Grilled Carrots with Dill Yogurt Sauce

The last time I was in Charleston, South Carolina it was a gray, rainy, chilly day. In the weeks prior to a return trip back, rain was again in the weather forecast. As I have learned or at least try to remind myself, weather can be rather unpredictable and not necessarily influenced by wishful thinking, fingers/toes crossed, or even a rain dance. But there are times when one has to put rationality aside. This was one of them. Yet, even as I got on the plane, rain remained in the forecast. I had been second guessing this group running trip ever since I had committed to it months ago. Maybe the rain forecast was as omen. Steady inclines/hills and heat/humidity are things frequently causing me to whine. Having to give up control of my time/space on a trip is enough to cause some minor hyperventilation. So, if you have asked me a year ago if I would travel more than 900 miles to run a 10K race (one having a significant incline) on a hot/humid day with 40,000+ runners and stay in house with 9 other people I had never traveled with before, more than likely I would have said without hesitation 'no thank you'. However, funny things happen when you give yourself permission to leave your comfort zone, when you stop looking for (bad) omens, and when you allow yourself to take a leap of faith. Literally and figuratively the sun comes out. After a night of tornado warnings and hurricane-like pounding rain, blue skies miraculously appeared shortly before the start of our 10K race. A validating omen on many different levels.

While my whining days over heat, humidity, and hills are (unfortunately) far from over, my perceptions of what traveling with an eclectic group of fellow runners could be like has been forever altered. From having 'family' meals together, to exploring parts of Charleston, to a night of karaoke, to a morning run along the ocean, to unexpected kindnesses, to great meals in some incredible restaurants, to being open to possibility, to waking every morning with the view of the ocean, everything about this trip was positively memorable. One changing me in some unexpected ways. So if you asked me again if I would make another group road trip again, I would only hope the next running venue would be a little cooler, a little flatter. Although I would probably still obsess about the weather.

When friends suggested we order a plate of radishes with soft creamy butter and sea salt as an appetizer at the The Publican restaurant in Chicago, I probably made one of those 'really, are you serious?' faces. Up until that point, I had probably consumed less than two radishes over the course of my lifetime. I can't remember the other appetizer we ordered that day, but I do remember the radishes. In just one bite of a radish half slathered in some soft, creamy butter and topped with a hint of sea salt I instantly knew my lifetime consumption of radishes was about to change. So when I saw a recipe for The Publican's Barbecued Carrots with Yogurt and Pecans, I knew my love for carrots was about to be deepened. And let's just say, if I had radishes and carrots served The Publican way growing up, chances are I might be a vegetarian or at least, have strong vegetarian tendencies.

Prior to making these Grilled Carrots with Dill Yogurt Sauce I thought nothing could top the flavor of oven roasted carrots. Apparently my vision for the possibilities of carrots was a bit narrow. Now having tasted carrots marinated in a myriad of spices, grilled until slightly charred, drizzled with yogurt dill sauce, topped with toasted pecans, and served with a drizzle of freshly squeezed lemon juice, it might be awhile before an oven roasted carrot passes my lips.

The Publican's recipe calls for one pound of small carrots. But since I couldn't find them I went with several bunches (somewhere between 1 1/2 and 2 pounds) of slightly larger carrots, but ones still having their beautiful green tops. Whether you find the smaller ones or the slightly larger (but not too large) ones or not may not really matter. However, look for the carrots that haven't had their tops cut off. After peeling and cutting them in half lengthwise, they are parboiled in boiling salted water for approximately 4 minutes (or until crisp tender). This size carrot took only 4 minutes to get to that point.

The parboiled carrots are then marinated in a spice and olive oil mixture for 1 to 3 hours. One look at this sweet and savory array (sweet smoked paprika, celery salt, onion powder, cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, granulated garlic, Aleppo pepper, and dark brown sugar), you might think 'I don't stock all of those spices in my cupboard. Or 'not sure I would like this combination of spices'. Next! But don't let preconceived notions keep you from these carrots and definitely don't throw in the towel just yet. As this is an obstacle you can easily overcome without spending a fortune on jars of spices you might not use regularly. Nowadays many grocery and spice stores allow you to buy many different spices in whatever quantity you need (Whole Foods was my source for some of them).

The fragrance of this spice mixture is intoxicating. It is a prelude of what is to come.

Is is easier to rub the olive oil spice mixture into the carrots if done on a large baking sheet (rather than a bowl). Additionally, you don't risk breaking any of them. The longer you allow the carrots to marinate the more they take on the flavor of the spices (my marinating time was 90 minutes).

While the carrots marinate you can make the Dill Yogurt Sauce. After mixing the full fat yogurt, buttermilk, freshly squeezed lemon juice, fresh dill, some sea salt and black pepper, cover and refrigerate. This is one of those sauces greatly benefitting from having some 'resting' time. There was more than enough of the spice mixture to coat almost 2 pounds of carrots, however, I increased the proportions of the ingredients in the sauce as I wanted to have some to serve on the side.

