Asian Slaw with Ginger Peanut Dressing

Is it just me or is the freezer never big enough to fit everything you want to put in it?  I feel like there are tons of things out there that people always recommend freezing (homemade chicken/vegetable broth, herb cubes, pesto, homemade burritos or taquitos, etc.) but it seems like my freezer is always jam packed full of food.  And I don't even have any ice cream in there right now!  The point of all this being that I have a handful of recipes requiring edamame that I've been wanting to try, but the edamame we usually buy comes in a giant freezer bag at Costco.  So I've been slowly working my way through some freezer stuff to try to make room for the edamame and I finally did it!  So this recipe might seem similar to the last recipe I posted.  It is.  But it's also different enough that it is totally worth having both of these in your recipe box.  (Do people still have actual recipe boxes?)  This is more of a side dish, as opposed to the entree salad from the last post and the sauce/dressing has a hint more spiciness and nice ginger undertone to it.  Just like the last one, the colors are really beautiful--better than the picture really shows.  I had some green cabbage I needed to use this time, so I put that in instead of coleslaw mix.  That means I am missing the pretty purple pop of the red cabbage, but it still tasted amazing.

Asian Slaw with Ginger Peanut Dressing

Number of Servings: 3-4
Time to Prepare: 20 minutes

Dressing

• 2 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 Tbsp peanut butter
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp sriracha
• 1/2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Slaw

• 2 cups coleslaw mix
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced small
• 1/2 cup edamame
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced (green and white parts)
• 1/4 cup chopped peanuts
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined.  Set aside.

Combine the slaw ingredients in a medium bowl.  Add the dressing and toss well.  Let sit for 10 minutes for the flavors to soak in.

Source: slightly adapted from Once upon a Chef
Produce Used: Ginger, garlic, cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, red bell pepper, edamame, green onion, cilantro

Chopped Thai Crunch Salad

I love a good entree salad.  I have a complicated relationship with side salads--I hate a boring salad with not much to it, but I also hate spending a lot of time putting together a complex salad when I've already spent a lot of time and effort on the main part of the meal.  That's where the entree salad comes in.  When the salad is the main event, it is a lot easier for me to expend the effort to make a fully-loaded salad.  Plus, they are so light and fresh tasting with all the veggies, yet still very filling.  This is a recent addition to my entree salad repertoire, but it is quickly becoming one of my favorites.  It has two different sauces--a vinaigrette to toss with the lettuce and a peanut sauce to drizzle over the top--and trust me, you want both of them.  This salad has great flavor, nice textures, and beautiful color.  What more do you need?

Chopped Thai Crunch Salad

Number of Servings: 2-3
Time to Prepare: 40 minutes (or longer, depending on marinade time)

Chicken

• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 3/4 pound chicken breast

Vinaigrette

• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper

 Peanut Sauce

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce
• 1 Tbsp hot water, plus more as needed

 Salad

• 2 cups chopped romaine
• 1 1/2 cup chopped napa cabbage (you can also add in red cabbage for color if desired)
• 1 cup edamame
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
•  2 green onions, sliced (both white and green parts)
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• chopped peanuts

Make the marinade for the chicken by whisking the oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper together.  Place the chicken in a ziploc bag and cover with the marinade.  Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to 24 hours. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill 6-7 minutes per side, until cooked through.  Remove to a plate and let cool, then cut into bite-sized pieces.

For the vinaigrette, combine all the ingredients in small bowl and whisk until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the peanut dressing, whisk together all the ingredients until well combined. Add additional hot water, a little at a time, until the dressing is smooth and thin enough to drizzle.

In a large bowl, toss together the romaine, cabbage, edamame, carrots, bell pepper, green onion, and cilantro with the cooled and chopped chicken. Pour the vinaigrette over the top and toss until the ingredients are coated with the dressing.

Dish into salad bowls, drizzle with peanut sauce, and top with chopped peanuts.

Source: slightly adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Produce Used: Lime, romaine lettuce, napa cabbage, red cabbage, edamame, carrots, red bell pepper, green onion, cilantro