Lately it’s all about not turning on the oven so this slaw is a great summer side. Once again, shoutout to the New York Times for the recipe. In a skillet, toast 3 tbsp sesame seeds, stirring frequently. After a couple minutes, you’re good to go so add them to a bowl, along with 5 tbsp sesame oil, 1/2 c. chopped scallions, 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger (or a nice sprinkling of ground ginger), juice of a lemon, 1 tbsp mayo, half a clove of garlic (grated), salt, and pepper. Add 3 c. bean sprouts, 1 c. shredded cabbage, 1 c. shredded carrots, and 1 can [drained and rinsed] chickpeas to the bowl. (Note: just buy slaw mix if you don’t want to shred cabbage and carrots.) Toss to combine.
My only complaint here is that my ratios were a little off. I love bean sprouts, but I should have incorporated a bit more cabbage/slaw (I eyeballed it when mixing). Overall, though, I really enjoyed this lighter take on slaw. It’s a great addition to any picnic table and is just the right amount of unexpected when it comes to flavor. In my book, that would make it great for potlucks. And I love that it’s really light on the mayo so it’s more like a vinaigrette-based slaw without the vinegar…or the sugar. I’m not a sweet slaw fan, sorry.
While I really enjoyed it, this was not the hit in our house that the other NY Times recipes were…and that’s because I learned that my beau doesn’t like chickpeas unless they’re puréed into hummus. Good to know…would have been extra good to know before cooking. I actually thought the chickpeas were one of the best parts about this so go fig.
What he did absolutely love, however, was the steak I paired it with. I wanted to keep the Asian vibes going so I made some miso butter for our steaks. Simply combine miso paste with softened butter and put back in the fridge to harden back up. The steaks were simply seasoned with salt, pepper, and some garlic powder and when they came out of the oven they were each topped with a generous pat of the miso butter. The butter melted all over the steaks and it was absolutely delicious. It would also go great over fish, fyi.
Peaches to Apples 