Ramen Cabbage Salad

Here's another super simple dish that always gets rave reviews when I bring it to potlucks.  The first time I had this salad was at a church potluck.  The pastor's wife had brought it, and when I asked her what it was, she called it a Chinese salad.  I was like, "Are you sure?"  Because I was pretty sure that it wasn't Chinese in origin.  But regardless of the name, it's really delicious.  You get a nice crunch from the cabbage, instant ramen pieces, and almonds, and the dressing is enhanced by adding the seasoning packet from the ramen into it.

The secret to keeping the ramen and almonds crunchy is to dry toast them in a pan and mix it in with the rest of the salad just before serving.  And you'll want to heat up the vinegar and soy sauce a bit to make sure that the sugar dissolves into it.

 
Ramen Cabbage Salad
serves 15-20

1 package instant ramen (I usually use Maruchan's chicken flavor)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
14 oz. bag of coleslaw mix (I like to get the kind with green and red cabbage and carrots for color)
4 scallions, chopped
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil

 
Crumble the ramen into small pieces (I find it easiest to do this while the bag is still unopened).  Save the seasoning packet for the dressing.  Toast the ramen pieces, almonds, and sesame seeds on a dry pan over medium high heat until lightly browned.  Set aside and let cool.

 
Mix the coleslaw mix with the chopped scallions in a large bowl.  Set aside in the refrigerator.

 
In a small bowl, mix the vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar.  Microwave for 30 seconds and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Pour into a small jar.  Add the oils and ramen seasoning packet.

 
Just before serving, add the toasted ramen pieces, almonds, and sesame seeds to the cabbage mix.  Shake the dressing and toss into the salad.

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St. Patrick's Day Maki

So after I blogged about receiving cabbage in my bi-weekly Boston Organics delivery and asked what to do with it, I had multiple people suggest making corned beef and cabbage since St. Patrick's Day was coming up. Well, I'm not really into boiled dinners (other than ramen, haha), but I did see this link on The Kitchn for corned beef and cabbage rolls and thought it was a cute idea. The dipping sauce seemed a little difficult to make, however, compared to the ease of making the rolls so skipped that part and decided to add mashed potatoes inside the rolls instead so it would look more like a normal maki roll.

St. Patrick's Day Maki (adapted from here)
makes 24 rolls

2 medium sized Idaho potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 tablespoons milk
Salt to taste
1 medium size head of green cabbage
1 1/2 lbs. cold corned beef

Add the cubed potatoes to a large pot and add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are soft when you insert a knife.

Drain and transfer to a medium bowl. Add butter and milk and mash until there are no lumps. Salt to taste and set aside to cool.

Start boiling a large pot of water.

Gently peel off the cabbage leaves, keeping them whole. In two batches, simmer the leaves for 8-10 minutes or until soft. Transfer from the pot to an ice-water bath. Pat the leaves dry and set aside.

Slice the corned beef into long strips.

Lay out a single cabbage leaf. Spread mashed potatoes over the bottom 2 inches, and place 2-3 strips of corned beef in the middle of the potatoes. Roll the cabbage leaf up tightly. After all the leaves are rolled, cut into bite-sized pieces and serve.

I found that the maki was flavorful enough not to need a dipping sauce, but I guess you can use a mustard or honey mustard if you really want. I brought these to a party on Saturday and didn't get to ask anyone what they thought of them, but when I went back at the end of the night, they were all gone except for two pieces, so I assume people liked them. =) Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

Next up: What to do with leftover corned beef and potatoes:  Corned Beef Hash (and Pasties)!

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