A DIFFERENT KIND OF SLAW

Another thing that came in my Bountiful Sprout basket last week was cabbage, and lots of it! Thought I was ordering one head, and ended up with three. I decided, therefore, that it was an excellent time to experiment with a new, slightly unusual, recipe. If we didn't like it, no biggie. There was plenty more cabbage where that came from! I've had the recipe for a long time, but kept dithering about whether to make it because of that peanut butter in the dressing. Don't get me wrong, I love peanut butter (my "if you were stranded on a dessert island with only one food" food), but I was never a huge fan of that thick peanut sauce that you find on many Thai and Indonesian dishes. Trust me, it's not like that at all. It's just enough to help all the dressing ingredients come together and blend.

Now, usually, when I ask my hubby how he likes something, the most I can hope for is "Not bad", or "OK", or "Didn't suck." This time, I hadn't even asked him what he thought yet, when he burst out with "Good slaw!" He even ate the leftovers the next day, and my boy is not a fan of leftovers! Guess it's a keeper.

THAI SLAW

4 cups shredded cabbage - red, green, or both
1 cup diced red and yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped scallions

Combine all veggie ingredients in a large bowl.

Dressing:

1 teaspoon chili paste or a few sprinkles of chili oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 T. maple syrup, or sweeten to taste with the sweetener of your choice
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. toasted sesame oil
1 T. peanut butter
juice of one lime
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar with screw top lid and shake until well blended. Pour dressing over slaw and toss to combine. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until serving time.

Enjoy!