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!

A Tasty Finger Food - Goat Cheese and Olive Muffins

I am always looking for good "finger-friendly" appetizers for parties and gatherings.  I found this recipe on another food blog (which you can find here.)  This blogger served them full sized and over mixed greens.  The idea of a savory muffin intrigued me and I thought it would be a fantastic idea in a miniature size.  So out came my mini muffin tins and away I went.  I did make a couple changes to the recipe and did not originally serve over greens.  I do think they needed a lil' something....a lil' something in the form of drizzled olive oil/truffle oil perhaps or possibly the original bloggers idea and over a small amount of dressed mixed/micro greens.

The recipe found here is by weight.  I used an online conversion chart to make the changes but really they are estimates so feel free to adjust how you see fit.  I was considering using a little more milk next time.

Goat Cheese and Olive Muffins
Recipe adapted from Angie's Recipes


1 cup AP Flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 cup milk (i used whole because that is what i had on hand)
1/3 cup EVOO
2 eggs, yolks and whites seperated
2 oz. Green Olives (I used the small ones and left these whole)
2 oz. Black Olives (I used canned and sliced)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
2 T fresh rosemary, chopped (I used less because I'm not a huge fan)
Small log of goat cheese

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together (to eliminate chunks) flour and baking powder.  Add milk, EVOO and egg yolks and beat until smooth. I used my stand mixer for all of this but it isn't overly thick so it could easily be done by hand.

Add in Parmesan, olives, chopped herbs and some salt/pepper. Go easy on the salt...Olives are VERY salty by themselves.  This mixture is going to seem overly thick and not at all muffin like, but we aren't finished!! :)

In a seperate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.  Keep in mind this needs to be fluffy so don't beat them to death, just until they don't fall off whisk when you turn upside down.

Fold the egg whites into the olive batter.  Again, we want these to remain fluffy so be sure to fold and not stir.  We need the air to stay in the batter.

Fill the mini tins 3/4 or just until the top, simply being sure to not over fill.  Top each one with a small piece of goat cheese and drizzle with olive oil.  I drizzled mine with truffle oil and it was fantastic so if you have it or love it, use it!!

Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.  My where cooked through but not as golden on the top as I wanted so I flipped oven to broil and moved up the rack.  I left the oven door half open to release some heat so they wouldn't be cooking at full temp and browned the top slightly.

They were yummy, but as I said before, I served just like this and next time I will drizzle with oil again right before serving and/or serve on a platter of greens being sure to let guests know it is meant to eat with a small amt of greenery.

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!!!

Pistachio Pesto

I have never been a big pesto fan. I know, strange considering the Italian family I grew up in but it just never tasted right to me. Even the addition of cream, which is fantastic in this dish by the way, did not do it for me. UNTIL, I met this lil' beauty of a recipe. I think the addition of spinach balances out the sometimes overbearing basil flavor and pistachio's, come on ya'll, you can never go wrong with pistachios!!

pistachio pesto
Recipe adapted from Closet Cooking Food Blog.


1 c basil, packed (which means pack it down into a cup to make sure you have a good amount)
1/4 c spinach (i used spinach/arugula mix)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T pistachio's, toasted
1/4 c Parmesan, grated (I only use reggiano-it does taste different in my opinion)
3 T evoo
lemon juice, to taste and loosen
salt/pepper

Peel pistachio's and place in a dry skillet over medium heat and toast.  You can tell when they are done when they change color a lil but more if you stick your nose near the pan and you can smell them. (FYI- the first time I made this recipe I forgot to toast the pistachio's and it didn't wreck the sauce so if you feel like skipping this step---go for it!)

After toasting, throw all the ingredients into food processor and process away.

This picture below is what it looked like without the lemon juice and with only the 3 T of evoo.  Seemed to need more processing and more liquid. Added the juice from 2 slices of lemon and processed further....Still a lil lumpy, added one more T of evoo and.....

Viola...Perfection.

The moral of the story is cook with your nose and your eyes people.  This isn't rocket science. It's cooking and if you add to much just throw in some more basil/spinach.)  It will always be recoverable.

IMPORTANT:  When making pesto on pasta--- 9 times out of 10 the pesto is not "saucy" enough and the noodles will suck it up and be dry.  It is important to save some of your pasta water that you cooked the noodles in.  This water has left over starch so not only will it loosen your sauce..it will stick to the noodles, meld with the pesto and not just puddle up at the bottom of the bowl.

Now, you can use this pesto for almost anything.  Potato salad, just on some plain pulled chicken and placed on a salad/sandwich, over pasta with chicken (displayed), and then of course the "CREAM OPTION" which is what my mother would always suggest.  Cream Option: cook some noodles, place 1/3 c of pesto in pan to warm (medium low to medium heat).  Once it warms a little and starts to loosen, just add some heavy cream.  I would guess a couple T would do it, mix, put on noodles and try to ignore the thought of your rear end growing! (just kidding- what can a couple silly tablespoons of cream do? Nothing I say, NOTHING!)


Happy Eating.