Ramen Noodle Salad

Cooked Ramen Noodle Salad

Cooked remen noodles create a taste, easy salad when mixed with
such as sweet napa cabbage, juicy corn kernels, crunchy cucumber, and vibrant cherry tomatoes. Tossed in a tangy and spicy sesame dressing, this easy 30-minute dish is both flavorful and satisfying. The mix of vegetables provides a delightful textural contrast to the bouncy noodles, while the dressing strikes the right balance of acidity and heat. To easily cut the nori sheet into thin strips, use a pair of scissors instead of a knife. To make ahead: Store the dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Ingredients:
Dressing

3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon sriracha chile sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (about 1[1/2-inch] piece)
1/4 teaspoon grated garlic

Salad
2 (3.7-ounce) packages instant ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded
1 cup baby arugula
1 cup thinly sliced napa cabbage
2/3 cup fresh corn kernels (from 1 largeear)
2/3 cup thinly sliced sugar snap peas
2/3 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 English cucumber, cut into 1/2-inch-thick matchsticks (about 2/3 cup)
1 (8- x 8-inch) nori sheet, cut into 2- x 1/4-inch strips (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions (about 2small scallions)

Directions
Make the dressing 

Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and well combined. Set aside.

Make the salad
Cook ramen according to package directions (without seasoning packets). Transfer cooked noodles to a large bowl of ice water, and let stand until chilled, about 3 minutes. Drain noodles, and transfer to a large serving bowl or two individual bowls.

Arrange arugula, cabbage, corn, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, and cucumber evenly over noodles. Sprinkle evenly divided nori and scallions in the center of each bowl. Drizzle each noodle salad with 1/4 cup dressing. Serve with remaining dressing on the side.

Chow Mein Chicken Salad

                                    

Chow Mein Chicken Salad

Packed with every texture imaginable, this hearty main-course salad, full of moist chicken, crunchy veggies, crispy noodles and sweet oranges, offers distinct and delicious Asian flavours with every colorful forkful.   

Ingredients:
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts,
about 1½ lbs (750 g), cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) chunks
2 tbsp (30 mL) honey
2 tbsp (30 mL) soy
1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh minced ginger
½ small head red cabbage, shredded, about 8 cups (2 L)
1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
¼ cup (60 mL) red onion, thinly sliced
½ English cucumber, sliced into half moons
3 Cara Cara or blood oranges, segmented
1 cup (250 mL) crispy chow mein noodles
1 cup (250 mL) salted cashews
Dressing
3 tbsp (45 mL) sesame oil
¼ cup (60 mL) seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp (30 mL) brown sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) soy
Pinch chili flakes
2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

Toss chicken with honey, soy and fresh minced ginger. Spread on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

In a very large bowl or on a grand platter, gently combine chicken, cabbage, lettuce, onion, cucumber, orange segments, crispy noodles and cashews.

Stir together sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, soy and chili flakes. Whisk in vegetable oil until combined. Toss with salad and serve immediately.
Serves 6 to 8

Smoked Salmon-Cucumber Bites

Smoked Salmon-Cucumber Bites

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

2 teaspoon poppy seeds

1 teaspoon dried minced onion

1 teaspoon dried minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt, divided

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon minced dill plus little sprigs for garnish

Zest of 1 lemon

1 long skinny English cucumber

1 (4 oz.) pkg. sliced smoked salmon, cut into 16 

   strips

Directions:  

In a small bowl, combine the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion, garlic, pepper 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.  Stir until combined and set aside.

With a vegetable peeler, peel alternating strips the full length of the cucumber.  Use a sharp knife to cut 16 slices of cucumber on the diagonal.

To assemble:  Spoon a dollop of the sour cream mixture on a slice of cucumber.  Fold or roll a strip of salmon and place it on the sour cream.  And finally, sprinkle some of the seasoning mix.  Arrange the cucumber bites on a platter and garnish then with dill sprigs.

