Crunchy Asian Salad

I was grilling some Teriyaki Finger Steaks (see post above) and wanted an Asian-flavored side dish to accompany them.  I went to Pinterest to see if there was a salad I'd like to try and discovered this tasty sounding salad.  I will tell you that not all recipes I find on Pinterest are good, but this one was certainly "blog worthy!"

This salad is easy to prepare and assemble, plus it's crunch is somehow satisfying!  Although I found the recipe through Pinterest, it originated at kraftrecipies.com.  This Asian salad got one 8 and three 9's on the Melnarik rating scale!

As I didn't want the almonds to be added to the salad warm, I decided the first step would be to toast them.  I put them in a small, dry saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally at first.  I had to keep my eye on them, because once they burn, they have to be discarded.

When I began to really smell the almonds (toasting them really brings out the almond aroma) I began stirring constantly until I was satisfied with the amount of toasting.  If you compare the two pictures above, you can see that they have become more opaque and some have actually browned.  This is the perfect blend.  I removed them from the heat and spread them out on a paper towel to cool.

In a small bowl, I combined 1/4 cup vinegar, 3 tablespoons water and the salad dressing mix as directed  on the envelope of the Good Seasons Italian salad dressing mix.

To that, I added the sugar and soy sauce, mixing well.

In a large bowl, I placed the coleslaw mix and added the toasted almonds, the sunflower seeds and green onions.  Using salad tongs, I tossed these ingredients to combine them.  At this point, the majority of the nuts ended up on the bottom of the bowl, but I knew they would be distributed evenly once I added the dressing.

Next, I discarded the seasoning packets from the ramen noodle packages and broke up the noodles.  Then I added them to the cole slaw mix, tossing to combine.

Before adding the dressing, I gave it another quick whisk, as some of the ingredients had separated a bit, and tossed it into the salad.

This was the perfect side dish for my Teriyaki Finger Steaks, but would make a great dish to take to a potluck meal.  My son took leftovers to work the next day and said it was still crunchy!  Also, the ingredients can be prepared the day before and tossed the day you serve it to save you time!  Enjoy!

Crunchy Asian Salad

1 envelope (.7 oz.) Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 packages (3 oz. each) ramen noodle soup mix

1 package (16 oz.) coleslaw blend (cabbage slaw mix)

4 green onions, sliced

½ cup dry roasted or unsalted sunflower kernels

½ cup sliced almonds

Place almonds in a small saucepan and toast over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until almonds are lightly browned and the almond aroma is more pronounced.

In a small bowl, prepare dressing mix according to package directions.  Stir in sugar and soy sauce.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, place coleslaw mix, onions, sunflower kernels, and almonds.  Discard seasoning packets from ramen noodle packages and break up noodles; add to coleslaw mix.  Add dressing; toss to coat.

How to make ahead:

Prepare dressing; refrigerate up to 24 hours before using.  Noodles can be broken and placed in a zip lock bag with the sunflower kernels and almonds and stored at room temperature.  Everything is ready to toss together!

Janice's Manicotti

In my house, we like pasta dishes a lot.  So when a friend told me she liked to make this recipe for special occasions, I said I'd like to try it.

My friend, Janice Berru, was happy to share this recipe with me, providing helpful hints at the top of the page!  It was a big hit with my guys, as they gave it 8's and 9's on the Melnarik rating scale.  Janice was pleased when I told her that her recipe was blog worthy and that I would be sharing it soon!

I began by preheating the oven to 350°F.  I then placed the sausage in a large skillet and browned it over medium heat, breaking it up as it cooked.  While that was cooking, I began heating water to boiling in a Dutch oven to cook the manicotti according to the package directions. 

To the browned sausage, I added the chopped garlic and cooked an additional 2 minutes to let the garlic cook, but not brown.

I then added the spinach, stirring to combine and cooked it an additional 5 minutes.

Once the manicotti was cooked, I placed the pan in the sink and started a stream of cold water running into the pan to replace the boiling water.  This stops the cooking process and by keeping the pasta in water, it prevents the pieces from sticking together.

In a large bowl, I beat the eggs using a fork.  Then I added the ricotta cheese, basil and salt, stirring to combine.

To that mixture I added the sausage mixture, stirring to combine.

After greasing a 9- x 13-inch baking dish, I added enough pasta sauce to lightly cover the bottom of the dish.

After removing a manicotti shell from the water and blotting it with a paper towel, I filled it with the sausage mixture using a spoon.  I found it easiest to fill from one end first, then turn it over and continue  from the other end.  This is a messy process.  I repeated this with the rest of the pasta, placing them in the baking dish as each one was filled.

I poured the remaining pasta sauce over the top of the manicotti.

