Enjoy beach time with refreshing crunchy coleslaw

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I would bet that one of the reasons people choose to live in Southern California is the beach. Nothing can quite compare to the glorious, glorious beaches that hug the coastline of our golden state.

Around 97 beaches are located in L.A., Orange and San Diego counties, so you could enjoy a different beach every weekend for almost two years with no repeats. Just last weekend, some friends and I traipsed out to a beach I had never visited in the 26 years that I’ve lived in California: Thousand Steps Beach.

On the south end of Laguna Beach, Thousand Steps Beach is known for the steep stairs that lead from its street entrance, on Pacific Coast Highway and 9th Street, down to the beach. It is also a favorite among beachgoers for its pristine sand, low-key atmosphere and sea cave.

The sea cave was closed the day we went because of high tides, so we missed out on that. But the real reason we visited was still open: the stairs. Local fitness aficionados walk up and down the stairs multiple times for exercise and that was our goal, too.

Why, other than getting to and from the beach, would anyone want to climb stairs for exercise? The benefits to stair-climbing are many. Because it is a heart-pounding aerobic exercise, stair-climbing can burn between 500 to 700 calories an hour.

It is also a weight-bearing exercise – the weight being your body weight; or, in the case of one young man we saw, body weight plus a 20-pound sandbag on the shoulders. Weight-bearing exercises help improve bone density, important as we all get older, and help avoid age-related bone conditions like osteoporosis.

Because you have to use leg muscles to haul yourself up, stair-climbing torches the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and calves. With a total of 223 steps, the flight of stairs at Thousand Steps Beach could be called a “stairway to (fitness) heaven,” especially if hiked multiple times.

Although we didn’t picnic at the beach last weekend after climbing the staircase a total of seven (yes, seven) times, we saw many folks who did. With more beach days already on the summer calendar, I got to thinking about beach food.

Toting food to the beach is never easy. Between the ice chest, grocery bags and paper goods (paper towels! I always forget paper towels), there is a lot of stuff to bring in order to stave off the munchies after hitting the waves.

Fruits and veggies are always refreshing to the palate after a few hours in the sun. Who can pass up cool, crunchy carrots or cold, sliced watermelon while enjoying the sunshine? I also like salads.

This week’s recipe is an easy variation of coleslaw. It is savory, refreshing and beach-friendly, meaning it doesn’t contain the traditional mayo which can quickly go rancid on a hot day.

If you want to up the healthy fats in this salad, you can add toasted flaxseeds, walnuts or hazelnuts. More protein? Serve it with barbecued chicken or grilled fish. It’s also a nice companion to grilled burgers.

Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend at one of the SoCal beaches, or one of our very own beaches in Canyon Lake. Bring along this coleslaw. And paper towels.

Beach Barbecue Coleslaw

(Serves 8)

Ingredients:

• 1 small red cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 small green cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced in ribbons or julienned
• 4 scallions, white and green parts finely chopped
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 6 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 4 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup toasted slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the cabbages, carrots and scallions; mix thoroughly. In a small bowl, combine the canola oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, brown sugar and salt and mix. Season with pepper. Pour the mixture over the cabbage mixture and toss well. Right before serving, top with the almonds and sesame seeds.