Slaw with Asian Citrus Dressing

I recently acquired a mandoline – not the musical instrument, (we have many musical instruments already) but a sharp bladed chopping machine. See the kitchen appliance category of the Tofu Crossing Trading Post if you want one, or just to see what it looks like:
http://astore.amazon.com/rebeccacarmiw-20
I make a lot of chopped salads of different shapes and sizes, with coleslaw a table regular for healthy, raw veggies in easily digestible form full of bite and crunch. Red cabbage is especially beautiful and makes a wonderful slaw. My children eat a good slaw by the bucket full and I find it hits the spot when I feel like munching something crunchy.

The slaw in the picture is created by shredding mostly purple cabbage, with highlight- amounts to taste of jicama, daikon radish, carrots and apples. If you are not ready for the mandoline-leap a food processor will also do the trick. You can make it with cabbage alone and add only whichever of the additional ingredients appeal, but do include a little bit of carrot for the wonderful color contrast. The dressing is taken from p. 83 of Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moscowitz and here is the recipe:

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (one navel orange)
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons hot chili pepper
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons organic sugar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Once I make a batch of the dressing, I store it in a small empty dijon mustard jar, empties of which I collect expressly for keeping homemade dressings. I also put a label on it immediately because days later I will not remember what it is, no matter how sure I am that I could never forget what an amazing concoction is in that particular little jar.

Alternately, I make a very simple dressing for American-style coleslaw by taking 1/4 cup of Veganaise (vegan mayo found at Whole Foods) and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, whisked together into a creamy blend with a fork. Again, the basic recipe is cabbage of any color, but any of the other vegetables can be added for more color and variety.

Consider yourself slawed!