It may be Autumn but the heat and humidity show little sign of abating. When it’s stifling hot I like to eat salad. Easy to eat. Easy to prepare. Today’s 5-2 fast day offering is an Asian inspired coleslaw. It may have a few more calories than a traditional vinaigrette dressed coleslaw (courtesy of the addition of palm sugar to balance out the flavours of the dressing and a toasted peanut garnish) but these add so much flavour and texture to the salad, it’s totally worth the calorie sacrifice.

At just 158 calories per very generous serve, there is a lot of  coleslaw on the plate to crunch through and frankly this meal doesn’t come anywhere close to breaking the restricted fast day calorie bank.  Depending on how diligent you’ve been throughout the day there may even be room for a small ( 100g) serving of  shredded poached chicken (110 calories) or barbequed prawns (150 calories) on the side.

Asian Slaw
Serves 4 generously (158 calories per serve)

1/2 Chinese cabbage, finely shredded (55 calories)
1/4 small red cabbage, finely shredded (65 calories)
2 carrots, peeled and shredded (52 calories)
3 long green spring onions, sliced on the diagonal into long thin strips (30 calories)
100g snow peas, sliced on the diagonal into long thin strips (42 calories)
100g bean sprouts, trimmed (30 calories)
1 long red chilli, sliced on the diagonal into long thin strips (12 calories)
1 cup coriander leaves (16 calories)
1 cup mint leaves (16 calories)
2 tablespoons peanuts, toasted and roughly chopped (110 calories)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (120 calories)
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (2 calories)
2 tablespoons fish sauce (12 calories)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped (4 calories)
1/2 long red chilli, seeded and finely diced (6 calories)
juice and finely grated zest of 1 lime (12 calories)
1 tablespoon palm sugar, shaved (or substitute brown sugar) (45 calories)

IN a large mixing bowl toss together cabbage, carrot, spring onion, snow peas, bean sprouts, chilli and herbs.
COMBINE the lime zest and juice, oil, rice wine vinegar, palm sugar, fish sauce, garlic and chilli in a jar. Shake until sugar has dissolved. Taste for a balance of sweet, sour and salty flavours, adjusting as required.
TOSS the dressing through the slaw ingredients.  Arrange the salad on a platter, scatter with chopped peanuts and serve.