Spring has sprung, and it’s time to start thinking about grilling, fresh berries and salads. Japanese Cabbage Salad is fresh, light and a little bit crunchy for the perfect picnic, side or lunch salad. The change of season brings about fresh and light recipe ideas for blogging but also a welcome change for everyday living. It’s the opportunity to jog outdoors, enjoy long walks and drive to and from work in daylight. These are important things in my world. What’s got you excited for spring?
What I enjoy most about this salad is the almonds, they give a great crunchy texture to every bite. Using the chicken seasoning package from the noodles in the dressing is also genius. It provides a wonderful savoury and salty addition to the mound of cabbage. Japanese Cabbage Salad is great for picnics or potlucks because it holds up very well and there is no mayonnaise to cause concern if left to sit for a while. Have it as a meal by adding grilled or rotisserie chicken, it’s a great lunch.
The recipe suggests letting the salad rest for 30-60 minutes to meld the flavours, but truthfully, I enjoy it just as much the next day after the cabbage has absorbed more of the dressing. It’s rather embarrassing how much of this salad I can eat in one sitting, stopping only because my gut aches from eating so much raw cabbage. I’m not sure that salads are usually what people can’t stop eating but this one hits all the right notes for me. Enjoy
Whisk together the first six ingredients and set aside.
In a large bowl toss together shredded cabbage, almonds and green onion. Add dressing and toss to coat evenly. Break apart ramen noodles into small pieces with your hands and toss with salad. Cover salad and allow to rest in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes to meld flavours and soften the noodles slightly. The salad can be made up to 2 hours in advance, tossing lightly just before serving.
Notes
-Slivered almonds are preferred as they offer the best crunch and size. To toast the almonds preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange almonds in a single layer in a pie plate or other shallow baking tray. Toast for 8-10 minutes until just starting to turn golden. -Easily make this salad into lunch by topping with cooked chicken.
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What’s your favourite summer slaw? I’m partial to a classic creamy coleslaw, so I immediately fell in love with Wasabi Slaw. It has all the creaminess of a mayonnaise-based dressing and the crunch of cool, crisp cabbage but it is set apart by the addition of wasabi. The earthy heat melds with the creamy dressing and gives just the right amount of punch. My perfect punchy heat may be different than yours, so add a little wasabi or add a lot.
For a crisp coleslaw, mix the dressing in advance but don’t add it to the cabbage until ready to serve. Keeping all ingredients cold before and after mixing will also help maintain a wonderful crunch. Enjoy!
In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, wasabi, vinegar, salt and pepper. Allow the dressing to sit refrigerated for at least 10 minutes or until ready to use to allow sugar to completely dissolve.
In a large bowl toss together cabbage, carrots and green onion.
Stir in dressing and serve immediately for a crisp coleslaw. .
Recipe Notes
The coleslaw with soften as it sits so it is best served immediately after adding dressing. It can be made a couple of hours ahead and tossed before serving if needed.
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February 18, 2019 marks Family Day in my province of Alberta, Canada. A holiday to promote family values and spending time together as a family. Slow Cooker Lentil and Ham Soup is perfect for your family day weekend. Super easy to toss together in your slow cooker, and forget about until dinner time. Giving you the whole day to spend with your family without having to worry about dinner until the last few touches are required, which is hours later.
Dinner is ready…
With just a couple of last minute touches to the soup, the whole family can enjoy a hearty and satisfying soup made from scratch. It’s a wonderful bowlful to warm everyone up from a day of outdoor activities even if it’s not a holiday. The recipe makes about 10 cups and freezes well too.
To ham or not to ham…
I love the subtle smokiness a ham bone can bring to soup and I just happen to have a ham bone leftover from the holidays. If a ham bone isn’t available to you, a smoked pork hock works just as well and they’re readily available all year. I also like the texture and flavour of meaty little bites of ham throughout the soup too, so I’ll definitely ham it up when I can. But don’t fret, this is a lovely vegan soup without the ham if that is your preference. The dill and vinegar in the recipe add a little brightness to the soup and helps to cut the starchiness of the lentils. It’s so, so good.
Now, about the lentil…
I could rattle on and on about the lentil, but the lentils website is very informative about the varieties, nutrition and cooking of the lentil. It’s a good read with lots of information.
Rinse and drain lentils. Add lentils along with onion, celery, carrots, cabbage, garlic, parsley, bay leaf, thyme to your slow cooker.
Cut excess ham away from bone and save for later.
Add ham bone and 7 cups of broth to slow cooker. Stir to combine, cover and cook on low for about 7 hours, stirring once or twice.
While soup is cooking, coursely chop or shred ham. Cover and refrigerate until soup is ready.
