E D A M A M E

Today I tried a new recipe. Not only was the recipe new, but it included an ingredient that I had never used in my cooking before. I don't know how I've avoided edamame up to this point, but they are so delicious! They're a popular snack food and I wanted to give them a try. I had actually had them in a salad at Panera Bread and liked them and wanted to try cooking with them myself.

 I couldn't find them in the store so I had to ask for help. When I did, I also asked for already shelled edamame. The store employee that helped me assured me the ones he gave me were shelled and I didn't  check the package myself. Big mistake. I came home and found that they were still in the  So, I had to microwave them for 5 minutes-they came in a steamable bag-and then pop the beans out of the shells. It's not hard work, just time consuming. They are somewhat soft, but hold their shape and are really delicious!

This salad was just oustanding. It's one of the best salads I've made, I believe! I'll be making it again, for sure! It was such a great compliment alongside the portabello sandwich we had. I added grilled onion, lettuce, tomato slice, and mustard on a grilled bun. It was a little messy due to the juicy portabello, but packed with flavor and still very healthy!

I made the salad in the morning so that the dressing and vegetables would have time to marinate. It stayed crunchy and was perfect for dinner. Give this recipe a try...you won't be disappointed!

ASIAN SLAW with GINGER-PEANUT DRESSING

For the Dressing

1/4 c. honey

1/4 c. vegetable oil

1/4 c. unseasoned rice vinegar

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp Asian sesame oil

1 Tbsp peanut butter

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 Srirach sauce

1 Tbs minced fresh ginger

1 large garlic clove, minced

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl until peanut butter is dissolved. Set aside

**Note:

(I used agave nectar instead of honey, and I only had a little over 1 Tbsp to use but the slaw was sweet enough without more than that.)

 

For the Slaw

4 c. shredded cabbage

2 c. shredded carrots

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 c. cooked and shelled edamame

2 med. scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 c chopped salter peanuts

1/2 c. loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro

** Note

(I used diced red onion instead of scallions, and I have cilantro in the freezer so I used my frozen cilantro and chopped it up before adding to the slaw. The other change I made was to use almonds and cashews instead of peanuts)