Chinese Noodle Slaw

Another cabbage recipe... a lot like the other one....

Serves: 4-6
Prep: 10-15 min
Cool: 20 min +

1 head cabbage, chopped
5 green onions
2 pkg uncooked noodles (Ramen noodles best)
1/2 c. butter
1 T. sesame seeds
1/2 c. slivered almonds

1/2 c. oil
1 t. soy sauce
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. vinegar (white or cider, it doesn't matter)

Directions: chop cabbage and onions, toss together in a large bowl. Saute' noodles in melted butter, add nuts & seeds until lightly browned, drain. Mix dressing ingredients in plastic container, close with lid and shake well to mix. Toss everything together, cover and let sit for 20 minutes. Refrigerate if longer than 20 minutes. Really good the next day!

Main dish: Lemon Pepper Barbecued Chicken
Other side: Rolls, rice, or fruit

Chicken Cabbage Salad

Serves 2-4
Prep: 10 min
Chill: 30 min +

1 fried chicken breast, cut into chunks
1/2 c. almonds (optional)
1/2 head cabbage, chopped and shredded
2 T. sesame seeds
1 pkg. Chicken Ramen noodles

2 T. sugar
1/2 c. oil
3 T. white vinegar
1 seasoning packet from Ramen
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 t. cilantro (optional, fresh is best)

Directions: Cut raw chicken breast into bite size pieces and brown in frying pan. I usually sprinkle with garlic salt and black pepper while they're cooking. Chop or shred cabbage, it may look like a lot but it will shrink with the dressing. Brown seed and almonds in oven for 10-15 min at 400. For sauce toss ingredients in a plastic container with lid, seal and shake until well mixed. Drizzle over cabbage, nuts, seeds and crushed Ramen noodles. Toss, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Place cooked chicken in dressing container, cool in fridge. To serve toss chicken with everything else.

Side Dish: Kaiser rolls, sourdough bread, Rice a Roni

My Notes: I used a whole head of lettuce and 3 chicken breasts to feed 4 people and had 2 portions of leftovers. But there did seem to be way more lettuce than we wanted. Maybe next time I'll use 3/4 of a head with 3 chicken breasts. Also, my husband doesn't usually like cabbage but he likes this one.

Taco-Stuffed Pasta Shells

(from Very Best Baby booklet)

Prep: 20 min (ha!)
Bake: 40 min
Makes 2 8x8 (2 qt.) pans (ha!)

16 jumbo dried pasta shells, prepared according to package; rinsed and drained
1 lb extra-lean ground beef
1 pkg (3 T) taco seasoning mix
1 c. water
1 can (16 oz) refried beans
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese (reserve 3/4 c.)
1 jar (16 oz) salsa (reserve 1/2 c.)
1/4 c. sliced green onions
Sour Cream (optional)

Directions:
Cook noodles as directed on package (may take 15 min.)
Brown & drain beef in lg skillet. Add taco seasoning mix and water, cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until thickened. Add beans and 3/4 c. cheese. OR add beans and split in half, adding cheese to one. Mix well.
Spread 1/4 c. salsa over bottom of both 8x8 baking dishes.
Note: perhaps up to 1/3 c.
Fill cooled pasta shells with meat mixture; place 8 shells in each dish filled side up.
Note: I used 24 shells to fill my two 2 qt. shells, and still had meat leftover. Perhaps a larger pasta shell is needed.
Spoon remaining salsa over shells.
>>>Stop here if freezing<<<<
If baking immediately - Preheat oven to 350. Cover baking dish w/ foil. Bake 40-45 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with green onions and remaining (3 1/4 c.) cheese. Obviously, if you've just stuffed the shells w/ hot meat, this won't take as long.
If freezing - cover baking dish wish plastic wrap, then foil. Label and freeze for up to 2 months.

To bake frozen shells: Thaw dish in refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 375. Remove plastic wrap then recover w/ foil. Bake for 45-50 min or until heated through. Sprinkle w/ green onions and cheese.

Nutrition facts per serving: 347 cal, 13 g total fat, 32 g total carb, 5 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 21 g protein.

Some other notes: Supposedly each dish feeds 4 people. That's only 2 shells per person by their calculations which makes me think they must be using much larger shells, although I bought the biggest ones I could find. Since I don't eat dairy but everyone else does, I pointed my non-dairy shells toward the handles and then marked the foil with that note so I would remember. The rest of the shells were filled with the cheese & meat mixture & faced the opposite direction. No one wanted the sour cream topping, so that was easy to avoid. Kind of spicy for me even with mild salsa. But everyone else loved it so it's a keeper!

Niks Piks 1

New Recipe!

I found & tried a new recipe last night - Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells. It turned out good but I am making some adjustments to the recipe. I'll post it later.