Grilled Chicken with Asian Slaw

Another good idea from SO. I think it came about because we had half a cabbage left in the fridge. The first half of it went to "Lazy Man's Cabbage Rolls" last week, which should be another post. In any case, this was easy to throw together and very delicious. Has that Asian flair from the 5 spice on the chicken, and the dressing is slightly spicy with fresh cilantro and ginger and a few of the "usual" flavours like rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and a bit of hot sauce. Round it out with some Edamame, peanuts, and some sprouts.

Grilled Chicken with Asian Slaw

Everything about this has a fresh taste - the grated carrot, the fresh cilantro, the sprouts. Kind of an Asian take on the Chicken Caesar in a way. I've never been a big lettuce fan, but this I could eat every week.

Next time: I would crank up the spice a bit. The sprouts give it some crunch, but maybe a sprinkle of those dried chow mein noodles would help.

Me: 9/10
SO: 9.5/10
SSO: n/a

Cabbage and Sausage Pasta

Necessity is the Mother of Invention, as they say.  Freezing rain forced me home early, but I therefore had time to cook something for dinner.  SO had a great idea to do chicken and shrimp with walnuts and broccoli, but unfortunately for us we had no chicken or broccoli. We actually had very little left in the fridge - so it was going to be challenging. We had a half a head of cabbage and practically no other veggies, and no proteins at all except for some frozen sausages in the freezer. Well OK then, let's make a go of it.

Cabbage and Sausage Pasta

Cabbage is fairly versatile it turns out - it is benefiting from a sort of renaissance in our house. Crumbling sausage will go with just about anything, so then add a bit of onion, some spices, and throw it on pasta. How bad could it be?  Actually it was fairly decent. In the end, what made it successful in my mind was a moderate seasoning with some cajun spices, and then at the last minute I thought that offsetting that with some sweet frozen corn would make a good counterpoint. Good call, I think.

Next Time: my ratio of pasta and sausage was way off, so more sausage

Me: 8/10
SO: 7/10
SSO: 2/10

Chicken with Cabbage and Hot Sauce

Summer is so busy, there hasn't been a lot of time for cooking. Between weekends away camping or at someone's cottage, and ball games, and festivals, and friends or family visiting, it seems like we haven't cooked anything for a long time. Truth is we probably cook just as much, but just no time for anything elaborate or new.

This dish isn't really elaborate or new either, but the smell and taste drove me to write about it. SO did it all on the fly, and it was great. I think without the hot sauce(s) it would been an everyday sort of thing but man that Sriracha (Rooster) sauce is awesome. They not only have their own FB page, but I also found a comic tribute page on The Oatmeal (a little NSFW).

Chicken and Cabbage Stirfry

So this is your basic stirfry, but there are a few things that make it super easy. Skinless boneless chicken thighs are cheaper and delicious, and a bag of pre-washed coleslaw (basically shredded cabbage and carrot) makes it happen in no time flat. Throw in some onion, any other random vegetable (green beans in our case), hot sauce, and half a can of coconut milk, and Bob's your Uncle.

Next Time: would try different veggies; more hot sauce

Me: 8/10
SO: 6/10
SSO: n/a (would not have eaten it as-is with the hot sauce)