Remove ham bone and bay leaf from soup. Adjust consistency with the additional cup of broth. Stir in chopped ham and white vinegar. Cover and allow to cook for 5-10 more minutes to warm ham. Add a generous sprinkle of fresh dill and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and more fresh dill.
Recipe Notes
a smoked pork hock will work in place of a meaty ham bone.
for a vegetarian/vegan option, use vegetable broth and omit the ham and sour cream.
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I love, love, love crunchy food! For me, the crunchier and saltier the better. I’m the gal who’ll choose a bag of Doritos over a piece of cake. This may be why I love these amazing Crispy Chicken Sliders with Wasabi Slaw. The traditional three stage breading using Panko or coarse homemade bread crumbs, makes the crispiest little chicken cutlets that are so perfect with creamy crunchy slaw. And this slaw has a nice, but not too hot, nasal clearing heat from the wasabi. It’s a fantastic combination.
Yes, you heard me right, there’s wasabi in the slaw, and it’s my new favourite coleslaw. Creamy, crisp and cool with just enough wasabi to create a warming bite and provide a definite sense that you’re not in coleslaw Kansas anymore. It’s not “reach for water hot” by any means, but if serving this coleslaw on the side, I’d warn the kids and grandparents…just saying! With its creamy and tangy dressing, the coleslaw is absolutely perfect with the crispy chicken cutlets. I like to really pile it on for the ultimate little slider. Don’t forget this amazing slaw is also great with pulled pork or as a side to BBQ’d meats. But don’t take my word for it, go on and give it a try. You’ll love these wonderful, easy to put together Crispy Chicken Sliders with Wasabi Slaw. Enjoy!
Recipe source for Crispy Chicken Sliders with Wasabi Slaw: Compelled To Cook
In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, wasabi, salt and pepper. Cover and keep chilled until ready to use.
When ready to assemble sliders, toss cabbage, green onion and grated carrot with dressing.
Chicken Cutlets
Slice chicken breasts in half horizontally and then cut each half into half again, getting 4 pieces (each being about 1.5 ounces) out of each breast. Place the chicken pieces between two pieces of parchment or wax paper and pound with a rolling pin or flat side of a mallet to 1/4" thick.
Using 3 shallow bowls, to the first, add the flour, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. To the second, add eggs and water and whisk to combine. To the third, add the bread crumbs.
Add several chicken pieces to the flour bowl and flip around to coat. Shake off excess and add pieces to egg bowl. Using a fork, flip to coat with egg and place in bread crumbs, turning each piece and patting gently to adhere crumbs. Place breaded portions onto a clean plate or wire rack and repeat breading procedure until all pieces are done.
Add enough canola oil to a large skillet to just start to cover the bottom. Heat over medium high until hot. Add breaded chicken to pan, being careful not to overcrowd pan. Cook for approximately 2 minutes per side until golden. Remove from pan to a paper towel lined tray to dab off any excess grease and then to a clean plate. Keep warm in a low 225℉ oven while remaining cutlets are fried. Wipe out pan with a paper towel to remove excess crumbs that may start to burn prior to frying more cutlets.
Slice slider buns in half and brush lightly with butter. Wipe out skillet with a paper towel and place slider buns buttered side down in pan and heat over medium until starting to brown and become warm. About 2 minutes.
To each slider bun, add a chicken cutlet and top with a generous amount of wasabi slaw. Secure each slider with a long toothpick if desired and serve immediately.
Crunchy, cool, and mild, kohlrabi lies somewhere between a turnip, broccoli stems and an apple. Delicious raw in salads or simply eaten as is with your favourite veggie dip. Its crispness is a perfect pairing with cabbage in this lovely Asian Kohlrabi Slaw. But don’t hesitate to toss thinly sliced or grated kohlrabi into your own favourite coleslaw, because it’s fantastic with creamy dressings as well. You can also use kohlrabi in soups, stir fries and stews much like you would turnip or potatoes. Don’t throw out those leaves either, because they can be sauteed or braised like kale for a nutritious side dish. Kohlrabi is low in calories and a good source of vitamin C, potassium and fiber.
Recipe source for Asian Kohlrabi Slaw: Compelled To Cook
In a small bowl whisk together oil, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, garlic, sugar, ginger, sesame oil and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl toss together kohlrabi, green cabbage, green onion, cilantro, carrot, sesame seeds and jalapeño. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat and combine. Stir in purple cabbage at the end to avoid the purple colour weeping too much. Garnish with additional toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onion. Serve immediately or within an hour.
Recipe Notes
To julienne the kohlrabi, cut off stems and peel bulb with a vegetable peeler. Cut bulb in half and lay flat. Slice thinly, then stack a few slices together and thinly slice into strips. Repeat with remaining kohlrabi and slices.
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