Spicy Coleslaw

Coleslaw is a great dish to have in the fridge. It pairs well with grains, beans, casseroles, marinated tofu - it even goes well on a green salad in a pinch.

And it's very healthy. Cabbage is one of the healthiest foods we can eat, especially for the colon. It's full of good kinds of fiber and anti-cancer nutrients.

The other day I made this creamy spicy coleslaw to liven up some leftover black beans and rice. We ate it the next day with leftover tofu, and I was impressed at how it had become even more spicy with rest.

You can vary the spiciness by using more or less chiles. I used fish peppers, which look like serranos and are also very hot. The plants were very popular at the farmers' market this year, and I can see why because they grow into a pretty variegated bush of green and cream leaves. They're heirloom peppers originally used in fish stews in the Philadelphia area, hence the name. If you don't have fish peppers, use serranos or jalapeños. If you don't like heat, use a couple of tablespoons of bell pepper.

I added raw corn to the slaw. This is a luxury only available in corn season, and I recommend you take advantage of it. Raw corn adds a crisp sweetness to whatever you sprinkle it on. I don't think I'd munch a whole cob of raw corn, but a few kernels in a dish are great.

The base of the dressing is mayonnaise. I used to use Hellman's (Best Foods in the west), but now I'm an organic obsessive so I use whatever organic mayonnaise I can find, usually made with a base of organic canola oil. It's not mayonnaise, but it is a fine creamy addition to this spicy slaw.

I rarely sweeten my food, but in this slaw I used a spoonful of brown rice syrup in the dressing. This is a complex sweetener found in health food stores. Feel free to leave it out, but you might need to add more mayonnaise to smooth out the flavors.

The leftover dressing is excellent on green salads. Or you can make some more coleslaw. You can't go wrong with cabbage.

Spicy Coleslaw
1 tsp cumin seed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp brown rice syrup
1 ear corn
4 cups shredded cabbage
1 red pepper
2 fish peppers
2 scallions

Toast the cumin seed in a small heavy skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Remove from the heat.

Combine the mayo, garlic, cilantro, cumin, lime and brown rice syrup in a blender. Purée until smooth.

Husk the corn and place the cob vertically on a chopping board. With a large knife, cut carefully down the ear, separating the kernels from the cob, but leaving all the tough pieces of cob behind.

Put the corn kernels in a bowl with the cabbage. Seed, quarter and slice the red pepper and fish peppers and add to the bowl. Chop the scallions and add them too.

Pour half the dressing over the salad and stir well to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Refrigerate the remaining dressing separately.

Taste before serving and add salt, pepper and more lime juice to taste. Serve the extra dressing on the side.

Serves 4-6