March 19, 2011

Cole Slaw With A Surprise Crunch

For a small potluck, one of the ladies brought this surprisingly slaw.  No ordinary slaw by any means. Yes, it's built on the broccoli slaw, cabbage and carrots, but the twist?  Uncooked ramen.  That's right.  It's that college staple at 10 cents per package and the perfect snack at 2 a.m.  Don't be alarmed.  If you have never tried uncooked ramen, it's actually pretty delicious on it's own.  It brings a nice crunch and additional texture to the slaw.  What was even better is that the seasoning packet in the ramen package is incorporated into the vinagrette dressing.  Seriously, how brillant is that? 
This tastes better after the seasoning, dressing and veggies sit for a bit.  You'll find yourself getting a small bowl and then 20 minutes later, another small bowl, and then another 20 minutes later until someone tells you, you should stop. 

On a down side, this does not keep well for more than a few hours. The ramen crunch becomes soft and doesn't provided that great crunch. 

Asian Slaw
Serves 4

1/2 head of cabbage sliced thin
1 head of broccoli, sliced and cut into small pieces
1 bunch of green onions
seasame seeds
slivered almonds (I did not have)
1 pkg plain oriental ramen (blue bag) crushed into small pieces, uncooked

Dressing:
Seasoning packet from ramen
1/2 cup vegetable oil (olive oil doesn't work here, it adds an additional flavor that competes with the slaw flavoring)
3 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
S&P

1. Seriously, this takes just a few steps.  Chop and combine the slaw ingredients.  Put in a large bowl.
2. Combine the dressing ingredients and make sure to whisk well. 
3. Pour onto the slaw and mix.  Let it sit for about 15 minutes to let the flavors mix.