Then I sprinkled the parmesan cheese on top.  I covered the dish with foil and baked it in the oven at 350°F for 30 minutes.  I then uncovered the dish and baked it for an additional 10 minutes.

I served this dish with Leon Salad (previous post) and some garlic bread.  What a treat!  Enjoy!

Janice’s Manicotti

1 box manicotti

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bag fresh spinach, chopped

2 eggs

1 (15 oz.) contain ricotta cheese

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 jar pasta sauce

¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 pound Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 350°F.  In a Dutch oven, bring water to a boil.  Add manicotti and gently boil for 7 minutes.  Remove pot from heat, place in sink and run cold water into pot, replacing the boiling water with cold water.  In the meantime, cook Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks.  Add garlic.  Sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, making sure the garlic does not brown.  Stir in chopped spinach and cook an additional 5 minutes.  Set aside to cool.  In a medium bowl, beat eggs; stir in ricotta, basil and salt.  Stir in sausage/spinach mixture.  Fill the manicotti tubes with the mixture.  Lightly grease a 9-x13-inch baking dish and spread enough pasta sauce to lightly cover the bottom.  Place stuffed manicotti in baking dish.  Pour remaining pasta sauce over the filled shells and sprinkle with cheese.  Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes.

Farmhouse Pork and Apple Pie

This is one of my favorite dishes to make during the cooler months when I don't mind having my oven on for a while.  This recipe makes a lot of food that is extremely tasty.  I will warn you, that I have written on my recipe that the preparation time for this dish is 1 1/2 hours and the cooking time is 2 hours, so it takes some time to put this on the table, but it is oh so worth it!

I tore this recipe out of a magazine years ago, but there is nothing on the page to indicate which magazine it came from.  Because this makes so much, I like to put some in one baking dish for my family and the rest in a disposable pan to share with another family in need.  It also freezes well.  My guys give this dish 8's and 9's on the Melnarik rating scale.

In a large skillet I fry the bacon, which I've cut into about 1/2-inch pieces, over high heat.

Using a slotted spoon, I remove the bacon from the pan and place on several layers of paper towels to drain.

I add the chopped onion to the bacon drippings, and cook until they are tender and translucent.

Using a slotted spoon, I remove the onions to the bacon to drain.

While the onions are cooking, I begin cutting the pork into 3/4-inch cubes.  Handling about 1/3 of the pork at a time, I dredge the cubes of pork in flour.

I then add them to the bacon drippings, adding oil if needed, and cook over medium heat until browned.

After fully cooked, I remove each batch to a large bowl.

To the pork, I add the bacon and onions, tossing to combine.

About this time, I preheat the oven to 325°F.  I then stir in each apple as I peel, core, and chopped them.

In a small bowl, I combine the rubbed sage, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Rubbed sage is different from any other dried spice I've ever used.  The best word I can use to describe it is fluffy, so it's a bit hard to mix with the rest of the spices.

I make sure I mix them well to ensure they are evenly distributed in the dish.

I then add the spices to the pork and apple mixture, stirring gently to combine.

The apple cider and water get added and stirred into the mixture.

This mixture then gets put into the baking dishes.

I cover the dishes with foil, whether freezing for a later use or baking immediately.  I place it in the oven and bake at 325°F for 2 hours.

About 1/2 hour before the baking time is done, I peel, cube and boil the potatoes and mash them with a bit of butter and salt.  When the dish comes out of the oven, I spread the hot mashed potatoes over the top of the dish and it's ready to serve!  The recipe says that 3 tablespoons of melted butter can be brushed over the top of the potatoes and then placed under the broiler for 5 minutes to brown the top, but in our house, the aroma is so enticing that my family never waits long enough for that step to begin eating!

I guess it would look prettier if it was browned nicely on top, because this way it just looks like a very full dish of mashed potatoes!

I usually serve this dish with a green salad and rolls.  To me, this is comfort food at it's best!  Enjoy!

Farmhouse Pork and Apple Pie

1 pound sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 medium onions, chopped

3 pounds boneless pork, cubed

¾ cup all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil, optional

3 medium tart apples, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon rubbed sage

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 cup apple cider

½ cup water

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

½ cup milk

5 tablespoons butter, divided

Additional salt and pepper

Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp.  Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.  In drippings, sauté onions until tender; remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Dust pork lightly with flour.  Brown a third at a time in drippings, adding oil if needed.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a large bowl.  To pork, add bacon, onions, apples, sage, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Stir in cider and water.  Place mixture in an oven-proof baking dish and bake at 325°F for 2 hours or until pork is tender.  In a large saucepan, cook potatoes in boiling water until tender.   Drain and mash with milk and butter.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Remove baking dish from oven and spread potatoes over pork mixture.  Optional:  Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and brush over potatoes.  Broil 6 inches from the heat for 5 minutes or until topping is browned.