Asian Peanut Slaw

Has it really been almost a month since I posted anything? Pathetic, really. Hopefully this will make up for it...

I made this Asian peanut slaw tonight to go with our BBQed sausage and tri-tip. When I first tasted it right after mixing, it was too tangy and I thought I'd have to go back to the drawing board. But, sitting in the fridge for a few hours before we ate it mellowed it quite a bit. it was definitely a hit with our guests.

Like more things I make, I first looked on-line for "peanut coleslaw." . I didn't want anything mayonnaise, so that ruled out many in my Google search. But I did find a few that looked promising and combined their ideas. Here's what I came up with:

1 large head of cabbage or 2 small heads
1 TBS salt
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 TBS smooth peanut butter
2 TBS sesame oil
1 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp garlic chili paste
2 tsp chopped cilantro
4 medium carrots, grated
5 green onions, chopped
3/4 cup peas
1 cup dry roasted peanuts , chopped
juice from 1/2 a lime

1. Shred cabbage and rinse in colander. Toss with salt and let sit for 15 minutes. (This apparently pulls some water out of the cabbage, helping it stay crisp.)

2. Whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, peanut butter, sesame oil, ginger, chili paste, and cilantro.

3. Toss all ingredients together. Let sit for at least an hour before serving. Squeeze lime juice on right before serving.

So, overall, I'm very happy with this side dish. I would have enjoyed it a bit spicy, but all my guests preferred it this way.

The lime was a last minute addition. I had seen it mentioned in a few recipes and I forgot to add it to the dressing initially. But, it worked adding it at the end, and who knows what it would have done to the taste if it had sat on the salad longer. I might have ruined the whole thing!

As we move into summer, I'll share more of my BBQ ideas. Anyone else have a good BBQ side dish to share?