warm sesame cabbage slaw

i love the bagged dole/generic slaw mixes you can buy at the grocery store - usually for 99 cents! i usually keep at least one or two in my fridge at all times for quick lunches or dinner additions. if you check my tags for cabbage, you'll see quite a few recipes because it can be used in so many genres of food. this recipe is just a nice warm sesame slaw that i make for small lunches or dinner sides.

• 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/2 pkg. dole slaw mix (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1½ tablespoons bragg liquid aminos
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter (earth balance)
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds

heat sesame oil on medium-high heat in a large non-stick skillet. add in the cabbage and sauté for 1-2 minutes on medium-high heat. mix in the rest of ingredients except sesame seeds (the margarine is optional, but gives it more savory flavor). continue sautéing for about 5 minutes, until the cabbage is tender. add in the sesame seeds and give it a couple more tosses before removing from heat.

serve warm. i really like to give it a light coat of the ginger-miso dressing from matthew kenney's everyday raw. the book is awesome, so you should definitely pick up a copy. in the meantime, you can find the dressing recipe here.

zucchini & white bean bird's nest

my garden is on it's last legs as the summer comes to an end. i got to experiment with lots of zucchini recipes this year as they were one of the more plentiful crops in my back yard. while making this recipe, i noticed that when i mixed up the zucchini strips they tended to bind up in a nest-like pattern, hence the name.

• 1 half zucchini
  
• 2 cups cooked northern white beans
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/8 cup rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1/8 cup nama shoyu (or soy sauce)
  
• 1/8 cup asian sesame dressing

use the julienne blade on a mandolin to cut 1/2 zucchini into strips. mix up the rest of the ingredients and marinate the zucchini and white beans for at least 30 minutes in the mixture.
i made this once with newman's own low fat sesame ginger dressing, and once with kraft light asian toasted sesame. both were equally as good, so just just pick (or make) your own favourite asian dressing.