Taco Tuesday: Thai (Asian) Salad

Doug's sister makes the yummiest Asian salad.  And I've never gotten her recipe. We had a potluck picnic after church Sunday and I needed a side. The trouble is, I'm super picky, and I don't like "cold" side dishes.  So, I was racking my brain, trying to figure out what to bring.  Doug suggested Asian salad. BRILLIANT!

I googled a couple recipes, but nothing jumped out at me, as being awesome, so I haphazardly, and at the very last minute asked Shevaun (Doug's sis) on FB what her recipe was.  She didn't answer within 5 minutes, so I had to run to the store, and make it up.  I combined a couple recipes, and then added some Thai ingredients, after reading a suggestion where someone had done the same.  I used almonds, but crushed peanuts would work as well and give it more of a true Thai taste.

It turned out even better than I expected!!

I'm officially addicted!

Ingredients:

3 packages ramen noodles
1 package broccoli slaw mix (mine was 12 oz, but 16 would be fine too)
1 cup sliced almonds (or crushed peanuts)
1 cup sunflower seeds
5 green onion stalks
3/4 cup oil (I mixed vegetable and olive)
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup of sugar
2 Tablespoons butter

To taste (optional):

Sweet chili sauce
Lime juice
Lite soy sauce
Fish sauce
(sugar/salt)

If you want to follow the basic recipe, then, use the first ingredients listed, and stop before you add any of the "optional" ingredients.

1. Crush ramen noodles.

2. Toast crushed ramen, sunflower seeds, and nuts in a wok with butter.  You'll want your burner to be on medium high, and you have to toss the ingredients the whole time.  It'll start to smell like popcorn, and the nuts will turn brown.  When in doubt, UNDER toast and don't burn your stuff!

3. Combine toasted stuff with slaw mix and chopped green onion.

I forgot to add the green onion to the initial picture of ingredients, so wanted to make sure to draw attention to it here.  I CHOPPED it, so don't skip that step. :)

4. In separate bowl combine oil and vinegar.  Add sugar.

5. OPTIONAL: Add sweet chili sauce, lime juice, lite soy sauce, and fish sauce to taste.  If it were me, I'd add just a splash of each, and a more significant amount of the sweet chili sauce.

6. Pour dressing over the salad mixture, and stir.

7.  Taste, and add more of anything you think it needs.  I added more sweet chili sauce to mine, and sugar.  If you think it's too sweet add more fish sauce.  You could also throw some cayenne pepper in there if you want it to be more spicy.  The chili sauce is a little spicy, but not overly.