Summer Dinner Party, part 2: Lime & Peanut Coleslaw

To balance the spiciness of the chicken and the creaminess of the corn, I wanted a fresh and cooling salad to round out the dinner menu. I found a delicious coleslaw recipe on 101 Cookbooks. That food blog makes for great browsing, and this was my first recipe to try.

I used Napa cabbage; I find it lighter and more delicate than plain old green cabbage. I also roasted the peanuts as directed, but I think it would be fine to use pre-roasted in a pinch.

I doubled the recipe which made for some serious chopping (cilantro, tomatoes, cabbage) and juicing (limes), but I did everything in advance and just tossed it together at serving time, adding the peanuts at the end.

The Verdict:
This was quite popular with the dinner guests - everyone asked for the recipe. It was refreshing and a bit tangy. The only thing I'd change: the recipe called for far too many peanuts. I added peanuts until it looked right, and I had tons left over. Additionally, several people picked the peanuts out of their salad, so I might serve them on the side next time.

I'll be excited to try more recipes from 101 Cookbooks!

I would repeat the menu for this dinner party again: spicy (chicken), creamy (corn), and cool (salad) was a great mix. I wish I could post pictures of the spread, but I didn't take any photos before we all dug in!