The Devilish Dish: Southwestern Coleslaw

It's summertime, and in addition to participating in the Summer Edition of #FreakyFriday, it also means we are in the full swing of reunions, potlucks and backyard barbecues! In fact, we just finished celebrating July Fourth complete with meal on our deck with lots of old friends. I was super excited to be invited to participate in #FreakyFriday for Summer because I love finding new recipes I can use for summertime entertaining. If you aren't familiar with #FreakyFriday, each person in the group is assigned a blog to recreate a recipe from. All of this is kept a secret and today is the day we reveal our creations. Not only with all of you, but with each other. It's tons of fun to see who had what blog, and what recipes were chosen. The bonus for all of you is not only do you get a collection of new recipe ideas, you are introduced to some talented new food bloggers as well.

For the Summer Edition of #FreakyFriday I was assigned Lisa's Dinnertime Dish. Lisa shares my passion for instilling a love of cooking in others, and her recipes are centered around finding ways to cook affordable, healthy meals. We can all use more of that! While browsing through Lisa's website, I was torn between several different recipes. The Cheesy Hashbrown Bratwurst Brunch Bake (say that 5 times fast!) was really intriguing. I love anything with Bratwurst, and we're always on the lookout for new breakfast and brunch friendly recipes. In addition to making the Southwestern Coleslaw, I also made Lisa's Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Lemon Cream Sauce. This turned out to be a wonderful recipe. Impressive enough for company, but simple enough for a weeknight meal. And while rich, and satisfying, only 1/4 cup of cream was used, so still on the healthy side I decided to go with the Southwestern Coleslaw as my #FreakyFriday recipe because we agreed to lean toward summer inspired recipes. Nothing seems more summery to me than a side of cool, crisp coleslaw!

Like myself, Lisa's family isn't crazy about mayo-based coleslaw, so Lisa created this mayo-free version with a Southwestern twist. It's different than your basic coleslaw, so if you're looking for something new to take to your next backyard get-together, this is a must try. It's a great combination of flavors. There's some smokiness from the cumin, a little kick from the fresh jalapeno, and just a touch of sweetness from the honey to round it out. Bonus, it starts with a bag of basic coleslaw mix, so the preparation is super simple.

The addition of black beans adds some heartiness to this recipe too, while keeping it light and healthy. Fresh tomato and cilantro round out the southwest flavor nicely, and the dressing made up of olive oil, lime juice and rice vinegar provide that tart flavor you expect in a coleslaw. This is the ideal summer dish. We served it alongside tacos, but it would be even better ON A TACO. Topping a fish taco would be fabulous, but it would be equally delicious alongside your favorite burger or hot dog. I encourage you to head over and check out Lisa's Dinnertime Dish. She's got a wide variety of recipes, with beautifully composed pictures and simple to follow instructions. (Many of which I will be making in the future!) She truly does inspire folks to get in the kitchen!

Southwestern Coleslaw

By: Lisa's Dinnertime Dish

1 (14 ounce) package coleslaw mix
1 (14 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 or 4 squeezed)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients, through the jalapeno. To make the dressing, whisk together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl, until well combined. Pour dressing over salad ingredients and toss gently to combine. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop. Enjoy!

Prep Time: Approximately 15 minutes Cook Time: 0

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