Thursday, February 25, 2010

Chicken Salad Croissants

I think this chicken spread is for a croissant in the same way that butter is for bread. I can not think of anything I would rather enjoy on a soft and flakey croissant. If you are making this for a group of people a rotisserie chicken works well for your meat. In this case, I wanted to make a little different sandwich to pack in our lunches for work so I used canned white chicken breast. (I keep canned chicken breast in my pantry solely for this recipe.) I scooped the chicken salad and placed it between two leaves of lettuce so that my croissant would not get soggy during the day. Give your sack lunch a facelift with this yummy chicken salad croissant!
Chicken Salad Spread 
small can of white chunk, chicken breast
3 Tbs. onion, diced
salt/pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika or "Salad Supreme Seasoning"
1 Tbs. roasted red pepper, diced
1/4 c. Miracle Whip dressing
2 Tbs. shredded cheddar cheese
Drain chicken and shred with a fork in a small bowl. Add onion, seasoning, red pepper, dressing and cheese and mix well. Refrigerate. Serve on croissants, bread or a wrap.
Tip: If you like a little crunch, you could also add a little diced celery.
Printable Recipe

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Potstickers

This was our first adventure in potstickers. A package of round potsticker dough caught my eye in the produce section and I bought it not knowing what it would lead to. I read a lot of recipes and found that pretty much anything goes when it comes to the filling of these delicious dumplings. All of the recipes seemed to have cabbage, onion and ginger in common and the rest is for your imagination. I used every item in my house that seemed asian inspired. (Well everything that is, besides the Italian sausage!) They were a little time consuming to assemble but once we got the hang of it, it was easy. Next time I make these I am going to double the batch and freeze the potstickers right after sealing them closed. That way, we can quickly add these tasty treats to any meal.
Potstickers
2 Italian sausage links, casings removed
1/4 head of cabbage, thinly sliced
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 Tbs. fresh ginger, minced
2 Tbs. sweet and sour sauce
1 Tbs. honey mustard
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sesame seed
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 egg
1 pkg. round potsticker skins
vegetable oil for pan
1 c. chicken broth
Break up sausage into small pieces by stirring while browning over medium heat until cooked through. Drain sausage and set aside. In a medium bowl combine cabbage, carrots, onions, garlic, ginger, sweet and sour sauce, mustard, soy sauce, pepper, sesame seed, red pepper flakes, egg and cooked sausage. Take potsticker rounds and brush edge with water. Take a tablespoon of filling and place in the center of the dough. Fold dough over to create a half-moon shape and seal your potsticker by pressing dough together with your fingers. Make up all of your dumplings. You may have to place a damp paper towel over your dough to keep it pliable. (My recipe made about 30 potstickers.) Heat a large skillet pan to medium-high heat and lightly coat with vegetable oil. Working in batches, place potstickers in pan with the sealed side up (you may have to lightly press down to form a flat bottom so they don't tip over). Cook for 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn dumplings to the side and brown for a minute more. Add about 1/3 c. of chicken broth or enough to cover the bottom of the pan and place a lid over the pan. Steam cook for an additional 2 minutes and serve with your favorite dipping sauce. I like to mix soy sauce with a little bit of honey mustard and crushed red pepper flakes.
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Monday, February 22, 2010

Roasted Golden & Sweet Potatoes

Roasting vegetables is a method of cooking that I never experienced until a couple of years ago. (I am not sure how this is possible!) One bite and I was hooked. You take any vegetable, drizzle it with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and out comes wonderfully roasted vegetables. My friend Carol gave me the idea to mix sweet potatoes with golden yellow potatoes. The rich potato flavors have a chance to shine through. No need for gravy or butter with this dish - these potatoes are packed with natural caramelized flavor and can hold their own on any table.
Roasted Golden & Sweet Potatoes
2 sweet potatoes
2 golden potatoes
1 sweet yellow onion
approx. 3 Tbs. olive oil
salt & pepper
Preheat oven to 400 F. Peel and slice potatoes into wedges and place on a baking sheet. Cut onion into large chunks and add to potatoes. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss until everything is coated. Bake for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Sunday, February 21, 2010

Pumpkin Spice Bread

On a quest to find the best pumpkin bread, my mom gave me this recipe. Since pumpkin is best enjoyed in the fall and winter months I am in a hurry to enjoy all of the winter season foods before it starts to warm up. The ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves are the perfect blend of spices - use good quality spices and freshly ground nutmeg for the best end-result. This pumpkin bread is complimented best with a hot cup of coffee or latte in the morning. Make this on a Sunday so you can brighten up your Monday morning! 