  

Fish Tacos With Pineapple Slaw

FISH TACOS WITH PINEAPPLE SLAW

Taco Tuesday never tasted so good and was never so easy to prep. With your salmon cooked ahead you just need to pop it back on the barbecue or in the oven to warm it up and stir up a quick slaw. Add some regular tomato salsa and guacamole for those who think they’re mandatory taco fillings. Set the fillings out with the warmed tortillas and extra hot sauce for everyone to custom-build their own tacos.

3 cups thinly sliced Savoy or napa cabbage
1 cup julienned pineapple, about 6 thin rings
¼ English cucumber, julienned
¼ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tsp grated lime or lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice
Salt
Hot pepper sauce
⅓ recipe Maple Lemon Grilled Salmon, broken into chunks
⅛ tsp chili powder, or to taste
8 to 12 small corn tortillas

1. Preheat barbecue grill to medium or oven to 350°F (180°C).

2. Combine cabbage, pineapple, cucumber, sour cream, lime zest and lime juice in a large bowl. Season with about ½ tsp salt and hot pepper sauce, to taste. Let stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes, until slightly wilted and flavours blend (you can cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours).

3. Place salmon on a large piece of foil and sprinkle with chili powder and season with salt, then wrap into packet. Wrap tortillas in a separate foil packet. Warm on the barbecue or in the oven for about 10 minutes, flipping packets once if using the barbecue.

4. Season slaw with more salt, if necessary. Divide salmon between tortillas and top with slaw and more hot sauce, if desired.

Serve 4

Asian Pork With Sriracha Mayonnaise And Broiled Green Onions

Asian Pork With Srirachi Mayonnaise And Broiled Green Onions

Sriracha is a tangy chili sauce made from puréed chili peppers, vinegar, sugar and garlic. It adds spiciness and depth of flavour to all it touches. It’s combined here with the mayonnaise to add spice and personality. Ingredients:1 tbsp sesame oil 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp lime or lemon juice 1 tbsp + 2 tsp vegetable oil ½ tsp sugar 1½ lbs pork tenderloin, cut in half 8 green onions, ends trimmed and halved lengthwise Salt to taste 1 cup peeled, diced English cucumber 1 large plum tomato, cored and diced ¼ cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar ¼ cup mayonnaise 2 tsp Sriracha sauce, or to taste 4 large submarine-style buns 1 In a glass baking dish, stir together sesame oil, soy sauce, lime juice, 1 tbsp vegetable oil and sugar. Add pork pieces and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to marinate. 2 Heat oven to 375°F. 3 Cover pork with foil. Cook pork until internal temperature reads 150°F, about 40 minutes, depending on thickness. Set aside and let rest. 4 Heat broiler to high. 5 Place onions on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tsp vegetable oil. Season to taste with salt. Broil on the middle rack for 1½ minutes and flip over; broil the second side until onions are nicely browned and softened, about another minute. Let cool slightly and finely chop. 6 In a small bowl, stir together cucumber, tomato, cilantro and vinegar. 7 In another small bowl stir together mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce. 8 To assemble the sandwich, slice the buns and generously smear mayonnaise on both sides of bread. Slice the pork and fill buns with pork slices, top with cucumber mixture and a generous amount of broiled onion. Makes 4 sandwiches

Lebanese Cole Slaw, Malfouf Salad

Lebanese Cole Slaw, Malfouf Salad

Serves: 8-10
Ingredients:
For the salad:
1 head white cabbage, thinly sliced
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced
1 small head or 1 small bag shredded purple cabbage
4-5 colorful radishes, sliced thin
1 small red onion, sliced in thin half-moons
Handful flat leaf parsley leaves, minced
Handful fresh spearmint leaves, minced
Vinaigrette:
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1-2 teaspoons Kosher salt
Juice of 2 lemons
⅓ cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 teaspoons za’atar
2 teaspoons sumac
2 teaspoons dried mint, or Mint Salt

Pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:

Combine all of the salad vegetables except the herbs in a beautiful salad bowl. 

In a small bowl, whisk the garlic, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and lemon juice. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking continually. Add the za’atar, sumac, dried mint, and cayenne and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more salt and any other spices to taste. 

Finish the salad with the parsley and mint, giving it another stir.