Marinated Noodles and Cabbage

Memories of my Grandma Carlson always accompany this salad for she was the one who first made it for me.

Marinated Noodles and Cabbage

1 (3-oz) package ramen noodles with chicken flavor
1/4 cup cooking oil
3 tablespoons rice vinegar or wine vinegar (I use red wine vinegar.)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 (6 3/4 -oz) can chunk-style chicken, drained (I used a 12.5 oz can--Kirkland brand from Costco.)
1/4 cup sliced green onion
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted (I used slivered because I had them on hand.)
green pepper rings

Break up noodles in noodle mix. In mixing bowl combine oil, vinegar, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, dash pepper, and seasoning packet from noodle mix; stir to dissolve seasonings. Stir in broken noodles, cabbage, chicken, onion, and sesame seeds. Cover. Chill several hours. Before serving, stir in almonds. Garnish with green pepper. Serves 6 to 8.

Julie's Notes: I added pimiento for a bit of color. Red pepper would work well too.

Roasted Asparagus with Sesame Seeds

Why had I not tried this before? My daughter, Kellie, has been roasting asparagus for a while now, and I never listened to her when she suggested I serve it instead of our faithful Warm Asparagus Vinaigrette. The nutty fresh flavor of roasted asparagus is divine.

This is a modified recipe from Martha Stewart found here.

Roasted Asparagus with Sesame Seeds

2 bunches asparagus (1 1/2 - 2 lbs.)

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt

pepper

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet, toss the asparagus with the olive oil and spread in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast for 10 minutes. Sprinkle on sesame seeds and roast about 5 minutes more.

Julie's Notes: Next time I will sprinkle the sesame seeds on at the beginning and roast for 10-15 minutes. Perhaps, then, they will be a bit more toasted.  Kellie likes her asparagus roasted with only garlic salt and pepper.

Linking to Mangia Mondays and

Bell Pepper Saute

This dish intrigued me when I first saw it in Everyday Food magazine a few years ago. I gave it a try, and it passed the "keeper" test, especially when I added fresh basil. At dinner this week Abby begged for second and third helpings, but then again, she has always loved red peppers. You can print the original recipe here.

Bell Pepper Saute

2 bell peppers, red, yellow, or both (I used 4 peppers--red, yellow, and orange.)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small red onion, diced (I sliced rather than diced.)
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Remove seeds and ribs from peppers; cut lengthwise into strips and halve crosswise.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bell peppers and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers are just tender, about 10 minutes.

Serves 4.

Julie's Notes: Add fresh chopped herbs such as basil, dill, or parsley just before serving.

Green Bean, Walnut, & Feta Salad

This delicious green bean salad is packed with flavor. I always substitute pecans for the walnuts because I like to think that I am a southern girl at heart. I don't have the original source for this recipe, but I did preserve the fact that it is in 1996 Recipe Hall of Fame.

Green Bean, Walnut, & Feta Salad

2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed

1 small purple onion, thinly sliced

1 (4-ounce) package crumbled feta cheese

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted

3/4 cup olive oil (I use 1/2 cup.)

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cut green beans into thirds, and arrange in a steamer basket over boiling water, Cover and steam 15 minutes or until crisp-tender. Immediately plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process; drain and pat dry.

Toss together green beans, onion, cheese, and walnuts in a large bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Whisk together olive oil and next 5 ingredients; cover and chill 1 hour.

Pour vinaigrette over green bean mixture, and chill 1 hour; toss just before serving.

Yield: 8 servings

Julie's Notes: I reduce the amount of oil in the vinaigrette. Also, I never seem to have enough prep time to chill the vegetables and dressing separately for an hour first, so I simply toss them all together and chill before serving.