Pumpkin Spice Bread
1 c. butter
3 c. sugar
4 eggs
3 1/3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
3 tsp. ginger
½ tsp. cloves
2/3 c. water
2 c. canned pumpkin
1 c. nuts (optional)
3/4 c. raisins (optional)
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Add dry mixture alternately with water and pumpkin. Mix well. Stir in half of the chopped nuts and the raisins if using. Grease two loaf pans and divide batter between the two pans. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 c. nuts over batter. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes. (15-20 minutes more)
Tip: Freezes really well!
Printable Recipe


Thursday, February 18, 2010

Chicken Piccata

I love lemons. I love how they transform boring water into a refreshing drink; I love that they smell fresh and clean; I love that you can use both their juice and their zest to make a meal pop; and I love that they create a flavorful sauce for Chicken Piccata! I have started to keep lemons on-hand and I’ve found that the more I buy, the more ways I think of using them. Tonight’s menu is not the traditional chicken piccata because I couldn’t find capers at my grocery store (I had to use artichokes instead) but it was still delicious. The lemon sauce is tangy and buttery all in one bite. We enjoyed having the sauce with our broccoli as well. When life gives you lemons…be sure to make chicken piccatta, it is bound to lift your spirits.
Chicken Piccata
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt/pepper
1 tsp. dried parsley
3 Tbs. flour
1 egg
1 tsp. flour
¾ c. bread crumbs
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
¼ c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
½ c. chicken broth or white wine
1 tsp. lemon zest (about ½ lemon)
small can artichoke hearts
Place chicken breasts in a large plastic zip bag. Using a mallet or rolling pin, pound chicken to 1/4” thickness. Add flour into bag and gently toss to lightly coat chicken. In a shallow bowl, blend egg and water, set aside. In another bowl add bread crumbs and season with salt, pepper and parsley, set aside. Coat skillet pan with olive oil and heat to medium. Using tongs, dip floured chicken into egg mixture and then coat in bread crumb mixture. Place breaded chicken in skillet and cook for 4 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and place on a plate. Wipe out excess flour and oil from pan with a paper towel and start sauce. Melt butter and add lemon juice, broth and lemon zest and simmer in skillet pan for 5-10 minutes until sauce reduces slightly. Add artichoke hearts and chicken back to the sauce and heat. Serve with pasta or mashed potatoes.
Adapted from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa
Printable Recipe

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Ultimate Grilled Potatoes

There is a heat wave is Minnesota today (a balmy 35 F) and everyone seems to have a little extra spring in their step. With the sun shining bright we had to do a little grilling for dinner. (First we had to dig the grill out of a snow bank!!) Tonight's menu - steaks and my very favorite grilling side dish: Ultimate Potatoes. These are everyone's favorite and I hate to admit that I'd choose a plate of these potatoes over a good steak any day. The Potato's best friends: bacon, cheese and sour cream (need I say more) all come together in a tin foil baking vessel that makes for easy clean-up. Ultimate Potatoes are the perfect compliment to anything you cook on the grill! (If your grill is too buried in snow, you can always place your tin foil package on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for 45-60 minutes.)
Ultimate Potatoes
6-8 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into uniform pieces (about 4 cups, chopped)
4 slices of bacon, chopped (excess fat trimmed off)
small onion, diced (about 1/4 c.)
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. freeze dried chives (fresh if you have)
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. sour cream
Create a base from tin foil at least two layers thick and about 2' in length. Lightly spray center of tin foil with cooking spray. Combine diced potatoes, bacon, onions, olive oil, pepper, salt and chives in a medium bowl and pile on prepared tin foil. Cover potatoes with tin foil (using extra if you need) and press foil to form a very good seal. Place tin foil on grill rack and cook over a medium flame for about 20 minutes. Flip tin foil package over and grill the other side for an additional 15-20 minutes. Before serving, top with cheddar cheese and sour cream.
Printable Recipe

