution suggestions for just as much green, no matter what you have on hand.

Big pistachio flavor

  • Roasted, salted pistachios are folded into the batter. These add a lovely roasted crunch, sort of like chocolate chip cookies with walnuts.
  • I also include one funny ingredient that screams pistachio, while containing none: almond extract! Almond extract has been used to flavor pistachio ice cream for so long, it’s become the flavor we expect when presented with a bright green pistachio concoction. A little bit goes a long way in setting the right pistachio vibe.

Jump to the recipe if you’re ready to start baking, or read on for tips on getting the greenest, most flavorful pistachio chocolate chip cookies ever:

raw green pistachios
raw green pistachios, finely ground

How to make pistachio cookies green

The key to getting green cookies is to top them with finely ground raw green pistachios. But if you can’t find any, I’ve also got some tips for getting that green color using whatever you’ve got.

Finding raw green pistachios:

You’ll find the brightest-green pistachios in Iranian/Persian markets and occasionally Indian markets (or websites that stock Iranian/Persian ingredients). You’ll most reliably find them as slivered pistachios, but you’ll also sometimes find them as whole, blanched pistachios.

This is not sponsored (and I have not vetted these), but these options look promising if you’re looking for a place to start: Kalamala Persian Grocery, this Amazon option, another Amazon option. When I lived in Australia, I bought them at the Royal Nut Company, and in Hong Kong I buy them at Regency Spices.

What to look for:

  • Your eyes are the ultimate judge here. Look for bright green pistachios like in the above photos.
  • The word “raw” is a good sign, but they’re not always clearly labeled as such. And some so-called raw pistachios are not the greenest ever. But raw ones will always be greener than roasted ones.

Use them sparingly:

  • These super green pistachios are more expensive than the usual ones, but that’s okay because they’re meant for decoration. When used more sparingly as a topping, they’ll add a ton of color and flavor without breaking the bank.
  • Don’t use them too sparingly though. You don’t want to fold these into the dough, but you do want to sprinkle on enough that they are visible as the cookie spreads. Here’s how much I use, and what they look like after baking:
pistachio chocolate chip cookie, unbaked
one baked pistachio chocolate chip cookie

How and why to grind pistachios finely:

Bright green pistachios look their best finely ground, not coarsely chopped. Here’s how to do it:

  • I prefer using a food processor. If you process them, make sure you don’t accidentally turn them into pistachio butter. Pulse for 3 seconds at a time, and stop as soon as they look like coarse sand. Do not just let the food processor run unattended.
  • Finely chopping them by hand takes a lot more elbow grease than you might think, but it can be done. Just make sure you go over them enough times, until they are the consistency of coarse sand. It’s hard to over-do them with a knife and cutting board.
  • I do this in a large batch and then store them in the freezer for any pistachio-flavored things I need to add a little extra pizzaz to.

What to do if you can’t find raw green pistachios:

No worries—there are other ways! I listed these from best to worst:

  • Green food coloring with lackluster pistachios
    • Place some regular-old pistachios in a food processor, drop in just 2 to 3 drops of food coloring along with 2 to 3 drops of water and start pulsing (this works even better if you can add the food coloring with the machine already running, but only if you move quickly enough so as not to overwork the pistachios). As they break down, the food coloring will start to coat them evenly and they will turn green.
    • Careful not to overdo it with either the water or food coloring or they will bleed into the cookie dough. Start with less and add more as needed.
  • Simply decorate with roasted, salted pistachios (same as the ones mixed in!):
    • This is a perfectly fine option. They will not be super green, but the cookies will taste delicious. I recently made a batch this way for my friend’s book club, and there were absolutely no complaints. People loved them!
  • Raw pepitas:
    • Unfortunately pepitas’ green is not super bright, but they’re a bit greener than roasted pistachios and can add a tad more depth of color when combined with them.
    • Use 1 part finely ground raw pepitas with 1 part finely ground pistachios.
pistachio chocolate chip cookies
pistachio chocolate chip cookies

How to make your cookies actually taste like pistachio:

Roasted, salted pistachios mixed in:

  • For a toasty pistachio flavor, I love folding roasted salted pistachios into the cookies. If you’re a fan of roasted walnuts in chocolate chip cookies, you’ll love roasted pistachios here too.
  • This is also a good way to avoid breaking the bank—roasted, salted pistachios are more reasonably priced than the super green, raw ones you might use on top.

