How to Get Your Husband to Eat Cabbage in One Easy Step

It’s simple.  Make Guy Fieri’s Waka Waka Salad, with my modifications.  For all my bemoaning the fact that The Husband and Nick eat very few green vegetables, I will give them credit where credit is due.  They will eat them if I hide them.

Guy Fieri, one of the more exuberant and rebellious stars of Food Network (and currently the host of four different shows: Guy’s Big Bite, Ultimate Recipe Showdown, Guy Off the Hook and Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives) made this Waka Waka Salad when he was competing on The Next Food Network Star in 2006.  He subsequently won that show and has gone on to firmly implant himself onto Food Network’s line-up.  His bright bleached blonde hair and biker dude persona have certainly shaken up the all-star roster over there a bit.  I’ve made this recipe a few times before, and was originally drawn to it because of its fun name.  Really, who doesn’t like saying Waka Waka Salad?  It just makes you smile.

The salad is largely cabbage-based and there is no way I could get my boys to eat that, so to fool them into liking it, I mix in some spring greens, and they are none the wiser.  When we had it over the weekend, they both had second helpings and The Husband was looking for leftovers the next day.  See?  Green vegetables can be their friend.  It’s all in how you sell it.  ;)

Waka Waka Salad (my modifications are italicized)
Recipe courtesy of Guy Fieri

• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1/2 packet ramen oriental seasoning
• Pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 head Napa cabbage, sliced 1/8-inch thick (instead of using this and the next two cabbages and shredded carrots, I use a bag of that coleslaw mix.  All the work is done for you!)
• 1/4 head red cabbage, sliced 1/8-inch thick
• 1/2 head green cabbage, sliced 1/8-inch thick
• 2 red onions, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, shredded
• small bag of spring greens
• 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves (use fresh!)
• 24 wonton skins, fried (I skip this)
• 3 ramen noodle bunches, broken into small pieces
• 3/4 cup Spanish peanuts, finely chopped

In a large bowl combine oil, vinegar, garlic, ginger, ramen seasoning, salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix cabbages, onions, carrots, spring greens and cilantro. Whisk the dressing and pour over the cabbage mixture. Toss thoroughly. (Dress the salad no more than 10 minutes prior to serving.)

Place equal portions of salad on wonton skins and top with ramen noodles and chopped peanuts. Serve immediately.

Print it!