Monday, February 15, 2010

Simple Scallops & Crab Legs

Growing up and living in the Midwest, seafood naturally becomes a food that is usually enjoyed on special occasions. I do not consider myself a huge seafood fan but if cooked well I think it can be delicious. Unfortunately there just aren't enough places where you can order great seafood at an economical price. For this reason, we decided to try scallops and crab for a special dinner in our very own kitchen. I was nervous since my pans have never seen a scallop and my hands have never touched a crab. Live food was definitely out of the question - I am not that brave - so we bought pre-cooked snow crab legs from our butcher.  People of Minnesota: if you have not tried cooking these ingredients in your kitchen you are missing out! They were ridiculously easy to prepare and they tasted like a four star restaurant. All you need for a fabulous meal is good quality seafood, lemon and of course butter!
Simple Scallops
6 large sea scallops (or 2-3 per person)
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
2 Tbs. canola or vegetable oil
2 Tbs. melted unsalted butter
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
In a small bowl, melt butter and add lemon juice. Set bowl near a heat source to keep warm while preparing scallops. Using a paper towel, pat dry your sea scallops. Generously season with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet add vegetable oil and heat to medium-high. Be sure your pan is hot and then place scallops using tongs into the pan. Let scallops cook untouched for 90 seconds on one side. Now turn scallops over and cook an additional 60-90 seconds or until a dark brown crust has formed. Transfer on to a serving plate and top with lemon butter - Enjoy!
Note: Do not use olive oil as it will smoke under the high heat. Scallops only take a few minutes to cook so before starting, have the rest of your menu ready to go.
Snow Crab Legs
Fresh or frozen snow crab legs - precooked
2 Tbs. sea salt
1 Tbs. whole peppercorns
6 c. water
Unsalted butter, melted
Lemons
In a large stockpot bring water, salt and pepper to a rolling boil. Add crab legs and cover. Boil-steam legs for 7 minutes or until heated through. Promptly remove and serve with melted lemon butter.
Printable Recipe

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Tropical Cherry Dessert

Happy Valentines Day! Ryan and I decided to celebrate a "night-in" for the holiday. We had a wonderful dinner (see tomorrow's posting) and finished it off with a delicious dessert. I wanted to make something sweet but I didn't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. My family calls this Dump Cake because all you have to do is dump all of the ingredients into a pan and bake. (I call it Tropical Cherry Dessert because it sounds just a little more appetizing.) This dessert reminds me of a cherry cobbler. (You can also use blueberry pie filling if you'd like.) The pineapple and cherry are sweet and tart and the coconut and pecans add the perfect amount of crunch. Enjoy Tropical Cherry Dessert with the ones you love!!
Tropical Cherry Dessert
2 - 21 oz cans cherry pie filling
1 - 20 oz can pineapple chunks, drained
1 box white cake mix
1 c. coconut flakes
1 c. finely chopped pecans
3/4 c. melted butter
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Layer ingredients in the pan in the order given. Bake for one hour. Store in the refrigerator.
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Thursday, February 11, 2010

Spiral Stromboli

So by now, I feel like I've shared most of the Vossen classics with all of you. If I wasn't blogging we would begin to rotate my past recipes through again as I'm sure many of you do in your kitchens. Since my goal is to inspire new kitchen ideas I am forced to go back to my lovely cookbook collection and pick out new material. Since I love looking at new recipes this is a fun chore for me. Tonight I had a short window of time to cook in so this Spiral Stromboli was a perfect recipe to try. It is part sandwich - part pizza and completely delicious. I loved the roasted red pepper and I think onion and olives would also be good in this. We dipped our stromboli in a heated marinara - yum!
Spiral Stromboli
(Adapted from Taste of Home, The Busy Family Cookbook)
1 tube refrigerated crusty French bread
3/4 c. mozzarella
3/4 c. cheddar cheese
1/4 lb. thinly sliced deli turkey
1/4 lb. thinly sliced deli ham
1/4 c. sliced roasted red peppers
1/4 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. parsley
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbs. olive oil
Carefully unroll bread dough on an ungreased baking sheet making a large rectangle. Leaving a 1/2" border around the sides of the dough, fill the dough with the cheese, topped with the meat and then the pepper and seasoning. Starting with a long side of the dough, roll up into a loaf and tuck the sides in as you go and pinch any seams together to seal the toppings in. Place the seam side down on your baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese (optional). Bake at 375 F for 30-35 minutes. Slice and serve with marinara sauce.
Printable Recipe

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Orange Smoothies

I am guessing many people already have the mock Orange Julius recipe but if there is just one person I reach who does not, sharing this recipe is worth the effort. (Also, maybe you have this recipe and have forgotten how great these orange smoothies really are.) We usually have these with breakfast for the holidays and we also like to have them for a night-time treat. I tried to spruce the original recipe up a bit but adding cream and orange zest. My advice to you is not to go there - the original recipe is better and easy. If you keep orange juice concentrate in your freezer than you will probably have all the items you need for a winter-pick-me-up in a glass.
Orange Smoothies
6 oz. frozen orange juice from concentrate
1/3 c. sugar
1 c. milk
1 c. cold water
1 tsp. vanilla
12-15 ice cubes
Add all ingredients to your blender and mix until smooth. (Easiest recipe I've posted thus far.)
Printable Recipe

