Mango Slaw with Cashews & Mint

I've tried a couple of recipes from Smitten Kitchen, and this is my favorite so far. I'd make both of these dishes again! They're easy recipes, but you spend a lot of time chopping and prepping the ingredients. I love recipes that make you prep a lot but are easy to put together (like for this one you just throw everything together) because the product is impressive despite the prep's simplicity. Seriously...food blogs provide you with easy, fun, free cooking and baking training for when you go off for college or live on your own/start a family. Wow. I sound like an advertisement, but I really mean it.

I made the "thai-style chicken legs" that go with this side, but I didn't take any pictures because...I was lazy and distracted. The sauce for the chicken is a bit salty, so I would lower the salt, but my dad loved it like it was. Both my dad and Smitten Kitchen said that they would make a bunch of the sauce alone and freeze it for future use. I think that says something, although I could see how some picky palates wouldn't like it. It does NOT taste like fish, so don't let the fish sauce scare you away. Anyway, It took a long time to make these two things with all of the julienne-ing and stuff. Yikes. Anyway, here's the wonderful mango slaw (original recipe here):


Simplified (just re-written into Corrie language):

Mango Slaw with Cashews and Mint
from Smitten Kitchen (original recipe here)

2 mangoes, peeled, pitted, & julienned (I ended up with a lot of extra saucy juicy stuff, so I'd add another half mango or maybe even a full one 'cause I love mangoes so much in salads)
1 to 1 1/4 pounds Napa cabbage, halved & sliced very thinly
1 red pepper, julienned
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons of fresh lime juice (from about two limes)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons oil of your choice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste (or omit this and whisk in a chile paste to taste)
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup toasted cashews, coarsely chopped

1) Toss mangoes, cabbage, pepper & onion in a large bowl
2) Whisk lime juice, vinegar, oil, salt & red pepper in a smaller bowl & pour over slaw
** Can serve this immediately or let the flavors mingle for an hour in the fridge.
** Before serving, toss with mint leaves & sprinkle with cashews (or peanuts!! One of my favorite Thai restaurants serves this dish with peanuts and without the napa).