Asian Slaw Salad

I love when you get to share a meal. There's something extraordinary about a seemingly ordinary meal around a table. Sharing a meal seems to bring added intimacy and an opportunity for great conversation.

My friend, Claudette, invited my husband and I over to her lovely home and made a delicious meal. The stand-out dish for me was this amazing Asian slaw salad. It was salty, a little sweet, and had a ton of crunch. She served the meal on a variety of colorful Fiesta ware. It was casual and felt special without being precious. You know that feeling? When you know someone made an effort, but it's not too fancy that you're worried about breaking something or accidentally putting your elbows on the table.

This Asian slaw salad is my entrée version of the side that I had at my friend's house. I hope you enjoy it! Here's the recipe.

Ingredients
2 cups shredded purple cabbage
2 cups shredded green cabbage
1 cup English cucumber, julienned (cut into long strips)
1 pack of ramen noodles
1/4 cup almonds, toasted
1 pound chicken
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

For the salad dressing:
1/4 cup canola oil
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons granulate sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Equipment
Cutting board
Chef's knife
Large mixing bowl
Small mixing bowl or Mason jar
Whisk
Small sauté pan
Large, oven-safe sauté pan

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400*F. Preheat a large sauté pan. Add oil if pan is not non-stick. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sear chicken on both sides for 5-7 minutes until golden. Transfer chicken to oven and cook until 165*F internal temperature.

In a dry sauté pan, toast almond over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Set aside to cool.

Shred purple and green cabbage. Place in a large bowl. Julienne cucumber. To julienne, cut the cucumber in long strips. Then, cut each strip into matchstick-size rectangles. Place in the large bowl.

To make the dressing, pour canola oil, sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper into a small mixing bowl or Mason jar. Whisk until combined.

About 30 minutes before serving, pour 4 Tablespoons of dressing onto salad mixture to lightly coat. Toss to distribute evenly. **If you're not eating all the salad, wait to dress the salads individually.

Divide the salad into four bowls. Top with sliced chicken. Add a tablespoon of broken, uncooked ramen and toasted almonds. This adds delicious crunch and texture, which is super important in salad.


I hope you enjoy this recipe! Make it and share it with a friend. If you want it to be a side salad, you're welcome to leave off the protein. Let me know if you make this recipe; tag me on social media!

For more tips, encouragement, and recipes for a healthy lifestyle, you can follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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Football Food for Entertaining

It's Super Bowl week! Americans love football, and football food is a big deal. So, I'm sharing some of my favorite foods for entertaining. These are great recipes to feed a crowd. Click on the recipes below to build a tasty and easy menu for the Super Bowl!

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Brownie Football Bites
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These recipes are easy to make and are great for feeding a crowd. Each of these recipes makes food that is easy to eat; no utensils needed. Try these recipes. Invite friends over. And, enjoy!

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Lasagna Bake

I love lasagna! It was one of my most requested foods. My Mom made it growing up, and the smell takes me back to my childhood. My Mom let us request what we wanted her to make for dinner. I usually requested lasagna and holiday ham . . . just not at the same time.

Some people are intimidated by making lasagna. There are many layers and some people have issues with cooking the lasagna noodles. My Mom's recipe has never given me any problems, but I wanted to make this a quick, easy lasagna. So, here's my ravioli lasagna bake.

Ravioli Lasagna Bake

1 Tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces mushrooms, washed and sliced

1/4 cup yellow onion, diced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic

8 ounces lean ground meat (I use 90/10% or 93/7%)

1 jar marinara (or you can make your own)

1 Tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 cups 2% mozzarella

1 package cheese ravioli

1 Tablespoon parsley, minced

1 Tablespoon basil, chiffonade

Add olive oil and onions to a large pot. Add onions, and sauté until translucent. Add mushrooms. Sauté mushrooms until soft. Add salt, garlic, and pepper. Sauté 1 minute. Add marinara sauce, red pepper flakes, and sugar. If you don't like spice, you may omit the red pepper flakes. Let sauce simmer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300*F.

In a separate pot, simmer water and add pasta. Cook pasta 20% less than the directions advise. For example if your pasta directions say to cook for 10 minutes, only cook for 8 minutes. The pasta will finish cooking in the oven.

In an oven-safe 9x10 pan, put 1/2 cup marinara in the bottom of the pan. Layer 1/2 the pasta in the pan. Add 4 ounces or 1/2 of the browned ground beef. Add 1/2 the cheese (1 cup). Repeat layers. Layer half the marinara (~1 cup). Add the rest of the pasta. Add the remaining ground beef. Add remaining of marinara. Add the remainder of the cheese (1/2 cup).

Cook for 20-25 minutes until the lasagna is warm and bubbling. When the lasagna is baked, top with parsley and basil. Let the lasagna cool and set for at least 20 minutes. Enjoy! 

This recipe freezes well. So you can make a double batch. You can eat one now and save one for later. Or, share one with a friend!

I've had a lot of people ask me for more entrée recipes, so here's one! I've also had friends and followers ask for what to pair with an entrée to make a meal. If you have the lasagna bake for your entrée, I would pair this with steamed broccoli, roasted broccoli, green beans, roasted Brussels sprouts, steam carrots, or a salad. I also enjoy having garlic bread or garlic Texas toast with lasagna.

Let me know if you would like to see more recipe posts. What do you pair with your lasagna? Feel free to tag me on social media, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter, if you make any of my recipes. I'd love to see what you make!

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