Maple-Dijon Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Pecans and Cranberries & Cookbook Giveaway!

While I prefer Brussels sprouts roasted, I also like them slipped into scrambles, skillets, stir fries, pastas, soups and salads. The last on my bucket list (I think) was to try them raw, shredded into a slaw.

Raw versus cooked. Talk about something new. Now the endearing term “little cabbage” comes to light. Shredded Brussels sprouts let their true Brassica family roots shine through, with a definite cabbage undertone. Here it is paired with a sweet maple Dijon mustard dressing with sweet dried cranberries and local Southern pecans for some crunch.

Not sure whether raw Brussels sprouts are for you? I am certain this would be delightful with roasted ones, as well. Sometimes, it is nice not to wait for your vegetables to roast or to try something different. Something a bit lighter in spite of its wintery feel.

This salad is courtesy of Raw & Simple, which I verily enjoyed (un)cooking through this summer, amid Houston’s hot heat. Judita has written a cookbook with easy, tasty recipes without the fuss of complicated raw show-stoppers. Some delicacies are included, too, though. She incorporates a few non-raw ingredients like maple syrup, as evidenced by this recipe. I recommend her simple Raw Chunky Tomato Marinara with zucchini noodles, Calexico Salad, Five-Pepper Vegetable Chili, and still want to try her Southwest Corn Chowder, Healthy Mary (a spin off a Bloody Mary), Thai Veggie Noodles, Raw Meat and Cheese Pierogies and her Wild Blueberry Meyer Lemon Cheesecake. 

A few typos aside, I really enjoy this cookbook and want to share it with you.Thankfully the publisher is letting me give a cookbook to one reader living in the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom (YES!). To be entered, please leave a comment here, telling me which recipe you’d like to try the most (or if you have a recipe from Judita that you recommend). Have a look through the table of contents of Raw & Simple on amazon (or my list below) or pick something from her blog and tell me what you want to cook the most. I will randomly select a winner on November 30, 2013. Good luck!

Other recipes from Raw & Simple shared online:

Mushroom Miso Soup
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Sunny Peach Salad with Chipotle-Maple Dressing
Nacho Cheese Dip
Thai Veggie Noodles
Raw Chunky Tomato Marinara Sauce with Zucchini Noodles
Pumpkin Spice Smoothie
Apple Pie Smoothie
Hazelnut Fig Shake
Oatmeal Walnut Raisin Cookies
Superfood Seed Bar
Orange-Almond Truffles
Chocolate Haystacks
Wild Blueberry-Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Squares

PS. Other giveaways I am sharing right now: Plant-Powered 15 and Practically Raw Desserts.

Note: I purchased my own copy of Judita’s cookbook.  I was under no obligation to share a review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is my submission to Deb for this week’s Souper Sundays, this week’s Health Vegan Fridays and this week’s Raw Food Thursdays.

Maple-Dijon Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Pecans and Cranberries
Adapted from Raw & Simple

4 cups Brussels sprouts, shredded
4 cup arugula (optional, I did not use it)
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup dried cranberries

2 tbsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil (I used less)
2 tsp maple syrup
1-2 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced

1. Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. The salad will last a day in the refrigerator.

Serves 4 as a side salad.