cabbage and lime salad with roasted peanuts

I know that on the surface, peering in from your side of the computer screen, this looks like a pile of shredded cabbage, a poorly lit one (look, it was late, okay?). But from my site, from my seat right here, this is pretty much the best thing ever, a yearly event I like to call First Slaw of the Season.

Yes, friends, rooftop grilling season is back (or it was, er, briefly last Saturday afternoon but not really by Saturday evening, when we shivered around the actual grill; details) and I could not possibly be more excited. That means summer is coming. That means Jacob and I get to go to barbecues as separate human beings this summer (aw). That means that this one, the adult one, gets to have a beer (yay).


And I know this is old news to some of you, but still, I must underscore again: We are slaw people. We really, really love our summer slaws. Not Your Mama’s Cole Slaw, Dead Simple Slaws, Green Onion Slaw, Tartar Sauce Slaw, slaw on tacos, Broccoli Slaw and Salads That Are Distinctly Slaw-Like. I even wrote an article about my slaw devotion. And then had a baby that looks like a cabbage (patch kid). I need help, I know.

I also have a serious thing for the Lee Bros., those Charleston guys that got stranded for a few years on the lonely island of Manhattan and were forced to sell boiled peanuts and other wonders to their fellow displaced Southerners to stay warm. Okay, perhaps that’s a wee bit of a dramatic retelling but I do get carried away when I see their approach to cooking. And that they have a new cookbook out. I flipped it open in Barnes and Noble a few weeks ago and it landed on this page, exactly, with the prettiest peanut-ed slaw I’ve ever seen and literally, on the basis of that photo alone (see above: unhealthily obsessed with slaw), I bought the book. It was when I got home that I saw the pudding cakes and pudding parfaits and the, look, I just said pudding twice. How could you need to hear anything else before falling in love with this book?

Cabbage and Lime Salad with Roasted Peanuts
Adapted from the Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern
Right, so, about the slaw: Lime. Peanuts. Red and green cabbage. Slivers of spinach. The lime is awesome, although I really have to advise against the whole lime segments they suggest in the original recipe (which I omit here) as we lovelovelove lime around here and it was still too much lime, by far. Peanuts are wonderful, even better if you can find some of those giant Virginia peanuts I sometimes see at stores (these, sadly, were not). The spinach is definitely a little odd in the slaw department; it is not the most stable lettuce thus not the kind of thing I’d want to eat hours after it had been tossed with dressing but in this, it works. And it makes the salad even prettier, which in my book counts too.
1/2 small red cabbage, trimmed, cored, and shredded (about 6 cups)
1/2 small green cabbage, trimmed, cored, and shredded (about 6 cups)
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 bunch fresh baby spinach, stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch wide ribbons (about 4 cups loosely packed)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from about 2 small limes)
1 tablespoon Dijon or other salty prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
In a large bowl, toss the shredded red and green cabbage with the salt. Transfer the cabbage to a colander and let it drain for two hours. (I was in a rush and did this in one. It was still nicely wilted, but of course could have been even softer.)
If you’re worried about the cabbage being too salty when you’re done with the salting process, taste a piece of cabbage and if it concerns you, rinse and drain the cabbage well. This is not a suggestion in the original recipe, but something I suspect might bother some people.
Put the salted, drained cabbage back into your (rinsed and dried) large bowl and add the spinach. In a medium bowl, whisk the lime juice, mustard and cumin together. Add the peanut oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly until the ingredients are thoroughly emulsified. Toss the salad with the dressing and add the roasted peanuts. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
This salad is best served immediately, but it does keep surprisingly well in the fridge for a day or two.

Black Bean and Pepper Salad Recipe with Cilantro and Lime

Black Bean and Pepper Salad Recipe with Cilantro and Lime

(Updated and added to Recipe Favorites, April 2010.) Black beans are such a great pantry ingredient, and this simple salad with black beans, red and yellow bell pepper, red onion, lime, and cilantro has all the flavors that make me happy. I love the colors in this salad too, so when I made it recently to take to my dad for lunch I decided it was time to take new photos and update the recipe. For best flavor, mix the dressing and let the beans marinate for a while (or at least while you chop the other ingredients) but even if you're in a rush like I was and forget to marinate the beans, it will still taste pretty great!

