Chinese Chop Salad =))

This is the first year we have planted napa cabbage in our garden, so our favorite napa cabbage recipe came to light and wow is this tasty!!  I truly forgot how much I enjoy it and I also remember why I don't make it all the time (a little bit more sugar than I would like).  BUT it is so GOOD!

Chinese Chop Salad Recipe:

1 head napa cabbage chopped
8 scallions chopped
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds sautéed in butter
1/2 cup slivered almonds sautéed in butter
2 cups crunchy oriental (it this PC anymore?) noodles

Sauté almonds and sunflower seeds in a large pan over a medium high heat. Stir occasionally while you chop or make the dressing. Should be lightly toasted and fragrant when ready. Cool before adding to the salad. 

Dressing:
1/2 cup sugar (I haven't played with this much as far as substitution since my husband loves this salad just the way it is.)
2 Tablespoons Tamari
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 rice vinegar

Blend all ingredients in a high powered blender until a smooth texture.  Add all ingredients in a large salad bowl EXCEPT the oriental noodles, they will get soggy and gross if left in the sauce.  Or remember my trick from my last post which is place dressing on the bottom, then nuts, cabbage, scallion, and then noodles and mix right before you serve. I love my big bowl with a lid for this trick....just shake and serve! This can be made a day ahead if you keep the noodles separate and add just before serving. 

A Half Cup of Sugar Makes the Salad Go Down, 
Bretta 

www.bretta.vemma.com

Cashew Nut Salad Dressing

We (my husband and I) first encountered a similar dressing at Mother's Cafe in Austin, Texas. We loved the dressing so much we went promptly to Whole Foods to buy a bottle of their Mother's Cafe Cashew Tamari dressing. We decided that we couldn't live without this dressing, but we ran into a few problems keeping our supply stocked! We don't live in Texas! And we don't have a Whole Foods anywhere near us to purchase this product regularly, so we decided to read the ingredients and make our own version. Now I'm not sure how this works to properly giving credit but now you have the complete story of where this dressing came from! Thanks for letting us read your ingredients Mother's Cafe =))

Cashew Nut Salad Dressing Recipe

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup cashews
1/8 cup tamari (we tend to find San-J brand easily)
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 
Dash salt

Place all ingredients in a high powered blender on a medium speed.  Blend until smooth with small chunks of cashews visible. Keeps in the refrigerator for several week but my guess is it will not last that long!!

To Yummy Fresh Summer Salads, 
Bretta