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Chicken & Mushroom Fettuccine

I've made several versions of Chicken Fettuccine and I have never found a recipe that is good enough to be one of my standards. I have a Taste of Home cookbook that pulls together recipes that people have sent into the magazine over the years. I like this cookbook even though the food is usually nothing fancy but I figure if someone took the time to write it in to be published that the recipe has to work for their family. This pasta dish was so easy and very tasty. I love that the sauce can be made in the same time it takes to boil water and cook your pasta. I baked some chicken last night and had it already shredded and ready to go. You could also use canned chicken breast if you really wanted to simplify this meal.
Chicken & Mushroom Fettuccine
(Adapted from Taste of Home, The Busy Family Cookbook)
8 oz. fettuccine
1/2 c. sliced mushrooms
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 Tbs. butter
1 c. shredded chicken
3/4 c. milk or half & half
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. parsley
3/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
Heat salted water in a large pot and boil pasta until al dente. Meanwhile, in a large pan, melt butter over medium-low heat and add minced garlic and mushrooms. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, milk, pepper, parsley and Parmesan cheese and cook on low temperature until heated through. Add cooked pasta to white sauce and serve topped with additional Parmesan cheese.
Printable Recipe

Monday, February 8, 2010

PB Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches

When I was younger, my mom let me write notes in her cookbooks after we made something. (I always felt a little scandalous being able to write in a book.) If something turned out great, I'd write "wonderful" if something turned out bad, I'd say, "never make again!!" We'd also make notes about how many a recipe feeds or how long something takes to make. It is so fun to page through a cook book and find my ten-year old handwriting telling me never to make saltine cracker bars on Good Friday because we can't have sweets on that day and the temptation is too great. I kept this tradition going when I got married and I encourage you to start it in your family. After many years you'll have a family journal that will be worth passing on to your grandchildren. Ryan paged through a cookbook and picked out these Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies to try. Next to the recipe I wrote "Very good! Next time make cookies a little smaller and make extra peanut butter filling."
PB Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches
(Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Cookies)
3/4 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. plus 3 Tbs. flour
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
Peanut Butter Filling
4 Tbs. butter, softened
3/4 c. creamy peanut butter
3/4 c. powder sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
In a stand mixer, beat butter until fluffy. Add sugar and beat until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until blended. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Slowly add them to the butter mixture and stir until just incorporated. Refrigerate the dough at least 2 hours! Line baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.  Scoop dough in small 3/4" balls and place 2" apart on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 F for 10-11 minutes. Carefully transfer on a cooling rack and let cool. Meanwhile, prepare peanut butter filling by mixing all ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth. When cookies have cooled, spread the flat side of the cookie with peanut butter filling. Top with a second cookie and press together to make a sandwich. Store cookies in the refrigerator.
Printable Recipe

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Mini Reuben's

Is anyone else finding it hard to watch the Super Bowl?? Obviously, I am if I'm blogging while it is on. Sure the commercials are entertaining but for our house, the food may be the highlight of the night. My mother-in-law brought her famous mini reubens which are so cute and a perfect dish to bring to any party. There were a couple of people at our Super Bowl party who had never had sour kraut before and they bravely tried these reuben's and really liked them. Any petite bread with meat and melted swiss cheese has to be good.
Here's to next year's football season!
Mini Reuben Sandwich
1/4 lb. sliced corn beef
Cocktail pumpernickel bread
1 small can sour kraut
1/4 c. Thousand Island dressing
1/4 lb. swiss cheese slices, quartered
Preheat oven to 375 F. Place 16-20 slices of pumpernickel bread on a baking sheet and spread with a teaspoon of Thousand Island dressing. Place sliced corn beef on each bread; top with a tablespoon of sour kraut and then swiss cheese. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Printable Recipe

