This time of year, after a couple months of soft and soothing comfort food (soups, stews, pastas, potatoes), the palette craves a good crisp, crunchy bowl. Rather than instant comfort, it provides energy necessary to get us through the rest of the cold Canadian winter – a thought that perhaps is the most comforting of all things.

If you too are craving something more, here are my suggestions for a deliciously crisp:

Crunchy Cabbage Bowl with Cilantro Lime Peanut Sauce

Fill your bowl with about 1/2 cup of your favourite cooked grain (I used short grain brown rice). Set aside.

In a food processor or blender whizz together the following ingredients for the

Cilantro Lime Peanut Sauce:

• Fresh Cilantro, handful (stems and all)
• Natural Peanut Butter, 1/4 Cup
• Juice and Zest of 1 lime
• 1/2  Cup water, add more if necessary, it should be an easily pourable sauce
• Dash of heat to taste (a squirt of sriricha sauce or a sprinkle of cayenne pepper)
• Drizzle of sweet to taste (honey, agave, or cane sugar)
• Sprinkle of sea salt to taste

In a large mixing bowl throw together the following ingredients:

• Cabbage, 1 head, finely sliced (or as finely sliced as you have time/patience for). My favourite for this is Napa Cabbage, but other cabbages or kale would work well too.
• Carrots, 4 multi-colour heirloom ones if you can, sliced julienne style.
• Snowpeas, handful, “de-veined” and halved (cucumber would work too)
• Green Onion, 4 stalks, sliced
• Cherry tomatoes, handful, halved.
• Fresh Cilantro, handful, roughly chopped
• Pumpkin Seeds, handful, sprinkled for garnish  (cashews, peanuts or sesame seeds would also be yum)

Top your bowl full of grains with the crunchy Cabbage mixture and drizzle (or toss) with the Cilantro Lime Peanut Sauce.

Savour the Crunch 🙂