Lime Honey Cashew Coleslaw

As promised, here is the cashew coleslaw recipe I made up to go with the Lime Honey Pork Chops.  This uses basically the same ingredients for the dressing as we used for the marinade on the chops, but without the crushed garlic.  If you are making this fresh while the chops are cooking for a quick dinner, it tastes great.  Or, if you make it up anywhere from a few hours to a day ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge, it’s even better (just pay attention to the note below about when to add the cashews).

Gather Up:

• 1/2 head green cabbage, sliced thinly into shreds
• 1/2 head red cabbage, sliced thinly into shreds
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin slices
• 4 scallions, chopped fine
• 1/2~3/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• juice of 2 limes
• 4 tbsp EVOO
• 1-1/2 tbsp Tamari
• 1 tbsp raw local honey
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup roasted unsalted cashews

Get all of your veggies sliced and chopped and tossed into a super-extra-ginormous mixing bowl (this one is an 8-quart bowl).  You need enough room to toss everything without spilling all over the counter – so err on the side of “the bigger, the better.” (If I was going to make a double batch – for a potluck perhaps – I’d consider a food-grade 5-gallon bucket…)  You can toss in the cashews now if you are making this to eat right away – but if you are making it ahead, I would hold off until right before serving so they remain crunchy.

Mix up the remaining ingredients in a 2-cup prep bowl and whisk to combine well (make sure the honey is fully dissolved).

Pour the dressing over the veggies in the mixing bowl and start tossing until everything is coated well and mixed well.  Once done, you may choose to transfer to a serving bowl that is a little more closely matched to the volume of the coleslaw (I guess that depends on how many dishes you want to wash).

Right about now, those pork chops are probably pretty close to coming off the grill.  Don’t forget to check on them!  Plate up the coleslaw with the chops (or maybe some Fennel Citrus Shrimp instead), and dig in.  Save the leftovers for lunch tomorrow…but you might want to toss in a few fresh cashews right at lunch time (because the ones in there will have softened up from the dressing).