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Bean Soup

My dad has convinced me that the best way to cure the common cold is with an extraordinary bowl of soup. While I have exhausted our medicine cabinet this past week, in the back of my mind, I knew I just needed to make time for some soup to kick the the cold that I have. Finally, I spent my Friday night making a delicious bean soup. I have ordered bean soup while dining out but I've never made it myself. It is usually made with ham, but I tried using smoked beef (Ryan's request). It was so fun to be in the kitchen adding a little of "this and that" and tasting to determine what was going to work well in my soup. A couple of hours later, I had savory soup made up of fifteen different beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic and a touch magic healing power.
1 lb bag of dried beans*
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 large carrots, sliced
3 celery stalks, sliced 
1 large onion, diced
8 1/2 c. water
4 oz can chicken broth
1/4 c. ketchup
1 1/2 tsp. savory leaves
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp. white pepper
salt/pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
1 lb. smoked beef sausage, cubed
The night before making the soup (at least 8 hours), place the dried beans in a large bowl and generously cover in water. After they have been hydrated, drain water and rinse. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and saute carrots and celery for 5 minutes. Add onion, water, chicken broth, ketchup, savory, bouillon, salt, pepper, chili powder and paprika. Simmer over medium-low heat for 1 1/2 hours stirring occasionally. Add cubed smoked sausage and vinegar and simmer 30 minutes more. Soup will thicken as it simmers and you may have to add additional liquid (water or broth) to reach the consistency you like.
*I used a "15 bean soup" bag but I threw out the seasoning packet that was included and made my own.
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Saltine Cracker Bars

When I was growing up we made a batch of cookies or a pan of bars every couple of days so we always had sweets on hand to offer company. Now that I look back at it, that seems very excessive but we had a lot of visitors and my mom never had store-bought goodies on hand. These saltine cracker bars were everyone's favorite. They have a caramel sauce that can be made in a hurry and they don't require any baking. They remind me of a Twix bar with a salty crust and a chocolate-peanut butter topping. I like to store these in the refrigerator since the chocolate topping can get a little soft at room temperature. Whip up a pan of saltine cracker bars next time you have guests coming over and I promise you they will come again.
Saltine Cracker Bars
24 saltine crackers
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 (heaping) c. crushed graham crackers
1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. butter
2/3 c. smooth peanut butter
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. butterscotch chips
Grease a 9x13 pan. Assemble saltine crackers along the bottom of the pan to form a crust. In a medium saucepan, combine sugars, graham crackers, milk and butter. Stir and cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a low boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly and then remove from heat. Carefully, pour caramel sauce over saltine crackers. Let cool. In a small saucepan, melt chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter. Spread over caramel layer and refrigerate.
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Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Crock Pot Roast Beef Sandwich

This morning I woke up and still didn't know what our menu would be for the night. (I usually plan a little better than this.) I had a beautiful pre-seasoned beef roast in my freezer so I called upon my slow-cooker to do all of the work for me. I had this roast ready to go in 5 minutes before having to leave for work. When I got home, all I had to do was toast my ciabatta rolls. This roast beef is tender and flavorful. We topped our sandwiches with swiss cheese and then dipped them in the broth that the beef cooked in all day. I order my beef roast with a rub already on it from my butcher but if yours is not seasoned you can add your own rub of salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, etc. These roast beef sandwiches are a fabulous alternative to your traditional crock pot meal.
Crock Pot Roast Beef Sandwich
5 lb seasoned boneless beef roast
1 large yellow onion - quartered
5 whole garlic cloves
1/4 c. ketchup
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs dijon mustard
Place all ingredients in a medium Crock-Pot. I set mine on low for 10 hours.
Ciabatta rolls
Swiss cheese slices
Slice ciabatta rolls in half and bake on a half sheet at 375 for 3-5 minutes until toasty. Place a slice a swiss cheese on each roll and pile the shredded roast beef on top.
Printable Recipe

Monday, February 1, 2010

Crunchy Noodle Salad

I love having cold pasta salads in the summer. They are easy to make, they keep well in the refrigerator, and they can be served as a side dish or as a light meal by themselves. I know it is far from summer, but as we begin February with a week of forecasted snow, a summer inspired meal is the easiest way to transport youself to a warmer season. This pasta salad is Ina Garten's - I followed her recipe pretty closely, making only a few changes to suit what I had on hand. This dish reminds me of a stir-fry since the sugar snap peas and the peppers are crunchy. The noodles are Asian-inspired with a creamy peanut butter sauce that I thought would challenge our pallets since we usually only enjoy peanut butter on toast and in our cookies. We loved this salad!! I made this to be served with grilled sandwiches but this has enough substance and a enough pizzazz to be served by itself.
Crunchy Noodle SaladRecipe from Ina Garten
1/2 pound thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1 pound sugar snap peas - I had to use frozen but fresh would be best
1 cup canola oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds, divided
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded, and thinly sliced
4 green onions, sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
In a large pot, boil salted water and cook pasta 7-9 minutes or until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water, set aside in a large bowl.
Meanwhile, bring another large pot of salted water to a boil, add the sugar snap peas and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until crisp tender. Rinse sugar snap peas with ice water and drain. Add peas, sliced peppers and green onions to the pasta bowl.
For the dressing, in a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and peanut butter. Pour the dressing over the spaghetti mixture. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds and the parsley and toss together.
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