Cabbage Salad and Rice and Beans

It’s getting warmer where I live, and so I figured it was about time to make another salad type thing.  What is really irritating is that the price of lettuce has gotten ridiculously high- M says because of all the ice that attacked the US the other week.  So that meant cabbage was on the menu, and I spotted this salad recipe the other day.  It looked really good, especially, the peanuts, so I decided to make that.  Although I didn’t get an overwhelming burst of flavour when I first tasted it, I still like this one quite a bit.  As for the rice and beans… M has been saying for a while now that she wants rice and beans, and so I decided to go ahead and make them.  These actually turned out quite good.  They’re not as tomatoey as previous rice and beans that I have made, and I really liked the two different kind of beans.  It added a nice touch.  And I always love the hot dogs.  I have never eaten salsa verde, either, and I think that was what added a nice zing to the dish.  Not to mention that they are really filling, and easy to make.  Gotta love that!

“Hot Dogs”, Beans, and Rice

Adapted from I Eat Food

Serves 8-ish

1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced

4 cloves garlic, pressed

1 dried chipotle chili, rehydrated and chopped
2 vegetarian hot dogs, coined
1/2 cup dried black beans, cooked

1/2 cup dried pinto beans, cooked

1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp molasses

8 oz salsa verde

1 cup rice, cooked

Heat a frying pan over medium heat with a bit of water, and add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté until tender, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 225.

In a casserole dish sprayed with nonstick spray, combine all of the ingredients. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes or so, until heated through. Serve.

Peanut Cabbage Salad

Adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen

Serves 8

1/2 medium head green cabbage, finely shredded
1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste
Peanuts, to taste
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp agave nectar
2 tsp sesame oil (opt)
1 tbsp soy sauce
Hot sauce, to taste
1/4 cup mirin

In a large bowl, combine the cabbage through salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, mix together the rice vinegar through mirin, and pour over the cabbage. Mix well.
Chill until ready to serve, and top with peanuts.