"NAPA CABBAGE SALAD WITH GINGER DRESSING"

Whenever we go to our favorite Japanese place along Katella Avenue, we often choose the ginger dressing for our vegetable salad that goes with our Teriyaki plate.

So when I cooked teriyaki pork one time, I thought of making my own ginger dressing for our side salad. It came out as a very light salad, with lots of ginger and sesame flavor! Yummm!

I love cilantro so I added it to my cabbage mix, but you do not have to use it if you do not like the strong flavor of cilantro. I suggest try some other light-flavored herbs, such as parsley or basil. Herbs not only add flavor to your dish, but most herbs are full of anti-oxidants and vitamin boosters too!

Feel free to add more vegetables to your cabbage mix, maybe carrots, celery, sweet onions, cucumber...?

Some friends emailed me, asking if it is okay for them to add more ingredients to the recipe they pick from my website...

of course I told them "by all means do so!" :-)

I even suggest that you my readers add your favorite ingredients to whatever recipes on this website, and feel free to "tweak" it to your liking (as long as you like the taste of the end product ok?).

Isn't is that when we cook, we base the flavors on our taste preferences, and of course sometimes based on our health requirements too? So my recipes are oftentimes low-salt or low-sugar, as we are watching our sugar and our fat intake too, remember?

Have fun cooking, and please do not hesitate to email me for questions and suggestions!

- Chichay

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"Napa Cabbage Salad With Ginger Dressing"

What You Need:

Cabbage Mix:

• 1 pound coarsely shredded napa cabbage
• 1 cup thinly sliced radish
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup (lightly packed) chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
  

Ginger Dressing:

• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 1 cup mayonnaise
  

How To:

-Combine the cabbage, radish, green onions (and cilantro, if using) in a large bowl.

-In a separate bowl, whisk together the ginger dressing. Mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding salt and pepper if you wish.

-Refrigerate the two bowls until ready to be used.

-When ready to serve, gently combine the dressing with the cabbage mix.