Almond extract

  • Even though it has no actual pistachio in it, almond extract reads as pistachio to most people. It’s so often used in pistachio ice cream, it’s become an expected flavor in anything pistachio-flavored.
  • You should always avoid overusing almond extract, but that’s even more important here. Just 1/2 teaspoon will add enough flavor to highlight the natural flavor of the pistachios, without making these taste like almond cookies. In such a small amount, it acts as more of a background note.
pistachio chocolate chip cookies
pistachio chocolate chip cookies
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Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies (the greenest)

pistachio chocolate chip cookies
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A note on freezing: These bake beautifully after freezing in individual balls. Just shape into balls, smash slightly, decorate with toppings (make sure they adhere by patting them), place on a sheet pan, and freeze solid. Then move them to a freezer bag. Bake right from frozen, adding an extra 90 seconds to the bake time (or as needed).

  • Yield: 30 large cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks [225g] cool room temperature butter
  • 1 cup  [200g] brown sugar
  • 1 cup [200g] granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp [5g] salt
  • 2 large room temperature eggs
  • 2 tsp [10g] vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
  • 3 cups [390g] all purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp [4g] baking soda
  • 1 1/4 tsp [5g] baking powder
  • 1 2/3 cups [250g] chocolate chunks*¹
  • 1 1/4 cups [125g] coarsely chopped roasted salted pistachios
  • Sea salt for sprinkling*²
  • Raw green pistachios,*³ ground finely for sprinkling
  • Extra chocolate chunks or chips for decorating

Instructions

  1. Place the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.*⁴ Beat together at medium-high speed until very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add one egg to the butter/sugar mixer and beat at medium speed for about 15 seconds, just until incorporated. Add the other egg and continue mixing until very light and fluffy, about 30 more seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a flexible spatula. Add the vanilla extract and almond extract (if using) and beat for another 10 seconds, just to combine.
  3. Place the flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a fine mesh sieve or sifter. Sift directly into the stand mixer. Add the chocolate chunks and coarsely chopped pistachios, and mix everything together at low speed, just until it forms a uniform dough (about 15 to 30 seconds). Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure it is fully incorporated, but do not over-mix.
  4. Let the dough rest*⁵ in the fridge for 30 minutes, up to 48 hours.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C] while your dough chills, and line a few sheet pans with parchment.
  6. Roll the dough into 50g balls (a scant 1/4 cup, or a size 1.75 oz/size 24 disher).
  7. Space the balls evenly on the prepared sheet pans. Smash them slightly with the heel of your hand, just so toppings will not roll off. Add a few extra chocolate chunks or chips to the outside to make sure some are visible. Sprinkle with sea salt and pistachio bits.
  8. Bake for about 14 minutes*⁶, working in batches. They’re done when the edges are set and the centers are still very soft but not liquid. Slide the parchment onto the counter to cool.

Notes

*¹ You can use milk, semisweet, or dark—whatever kind of chocolate you prefer in your cookies. Pistachio classically goes with dark chocolate, but I think it’s equally good with milk chocolate. You can also use chocolate chips instead, but if you do, use 1 1/2 cups [250 g].

*² I love Maldon and other flaky sea salts for sprinkling on cookies, but you can use whatever sea salt you prefer. Fine sea salts dissolve as the cookies bake, so they don’t yield the best texture. And coarse salts are easy to accidentally over-use. Flaky sea salts are just right. But any will work.

*³ If you don’t have raw green pistachios, you can just use more roasted salted. Read more about them here. Your cookies will not look bright green like the ones in these photos in that case, but they’ll still turn out great. You can find raw green pistachios at Indian and Iranian/Persian markets. To grind them finely, chop by hand until they’re the texture of sand. Or do what I do and use a food processor, but be careful not to process them too long or they’ll turn into pistachio butter. Just grind them until they look like sand, and stop immediately.

*⁴ If you do not have a stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer with the egg beaters attached.

*⁵ It doesn’t matter whether they actually chill through—the key here is resting time. Thirty minutes makes a difference, but longer is even better. During resting, the flour and sugars hydrate, which results in cookies with a bakery-quality texture. If you skip this step, your cookies will turn out fine, but they won’t quite live up to their potential.

*⁶ 14 minutes will yield cookies that are crisp at the edges and chewy in the center after cooling. If you like your cookies well-done (crisp throughout with a snap), let them go for another minute or two. If you do not measure your dough balls carefully or if your oven is not well-calibrated, your bake time might be different, so keep an eye on the first batch.

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