This week, we are moving to fresher pastures. We're talking salad days and ways to feed ourselves without looking at a boring wedge of iceberg lettuce. Instead, we're embracing the variety of color, texture, and flavor the garden season gifts us. Enjoy it all while it's at the height of its season. This time, we're offering a two-part recipe that can be split if you'd like, but is a quick and stellar meal that hits all the check marks. A bright, spicy Thai cole slaw gets paired with equally sweet and spicy shrimp to get dinner on the table in a half hour.
I got inspired to coat the shrimp in a sweet, spicy, salty glaze when a friend gifted me some stunning chili jam. If you want to make a similar glaze without this particular product, anything from jalapeño jelly to honey mixed with your favorite hot sauce will likely do the trick. Play around and see what works for you. Similarly, the slaw here can be tweaked and changed around to suit your tastes and what your garden or market has provided. No bok choy? Use chopped romaine, kale, or just use all cabbage (in multi colors or just one). Your choice of veggies should focus on giving this slaw a variety of colors - always eat the rainbow - but which ones show up where is up to you. Salads are a great place to play around this time of the year when produce is so plentiful, beautiful, and fresh.
This is a meal until itself and I usually just pour myself a tall glass of iced tea or lemonade to have alongside it. If I'm feeling fancy, I might add a splash of ginger beer to give some fizz and fun to a beverage accompanying a meal that has it's own colorful, spicy dance going on. Enjoy!
Thai Cole Slaw with Spicy Shrimp
- 10 oz. shrimp (fresh or frozen & thawed)
- 2 tablespoons calabrian chili orange spread/jam or similar hot pepper jam
- 3 tablespoons Japanese BBQ sauce
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped bok choy
- 3 cups finely chopped cabbage (any color)
- 1 cup coarsely shredded carrots
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- ⅓ english cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1-2 teaspoons sriracha
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts
Clean and peel the shrimp, defrosting if needed. Toss with the hot pepper jam and Japanese BBQ sauce until well coated in both. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Sauté the shrimp until fully cooked and the sauce has thickened and caramelized around the shrimp. Remove to a bowl and keep warm.
Chop the bok choy and cabbage thinly. Coarse shred the carrot and chop/slice the pepper, cucumber, and onions. Combine all of the veggies in a large bowl and set aside.
For the dressing, whisk together the sriracha, sesame oil, and vinegar plus a pinch of salt, to taste. Pour half the dressing over the salad veggies in the bowl and toss/stir until evenly distributed. Drizzle on extra as desired. Add the roasted peanuts.
To serve, fill half of an individual shallow bowl with cole slaw and the other half with the warm shrimp. Serve immediately.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes