Raw Veggie Slaw with a Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette. Vegan.

Happy Monday everyone! Well after an uneventful weekend… I’m bracing myself for the craziness to ensue this week.  My youngest starts back to tennis.  My oldest is in the throngs of summer swim, working and meets.  Board meetings, doc appointments, traveling… Deep breathing shall commence.  I know I’m not the only one out there doing it all… but I start to get a bit overwhelmed.  Isn’t it summer?  Shouldn’t life be relaxing?

This weekend I did work on creating recipes to share this week so I didn’t neglect my blog.  I have two salad recipes that are summer-inspired and awesome to keep in the fridge making dinner super easy.  Vegan or not… you can add a protein of your choice and you are good to go.  And one pickling recipe that is so addictive.  While taking pics, my husband and I stood over the jar devouring the finished product.  I’m embarrassed to admit it but … it’s the truth.

Okay I’ll stop babbling and start with this fun and delicious recipe.
Ingredients:

*No specific quantities are required and it’s just a baseline for ingredients you can use.  Feel free to adjust the amounts per your taste.  I did add some leftover veggies (peppers/cherry tomatoes) from Taco Tuesday into this mixture to use up leftovers.

Salad ingredients:
1/2 of red cabbage (small size head) chopped up and then soaked in cold water for 40 minutes.
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced in very thin strips
1 red pepper, sliced in very thin strips
4 green onions, bottoms removed and sliced
1 palm full of fresh cilantro leaves, washed and chopped
1 cup of shredded carrots
1 English cucumber, shaved thinly with a hand slicer or mandolin slicer with hand guard
1 jalapeno, diced up (seeded or not depending on if you want it spicy or not)
Toasted sesame seeds (add to the top of the salad)

Dressing:
1 jalapeno (seeded or not)
3 cloves of garlic
1 inch piece of ginger root
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup of maple syrup
3 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar (I use a good aged balsamic)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Olive oil to drizzle into the food processor to blend (1/4 cup)

Directions for salad:
Once you soak the cabbage – drain it and let it dry.  Combine all of the veggie ingredients and give a good stir.

To make the dressing:  Into your food processor add your jalapeño, garlic and ginger.  Pulse several times until finely chopped.  Then add your lime juice, syrup, vinegar, salt and cilantro.  Pulse several times until broken down.  Drizzle the olive oil in through the spout to emulsify the vinaigrette.  Test and adjust the seasonings as needed.  Top your salad with the dressing and toss to coat.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Toss the dressing/salad prior to serving.  The flavors will deepen with time.  Serve cold.

Wrapping up last week – I finished out the week with 40 miles running.  It wasn’t what I wanted but due to the heat, it was the best I could do.

Saturday:  10 miles outdoors
Sunday: 21 mile hilly cycling ride that just annihilated my legs.  More running means harder rides for me.
Monday: 6.23 treadmill miles/strength training

— Knead to Cook