Warm sweet and sour coleslaw

     For lack of a better name, I gave this salad the name slaw.  But it could also just be a condiment to fish, pork or chicken.  In any case, I am sure you have had something like it when you have had the German coleslaw. This dish came from my need to make something that might entice my son to eat the fish I had just purchased.  Ono is a VERY mild fish but my youngest does not really like fish except when I fry it in a beer batter. So I was wondering what I could do, beside marinate the fish, so that he might like it a little more. Like most of what I make, I used what I had on hand.  I had a purple cabbage and a green cabbage in the fridge.  By the way, these two veggies will last forever!!! Sliced fennel would have also been great but I didn't remember or see the fennel bulb until the next day!  Darn!  Oh well...next time. I decided that I would make the cabbages into something I could put some grilled ono on.  I did not want to add sugar to make it sweet but I did want to make it a little more exotic since the ono was marinated in lime juice, ginger, rosemary and garlic.  So I invented this slaw.  I think you will agree, it turned out pretty dang good and will be on the table again. I used a slightly sweet wine which I think for this dish is essential because I did not add sugar.  The wine was also "left over."  Waste not...want not.

 Vinegar and wine soak for onions

1)  Put onions in the wine and vinegar.  *1/2 cup of sweet white wine (Reisling)
*1/2 cup of white balsamic vinegar  (reg. color will do just fine) Make sure the onions are covered.

2)  Add salt and toss.

2 TBSP butter
 1/2 of  a small  green cabbage shredded about 3 to 4 cups
1/2 of a  purple cabbage shredded about 3 to 4 cups
1 large softball sized white onion sliced thin (*soak in vinegar & wine . See amounts below.)
1 small baseball sized purple onion sliced thin (*soak in  vinegar & wine.  See amounts below.)
1 tsp of fennel seeds
*1/2 cup of sweet white wine (Reisling)
*1/2 cup of white balsamic vinegar  (reg. color will do just fine)
1 tsp. of salt for the vinegar and wine
1 TBSP orange blossom water (I get this in a bottle at the Mid. Eastern produce store.  I think one could get a similar effect by grating a 1/4 tsp. of orange rind.)
s/p to taste




1)  Melt the butter but do not let in brown.
2)   Drain and save wine and vinegar from cabbage and add cabbage to pan.  Stir to coat cabbage and wilt over med heat.
3)   Add the onion and continue to stir.
4)   Push all the cabbage and onion to the sides of the pan and add the fennel seeds to the middle of the pan. Cook for about 3 to 4 min.
5)  Now stir the seeds into the cabbage and onion.
6)   Add all of the liquids. (The wine and vinegar that you saved from soaking the onions are the liquids.)
7)  Reduce the heat and cook stirring occasionally. Cabbage should still have a little crunch.
8)  Taste and adjust seasonings.