At Peggy's request

My friend Peggy asked me to post a few of my favorite recipes during this "resolution happy" time of the new year. So, I'll give it a try. (Even though my husband thinks I'm crazier than usual for photographing my food...)

This is one of my new favorites. It's very healthy, relatively simple to make, and goes a long way at a party as a dish to pass. I've found it to be a good "go-to" dish when I want to make sure there is one thing on the buffet table that I can have a second helping of with no guilt.

I have to give credit to my friend Carissa for introducing it to me, and also to Rachael Ray, as it was originally published in her magazine. I've made a few adjustments when I make it, and invented a fun, new way to serve it.

Thai Slaw Salad
Original Rachael Ray recipe:

• 1 (16 ounces) prepared shredded coleslaw mix from produce department
• 1/4 European seedless cucumber, sliced into thin sticks
  
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 20 leaves fresh basil, shredded

Dressing:

• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup white distilled or rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar or 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

My variations:
I like to use much more pepper -- a mix of red and yellow, if possible. I think this livens up the color, which we could all use in January! Also, I find a bit of red onion is a nice touch.

Slicing the cucumber into thin strips was taking me more time than I had, so just chopping it into little bits worked fine for me. Also, I had a hard time finding fresh basil this time of year, so I used a bit of the "squeeze" version in my dressing. (Have you seen those nifty little "Gourmet Garden" squeeze bottles in the produce section? I love them! They are great in the winter when lots of fresh options aren't available, but have much more flavor than dried herbs.)

The sesame oil is available in the "ethnic food" aisle at my grocery store. You only need a small bottle -- a little bit goes a long way.

Try this! Chicken Thai Taco!
I made the salad into a lunch today by serving it on a tortilla, adding grilled chicken breast, piling lots of slaw on top, and sprinkling it with just a teaspoon of feta. (I, of course, also added a dash of Red Hot.) Yum!