I had some cabbage leftover from the shrimp tostadas and I was absolutely determined to use it. See, I have a problem with letting cabbage fester and go bad in the bottom drawer of my fridge. I know it's cheap, but I just feel like the vegetable deserves a little more love. Unfortunately, so many recipes for red cabbage call for it to be braised, which didn't sound that appealing in this humid Chicago summer. I wanted to find a recipe that was crisp and bright—something that would make for a lively light dinner, but not bore me to tears.
This recipe for red and Napa cabbage salad with Braeburn apples and spiced pecans from Bon Appétit fits the bill in pretty much every respect. The Braeburn apples and dried cherries offer a tart retort to the spicy and buttery pecans, and the cabbage soaks up the slightly sweet dressing, providing a great crunchy base for it all. The hardest part is cooking the pecans, which require you to actually pay attention to them. My first batch burned while I was cutting the vegetables. I'd suggest devoting yourself to the pecans before you mess with anything else. This all makes for a fairly light dinner, but some cheese and bread would bulk this out nicely.
About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is a freelance writer in Chicago and the co-founder of The Paupered Chef.
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