chinese coleslaw

This is my favorite salad, I got the recipe from my wondous friend and office cohort Shari. Whenever I make it David and I eat it all that same day cause it's that good!

1 (16 oz) bag of coleslaw
1 chicken breast, cooked and diced
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 c. slivered almonds
2 tbsp sesame seed (optional)
2 (3 oz) pkgs ramen noodles, chicken flavor, broken into bits
1/4 c. oil*
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
spice from ramen soup

Toss together the coleslaw and chopped green onions. Toast the almonds, sesame seeds and ramen noodles on a cookie sheet in the oven. mix oil, sugar, pepper and spice from ramen noodle soup and add to coleslaw. Toss in the toasted almond mixture and chicken. Makes 3 quarts. AMAZING!!!

*The original recipe calls for 1/2 c. oil but I found that you could halve it and it still tastes fine.

cheese & pepper pasta with spinach & white beans

I love this recipe so much. I saw Rachael Ray make it on Oprah and I've made it several times since. In fact, David is making it for dinner tonight and that's why I'm on the interwebs sleuthing around for the recipe.

sweet mint tea

My friend Ashley from back home, a good friend since we were in 3rd grade, just posted this sweet tea recipe at her blog and it's a good one, I wanted to put it here.

Sweet Tea always reminds me of visiting my grandmother in Texas and I LOVE it! I'm a loyal Southern girl! Now that I think about it, my other grandmother in Louisiana typically served Coke in frozen metal cups. That was fun, too!

So, here's my Sweet Tea recipe made with a hint of mint....

Bring fresh, cold water to a rolling boil in a pan.
Fully submerge 2 Luzianne Family Tea Bags and 2 Plantation Mint (single serving) tea bags.
Cover and steep for 5 minutes.
Squeeze excess out of tea bags and remove.
Pour in 1/4 cup of sugar. (My grandmother probably used a full cup of sugar. Use whatever sweetener you prefer: Stevia, Splenda, or Sweet n Low.)
Pour into container and add enough cold water to make it total 2 quarts.
You can float fresh mint leaves on top if you are having guests or just for fun!

I try to keep tea in the fridge and was making some this morning, so I thought you might like the recipe.

Chocolate-Sour Cream Cake aka "the chocogasm"

This is the most amazing chocolate cake in the history of the world and anyone who eats it will never forget it as long as they live.

2 eggs
1 ½ cups flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup shortening or butter
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
1 cup milk
1 recipe Fudgy Frosting (see below)

Heat oven to 350 & grease/flour two 9-inch pans. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, & salt. In another bowl beat shortening and sugar till combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla till combined. Beat in melted chocolate and sour cream. Alternately add flour and milk; beat on low after each addition just until combined. Spread batter in prepared pans and bake 25 minutes or until tops spring back with lightly touched. Cool in pans (I stick them in the fridge or freezer to get them to cool faster because you cannot frost a warm cake! Crumb disaster).

Fudgy Frosting

In large pan over low heat melt and stir one 12-oz package of semisweet chocolate chips and ½ cup butter. Cool 10 minutes and then stir in 1 cup sour cream. Stir in 4 ½ cups (1 lb) powdered sugar till smooth.

strawberry bread

This is like banana bread, except it's strawberry. It's better than bad, it's good!

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
16 oz frozen strawberries, thawed
3/4 cup oil

Mix together the dry ingredients, then combine with eggs, strawberries and oil. Pour into two greased & floured pans (or 3 coffee cans if you want to be really southern). Bake at 325 for 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in the pants, then cool on racks. Slice and serve warm with cream cheese.

piecora's house salad

This isn't southern but it's my favorite salad, from Piecora's on Capitol Hill. It's just

green leaf lettuce
artichoke hearts
olives
salami
canadian bacon
mozzerella
tomatoes
mushrooms
peppercinis

pasta carbonara

Oh my gosh, the best. Just the best.

1 egg yolk
1 tbsp cream (can use half & half or milk)
1 tbsp butter
a few slices of pancetta (bacon will do if needed)
4 ounces pasta (like fettuccine)
1/4 cup grated parmesan, romano or pecorino cheese
1 tbsp chopped parsley

Set out the egg, cream and butter before you start so they can reach room temperature. Cook the pancetta till crispy and drain. Then cook the pasta, drain it, then return it to the saucepan and put it on low heat. Toss the butter in the pasta. Beat the yolk and cream together, then toss with the pasta. Add pancetta, cheese and parsley and toss some more till well coated. Serve it right away, serves 3 or 4. [Or one hungry man and a regular girl.]