The Infamous Napa Cabbage Salad....

Good Morning All...Been a while, I 'm still trying to be consistent but it's pretty damn hard to take pictures while you cook and attempt to cook during the day to have decent natural light! Oh, and having a 3 year old helps too! Oh, and the fact that I take step by step photo's and then forget to take the "final product" photo because I can't get the food in my mouth fast enough (happens more than I would like to admit, heehee)

My brother and sister in law have been requesting this recipe on the blog since I started, so it is finally here.  This was one of those recipes that I had mentioned above, gone before the final snap was taken (may have happened a few times.)
 SO, the story goes...Shawn, "What is that?" Me, "Napa Cabbage Salad..." Shawn, "Gross, I don't eat cabbage....Gross."  Me, "Try it, you'll love it..." Shawn, "Yuck, I'm not going to like it!" Shawn proceeds to take a bite, look at me with a smile, and inhale the rest of his plate! Shawn, "Can I have the recipe?" Me, "Sure."  SO, with that being said, if you do not like cabbage, reconsider for the sake of this recipe.  One, napa cabbage does not have that "cabbage taste or texture." Really, I promise...I am a cabbage hater, I won't even touch sauerkraut if I'm making something with it, I make my friend DD open it, pour it in and stir until I can no longer see or smell it!!


Shawn has requested this salad at every family function since.....


Napa Cabbage Salad
Recipe from our family cookbook, author My Mom


2 Large heads of Napa Cabbage 
1 bunch green onion, sliced thin
1/2 stick of butter or margarine
2 pkg of ramen noodles, crush them up in the bag, seasoning packet saved for another use.
1 small pkg slivered almonds (sliced ones work fine too)
handful of sesame seeds *see my note at the end of blog about purchasing hint*

Dressing:
1 cup of Canola or minimal flavored oil, I would NOT use olive oil here, it will skew the flavors
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup red wine vinegar


A couple notes about serving size. This amount above makes ALOT! However, it will get eaten, I promise you! It will also keep it's crispness with the dressing on for a day after you make.  It also behaves like spinach and mushrooms and lettuce and....that it will "deflate" down to a normal size serving once you add the dressing (or heat up.)

Directions:
Melt butter in large saute pan, or sauce pan (whatever you have) over medium heat.  Add broken up ramen noodles to butter and stir until browned.  Pour onto paper towel lined plate to cool. Be aware, these will turn golden and then burn in seconds, so once color starts to show, pay constant attention.
Add almonds to same pan over low heat and toast slightly, add sesame seeds to warm up and toast a bit and set aside to cool.

Mix cabbage, onion, noodles, almonds and sesame seeds.  Mix the dressing and toss.  Add the dressing a lil' at a time, I have found that it does not require the entire amount.

NOTES ON THE RECIPE:
~If taking as a dish, place ramen/almond/sesame mixture in a ziplock and add after dressing.  The moisture of the cabbage during transport can make the ramen mushy.
~If cutting serving size in half, I always make full amount of dressing, I find the flavor changes if you cut it in half.
~If you find throwing the seasoning packet of ramen wasteful, you can sprinkle on browned noodles after they are cooled but it does add quite a bit of salt so be aware, you may not like the end result. I like salt so it doesn't bother me, but I do not typically do this.
~ Buy your sesame seeds in the international aisle of your grocery store rather than the spice section.  You will save a ridiculous amount!

Easiest "Fancy" Salad Ever....

Recognize this?

I'm a rebel! And I'm here to tell you....a lil' rebelliousness can go a long way (ask my mom.) So please....read below....break the rules....

A small change can make a huge difference especially in salad dressings.  In this case, it takes it from boring to fabulous (and you must say that in a high pitched-singing kind of way or the word doesn't have the same affect, you know what I'm talking about, just do it, it's fun.)

Everyone is going to be impressed.

It's definitely not necessary to give away your secret....It is definitely not necessary to tell....definitely, definitely not......(rainman reference)

the reason this is so fabulous....the dressing.....it's, it's.......

bottled! *GASP* *Silence* *crickets*

a foodie "NO-NO"....but like I said, "I'm a rebel!"

Yes, it is the Good Season's Italian dressing carafe....I love it, even though I don't usually follow "the lines," I like them there for reference.

I'm still going to rebel in this recipe and not "follow the directions" but only with the ingredient list...measurements will remain as directed.
 
This recipe came from my mom, Deanna.  She made this salad and we all flipped for it.  It was gone so fast! Now, the pictures I have included are actually missing some ingredients because I threw this together very last minute and just happened to have my camera sitting on the counter (it's usual  place.) So, I snapped a couple photo's thinking I would eventually make the "true" or at least my "jazzed up" version of the salad.  I'm going to post this with the boring photo's, because I'm pretty sure most of you know how to add additional ingredients to a salad without having to see it in a photo---- maybe i'll snap another at a later date with all the ingredients but for now---You'll get the gist.

Dressing:

- 1 packet of Good Seasons Italian dressing mix
- White Balsamic Vinegar - it will be at your grocery store-- you have just never looked for it.
- Light Olive Oil or Light extra virgin olive oil - it's a very neutral, lighter tasting olive oil (I have used regular in a pinch but the "Light" tastes much better)

Mix just like the packet says except use the white balsamic in place of the red wine vinegar and the Light Olive oil in place of whatever the oil the packet states (I think it may be veg oil - yuck~)

Salad:

- Romaine or a mix of greens, being careful if you use delicate greens, use a light hand w/ dressing
- Red Onion
- Pear (red is prettiest), sliced thin
- Pomegranate seeds
- Candied Pecans, you can buy them candied, or you can just use regular and toast them in over (375, 10m when you can smell them they are done) or you can candy them yourself but it's a pain and I don't do it.
- Goat Cheese, crumbled (you can use a variety of cheeses here but creamier, crumbly work best...ex. feta, gorgonzola/blue, etc...)
- whatever else you want to add...I like cucumbers so I add those but the "sky is the limit"

MIX AND EAT!!!!!!!!!!

Missing cheese and pecans...but still scrumptious!

Oven Roasted Carrots

I strongly dislike carrots....except when they come out of a pot roast.  They are wonderfully mushy with the beef stock soaked flavor...*salivating*  Then I met this carrot.  Now, I have tried other carrot recipes.  Some adding white wine, some adding cumin, some adding different herbs.  I had not fallen in love, not even a mediocre like.  Then I met this carrot.  Love is in the air, I tell you!

How can something so simple be so darn good....I have no idea but try it, momma will like it!!

Thymey Oven Roasted Carrots
Recipe, or lack there of, from pioneerwoman.com website but written by pastor Ryan of thisisreverb.


Carrots (I used 4-5 huge carrots cut in quarters)
Bunch of thyme, stems removed
EVOO

Take the carrots, cut into approx. the same size sticks.  I did not peel the carrots only because I wanted them to have the rustic look of real carrots.  You can do what ever you like at this point.

De-stem and/or chop thyme.

Place on cookie sheet and add a light coating of oil...do not follow my pic, I got a carried away with my EVOO.  Add some salt and pepper---CARROTS NEED SALT! Do not skimp! It assists with the sweetness.

Add your chopped Thyme. 

Throw these babies in a 400 degree oven and roast until soft.  I roasted mine with some potatoes as well so they took a lot longer than they normally would (1 hr) I would assume to get the lovely softness with a little bite still in the middle 40-45 minutes would work...Just keep tasting them!! I'm sure you won't have a problem doing that!!!