Salads and Thanksgiving Recipes

 Cindy Dixon loves to have many salads for Thanksgiving. 
She inspires me. So I want incorporate these salads into Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Cauliflower And Broccoli Salad- Valentina's Corner

1/2 pack bacon, chopped & cooked (8 oz)
3 cups raw cauliflower, small florets
3 cups raw broccoli, small florets
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 cup mild cheddar, grated
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup craisins (dried cranberries)

Dressing-
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar

Instructions
Cook bacon pieces, set onto a paper towel to cool. 
Cut broccoli and cauliflower into small florets. Finely chop onion

Prepare the homemade salad dressing. Combine the mayo, sugar, and vinegar.
In a bowl add the broccoli, cauliflower, cheese, sunflower seeds, cranberries, bacon and red onion. Add dressing. Combine well and enjoy!

Cabbage Salad

A bag of cabbage salad (or shred cabbage, carrots, kale)

1 Bag of dry Ramen Crushed up (uncooked)

Slivered almonds

Dressing-

2 T vinegar

1/4c oil

2 T sugar

1 packet of Ramen Seasoning (oriental)

Oriental & Asian Chicken Salad

2 Chicken breasts cooked and sliced
1/2 head sliced green cabbage, if you want add romaine lettuce, red cabbage really looks beautiful
1/2c toasted almonds (425 roast for 7-12 min)
4 green onions
shredded carrot and/or broccoli

1 pkg of ramen noodles (425 roast for 3-5min)
1/4c sunflower seeds (425 roast for 7-12 min)
Optional- lo mein noodles

Dressing-
3 T vinegar (a mixture of both rice vinegar and/or apple cider)
1/2c oil (olive oil and/or sesame oil)
1/4t pepper
1 ramen season packet
Optional- 1/2t fish sauce

1. Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl or large measuring cup- vinegar,oil, pepper and season packet. Taste and add more salt as desired
2. In a large mixing bowl, toss the romaine, red cabbage, and carrots. Arrange the chicken tenders on top. Drizzle with the dressing. Sprinkle with the chow mein noodles, almonds, and green onion. Enjoy immediately or prepare everything and keep separate until ready to serve. The dressing wilts the cabbage and ramen noodles and lettuce quick.
3. In a pan over medium heat or in oven warm up vegetable oil.  Crush the Top Ramen noodles  (without flavor packets) and cook until slightly brown. 
4. Sometimes I mix the cabbage, carrots, green onions with the dressing, let sit in fridge. Then leave out the chicken, ramen, lo mein noodles, nuts/seeds till right before serving.
5. DELICIOUS!!!

serve with Lisa Morby's Pad Thai

Our Best Bites Fried Rice

Fried Rice
Recipe by Our Best Bites, 

adapted from Disneyworld’s Ohana Restaurant

2 c. white rice + 4 c. water (OR 4 c. cold, leftover rice, which is actually better)
3 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. minced red onion
2 Tbsp. chopped green onions
1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/4 c. chopped carrots
1/2 c. chopped mushrooms (optional)
8 oz. (1/2 bag) of coleslaw mix
3-4 generous Tbsp. soy sauce

SEASONING:
1 Tbsp. dried onion
1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 ½ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. celery salt
1 ½ tsp. sugar

Boil water and add rice. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. This step can be done even up to 2-3 days in advance (and for some reason, fried rice tastes better when the rice is cold). Heat butter over medium heat and saute onions, carrots, and cabbage until carrots are tender. Add cooked rice, soy sauce, and seasoning to taste (you won’t even come close to using all of it; save the rest for future fried rice or use as you would seasoning salt.)

OPTIONAL ADD-INS:

–Peas, snap peas, or pea pods
–Ham
–Shrimp
–Leftover Fauxtisserie Chicken

Serves well with Beef and Broccoli Stirfry

Chinese Egg rolls

Steamy Kitchen

Serve with Oyakodon

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup of cool water to seal egg roll

Cooking oil, for frying
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 pound ground pork or leftover  cooked or uncooked meat
1 shredded head of cabbage  (or could use leftover salad)
6 fresh sliced shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded
1 cup julienned carrots
2 cloves garlic, very finely minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Freshly ground black pepper
sauteed onions

I had leftover seasoned shredded pork.

Heat a wok or large saute pan over high heat. Add the cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the marinated pork/meat and stir-fry until no longer pink, about 2-3 minutes. Turn heat to medium-low, push the meat to one side of the pan. Add the garlic, cabbage, carrots, ginger and the mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute, until the vegetables are softened. Add the rice wine, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and black pepper. Continue to stir-fry for another minute. Scoop out the filling to a baking sheet and spread out to cool. Prop up one end of the baking sheet so that it tilts and will allow all the moisture to drain to one end. Let cool for 15 minutes.

 Discard all of the accumulated juices. Use paper towels to blot the filling to rid of extra oil or juice. Now, you're ready to wrap (see photos for instructions on how to wrap).

IMPORTANT: Only use 1 heaping tablespoon of filling for each egg roll. These are slender egg rolls, the width of the egg roll should only be 1.25" diameter.

Keep the rolled egg rolls in neat, single layer and covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying. If you want to stack the egg rolls, make sure you have layer of parchment paper in between the layers to prevent sticking. Keep wrappers also covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying. Refrigerate up to 4 hours until ready to fry or freeze.

 To fry the egg rolls, fill a wok or pot with 2 inches of high-heat cooking oil. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C) or until a cube of bread will fry to golden brown within 10 seconds. Gently slide in or lower the egg rolls, frying 4 to 6 at a time, turning occasionally until golden brown about 1½ minutes. Place on wire rack to drain and cool.

NOTE: To fry frozen egg rolls, do not defrost the egg rolls – just add them to the oil frozen, frying 4 to 6 at a time. Add an additional 1½ minutes to the frying time since they are frozen.

2/12/25  I made these egg rolls. I sauted some on the stove and cooked some in the oven at 440 degrees on a greased cookie pan.
I had extra filling leftover so I made Fried rice. 
 -Cooked rice, sauteed rice . 
-Added the leftover sausage cabbage ( egg roll filling) to the rice and 
-scrambled and cooked 4 eggs. 
-Added frozen peas

Noodle salad Runners high and peanut sauce

Noodle salad - salad similar to Aisan Noodle Salad
1 T salt
1 head shredded or diced broccoli
1 pkg (8-10oz) soba noodles or whole wheat noodles or brown rice
1 T toasted sesame oil (or olive or coconut oil)
1 T soy sauce
1 sliced red or yellow bell pepper
1/2c chopped cilantro leaves
4-5 sliced scallions
2 large shredded/sliced carrots
1/2 head of sliced red cabbage
1/2c chopped peanuts or any nut

Bring 1 large pot of water to boil add salt, add broccoli and cabbage for 2 min.  Remove veggies and submerge in ice cold water to stop them cooking. Set aside. Same pot of water cook the noodles. After cooked, Toss noodles with oil and soy sauce.

Arrange all veggies in a separate bowl

Peanut Sauce
1 T coconut oil
1 diced yellow onion
1/2t salt
3 cloves garlic
1 can (13oz) coconut milk
1/2c peanut butter
1 T soy sauce
1T coconut sugar or honey, or sugar
1/2-1 red pepper flakes
1 T lime juice
1/4c chopped peanuts

In saucepan heat oil up, then add onion and salt about 5 min. Add garlic and stir for 1 min
Add coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar and red pepper flakes. Bring to simmer and stir occasionally, keep uncovered. Using an immersion blender or regular blender to blend till smooth.
To serve- fill bowl with noodles, layer with the salad ingredients, then top with peanut sauce.