Thai Sweet-and-Hot Cole Slaw

Time to use up the cabbage!

(I swear, not everything I make is fried!) OK, so today I had several heads of cabbage from the winter farmer's market, as well as some cilantro I'd been meaning to use, so I made this wonderful spicy "sort-of-Thai" coleslaw! It keeps well for several days, which is great, since only one of my Sprouts is helping me get through it... usually I make it in the summer but two heads of cabbage took up too much 'fridge room so I had to do SOMETHING!

I love the bright colors as you assemble this salad, the purple cabbage and orange carrots especially, are such a pretty contrast!

Thai Style Cole-Slaw

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/3 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice (from 3 to 4 limes - oh please use fresh! I have issues with that bottled stuff!)

1/3 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, grated (less if you're not crazy about ginger)

1 or 2 jalapeno chiles, minced or to taste

1 small green cabbage, cored and very thinly sliced or coarsley shredded (or use 1/2 red and 1/2 green)

2 medium carrots, peeled and grated

1 small red onion, very thinly sliced or 4 green onions (scallions) sliced thin as far up into the green part as possible

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Dressing: Pour the soy sauce, sesame oil and lime juice into a small bowl, add the sugar and stir until it is dissolved. Add the garlic, ginger and jalapenos. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

1/2 hour or so before serving, put the cabbage, carrots and red onion into a large bowl and mix together. Pour the dressing over, toss again, cover and refrigerate.

To serve, toss the cabbage mixture in the dressing and put on serving platter. Add half the cilantro, toss with tongs and scatter the remaining cilantro on top.

I could eat this stuff for days on end but it never lasts that long! It gets a little "wilted" and juicy the second or third day but it is still really good! It's GREAT in a taco shell with crispy tempeh too!