Drain the black beans into a colander placed in the sink, then rinse with cold water until no more foam appears and let beans drain.

If you have a fresh lime, some lime zest added to the dressing really brightens the flavor.

After you mix all the dressing ingredients, marinate the drained beans in part of the dressing mixture if you have time.

Chop peppers the same size as the beans, and mix the marinated beans and peppers together.

I used Rick Bayless' cilantro chopping method where you keep the bunch of cilantro together and thinly slice the leaves up to where the stems start.

Mix the red onion and chopped cilantro into the bean and pepper mixture, then add the rest of the dressing, season with salt and fresh ground black pepper and serve.

Black Bean and Pepper Salad with Cilantro and Lime
(4 servings, recipe created by Kalyn with inspiration from a blog that no longer exists)

1 can black beans, rinsed well and drained
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
(could use any combination of colors for the pepper, or use 2 red peppers)
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Dressing:
2 T lime juice (fresh lime juice recommended)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. ground Chipotle pepper (I use Penzeys)
(you could use green Tabasco in place of the Chipotle pepper)
1/2 tsp. mild chile powder (New Mexico chile powder is best)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. onion powder
zest of one lime (optional, but recommended)
Vege-sal or salt to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste

Put black beans in a colander placed in the sink and rinse with cold water until no more foam appears. Let beans drain, preferably 30 minutes or so, until beans are no longer wet. (If you're rushed for time, you could blot them dry with paper towels.)

Mix dressing ingredients. Put beans and dressing into a plastic bowl with a snap-on lid, put lid on, and turn bowl over a few times until the beans are well coated with the dressing. Let the beans marinate in the dressing for an hour or so if you have time, or at least while you chop the other ingredients.

Chop peppers and onion into pieces about 1/2 inch square. (I was aiming for the beans, peppers, and onions to be approximately the same size.) Wash cilantro and dry well (I used a salad spinner) then chop coarsely.

In large bowl, gently combine beans, peppers, and onion. (If mixture seems dry you can add a tiny bit more olive oil and lime juice at this point.) Season to taste with Vege-sal or salt and fresh ground pepper. Stir in cilantro and serve.

This will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator, although it's best when the cilantro is still crisp. However, I taste-tested it on my friend Robin when it had been in the refrigerator overnight and she gave it a very enthusiastic thumbs up.

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South Beach Suggestions:

Everything in this salad is a perfect low-glycemic ingredient, making this a great recipe for any phase of the South Beach Diet. (Remember that dried beans are limited to 1/3 to 1/2 cup serving for phase one.)

chile and lime veggie bowls

chile and lime veggie bowls

These are so so good!

We've had them a few times since I first found the recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.

Chile and Lime Veggie Bowls

adapted from BHG

1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. fresh oregano, snipped, or 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp. olive oil
2 medium sweet potatos, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup shelled edamame
1 medium avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and chopped
large cabbage leaves
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
lime wedges (optional)

directions
1. Make Dressing; set aside (if you can make this the day before....DO!! It has so much more flavor!)

Yogurt-Lime Dressing

In small bowl combine 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt, 2 TBS lime juice, 1 TBS soy sauce, 1 TBS chili powder, and 1 clove minced garlic, 2 TBS chopped cilantro, 1TBS chopped chives. Whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil until well combined.

2. In small bowl stir together soy sauce, lime juice, chili powder, oregano, and olive oil; add diced sweet potatoes and toss to coat. Roast at 425° for 30-40 minutes until done.

3. Divide potatoes, beans, tomatoes, edamame, and avocado among cabbage leaves. Sprinkle with green onions.

Drizzle veggies with dressing, and enjoy!

(we found it easiest to fold them up and eat them like tacos:)