Creamy Avocado Dressing

In our produce basket last Saturday we got 2 heads of cabbage, so the other day I made my cabbage rolls, but used ground tofu instead of ground turkey and veggie broth instead of chicken stock. It was awesome, and no one could tell it was tofu...WIN! I had left over cabbage though so I chopped it up along with some carrots for the base of a cole slaw...but I still had to decide how to dress it without using mayo or Greek yogurt. Then I remembered I had a perfectly ripe avocado I needed to use which would create the perfect base for a creamy dressing. I started blending flavors together in my head and I am ohhh sooo excited about the outcome! I had to share it with you guys ASAP. I know cole slaw isn't terribly exciting for most...but this dressing is to die for!

  I was literally licking my blender clean. I intend on adding it to EVERYTHING... other salads, vegetable pasta dishes, whatever...oh the possibilities!!!

Creamy avocado dressing:

1 avocado

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp of lemon juice

1 tbsp honey

2 tsp of Dijon mustard

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 stems of green onions

about 1 packed tbsp of chopped cilantro

salt & pepper

about 3 tablespoons of water, more or less for desired thickness.

Literally toss all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth, it's that simple! Pour onto salad, noodles, dip veggies in it, whatever. For cole slaw toss evenly on chopped cabbage and carrots and let sit in refrigerator a few hours.

 This dressing is loaded with goodness both in taste and in nutrients. Check out my post on avocados here to get the dish on their health benefits. And if you intend on using it as a cole slaw check out the incredible benefits of cabbage here. 

The vinegar in this dressing is fairly interchangeable, you could try red wine vinegar, or white, or even balsamic, however I am a major fan of apple cider. Apple cider vinegar is a staple in my house, I generally buy the "Braggs" raw unfiltered cider vinegar for the enzymatic benefits that I discussed in my raw-some facts post. I use apple cider vinegar in many dressings such as my Kale salad dressing paired with liquid amino's and some nutritional yeast- yumm. But it can also be added to a glass of water, or juices in small amounts to assist the body in it's detox process as well. We all consume some level of toxins, most consume quite a lot, so giving your body a little help removing these toxins has proven beneficial so that our bodies work optimally, and so we don't store those harmful agents in our tissues and fat.  Naturally detoxing is very effective for those with weight loss goals, because most people carry between 5-15 pounds of toxins in their bodies. Apple cider vinegar is also proven to help those with diabetes because of it's ability to lower glucose levels and regulate blood sugar levels, and some studies show that is slows and prevents cancer growth. I've also heard, but have not tried yet, putting a few tablespoons in a hot bath to help remove toxins exteriorly and to clear skin. My friend, fellow food enthusiast, & fan of home rememdies (that's about accurate right, Megan;)) has tried using it exteriorly. She dilutes the vinegar with water and washes her face with it regularly and vouches for it's effectiveness! Also a diluted solution can be used to kill yeast if area is rinsed at first signs of infection! Point being: it's very beneficial, versatile, and worth keeping some around! 

After I devoured this cole slaw for both lunch and dinner, my husband, my sister, and I took the kids up to the high school to play some tennis, and to do some sprint intervals on the track. Ever since the Olympics Parker has been talking non-stop about track, and how we wants to compete in the Junior Olympics. He was dying to run on a real track- so off we went. I have to admit sprinting is so not my thing, I either blame my short legs, or the tennis match and 4 mile run I did that same day. They just wouldn't push as fast as I wanted them to go, but I didn't let that deter me from continuing to try. Not to mention I had to at least keep up with my 5 year old who ran the 100 meter at least 6 times, and ran the 400 meter twice keeping an 8 minute mile pace each time. Pretty solid- he was so excited and we had so much fun watching his enthusiasm! The point of that little insert is just to motivate you to get creative and find ways to get up and get moving (and to boast about my boy)!