Having a gas grill means we can grill year round here in the midwest. But these grilled carrots can also be made on an indoor grill pan (if you don't have a gas grill). Placing the carrots cut side down, they grill until they begin to char and the sugars caramelize (about 3-4 minutes).

Transfer the grilled carrots to a large platter, drizzle with some of the Yogurt Dill Sauce, sprinkle with the toasted pecans, and finish with some freshly squeezed lemon juice. The sweet spicy taste of the grilled carrots are balanced with the cool, creamy Yogurt Dill Sauce and splash of lemon juice. Together with the crunch of the roasted pecans, this is an incredibly satisfying, almost over-the-top, unexpected delicious side or appetizer dish made with carrots.

If there was one recipe to take your summer barbecue from good to great, it would be these Grilled Carrots with Dill Yogurt Sauce. They would be a great prelude to a meal as well as pair well with grilled chicken, steak, or lamb. However, I could have made a meal out of these incredibly sweet and savory carrots. I really like carrots, but until now, never knew they could taste this good.

Because most of the preparation can be done ahead of time, they may one of the easiest appetizer or side dishes you make. Sit back and watch how their expectations around the taste of carrots is changed forever.  I wouldn't be surprised if your consumption of carrots increases significantly. Or if you give some thought to becoming a vegetarian (at least for a day).

Recipe
Grilled Carrots with Dill Yogurt Sauce (an ever so slight adaptation to The Publican restaurant's Barbecue Carrots with Yogurt and Pecans recipe)

Ingredients
Carrots
3 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 Tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or cayenne pepper)
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2-2 pounds fresh carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted, roughly chopped

Dill Yogurt Sauce
3/4 cup (7 ounce container) of full-fat yogurt (recommend Fage Total)
3 Tablespoons buttermilk
1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Pinch of sea salt and pinch of black pepper
1 whole lemon, cut into quarters for serving

Directions
Dill Yogurt Sauce
1. In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, buttermilk, dill, and lemon juice. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate. (Note: Sauce can be made 1-2 days in advance.)

Carrots
1. Combine dark brown sugar, smoked paprika, cumin, celery salt. granulated garlic, onion powder, Aleppo pepper, kosher salt and black pepper together in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Bring a medium-large of salted water saucepan to a boil. Add carrots and cook for approximately 4 minutes or until crisp tender. Drain and transfer carrots to a large sheet pan.
3. Add extra-virgin olive to the spice mixture and rub on carrots to coat. Allow carrots to marinate in spice-olive oil mixture for 1-3 hours.
4. Heat grill to medium-high heat (or can use a stove top grill pan). Grill carrots, cut side down until lightly charred and slightly caramelized (approximately 3 minutes). 
5. Transfer carrots to a platter. Drizzle with Dill Yogurt Sauce and roughly chopped pecans. Lightly squeeze a lemon half over the carrots. Serve immediately with additional Dill Yogurt Sauce and lemon quarters. 

Images from Charleston, South Carolina.

Creamy Cornbread Casserole

By next year at this time most of us will still be able to remember who won the Oscar for best actress and best actor. However, the names of the Oscar winning best supporting actress and/or best supporting actor may be permanently stuck to the tips of some of our tongues. Similarly we have great powers of recall when it comes to remembering the main course of a meal, but a sketchier, more selective memory for the sides served. When someone asks us to describe a holiday, birthday, or other celebratory meal, we often lead with the main course. Most restaurants list the available sides in some obscure place on the menu, often in a smaller font. Just as a movie becomes more compelling with a great support cast, a meal feels complete with sides, particularly the 'we want second helpings' kind.

This Creamy Cornbread Casserole, part cornbread and part custard in texture, it is everything a corn pudding was meant to be. As the perfect accompaniment to grilled or roasted poultry, grilled steaks, and even a bowl of hearty chili, it is a side dish having a 'must have a second helping' quality.

For those of you having an aversion to making any casserole with canned corn, you may be tempted to say 'thanks but no thanks'. While I can appreciate the strong desire to cook only with fresh ingredients (I too have my 'fresh is best' moments), this Creamy Cornbread Casserole may cause your canned food paradigm to shift. 

Added to the can of creamed corn and whole kernel corn (undrained), are two eggs, sour cream, melted butter, heavy cream, and freshly grated cheddar cheese. 

For this casserole I used Kerrygold's 12 month aged cheddar (white) as it brought just the right amount of cheesiness. If for some reason you can't find it, buy a really good one year old white cheddar. You don't need to buy a 2 or 3 year old aged cheddar for this casserole, but you do need to buy some really good parmigiano-reggiano to give it a slight nuttiness. More on that in a bit.

Making up the dry ingredient portion of the casserole is all-purpose flour, kosher salt, sugar, baking powder, and cornmeal. I used Bob's Red Mill medium grind stone ground cornmeal.

The assembly of the casserole is as simple as blending the wet and dry ingredients together.

The entire mixture is poured into a butter casserole pan, topped with an additional 1/4 cup of grated cheddar and 1/4 cup of freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Considering all of the controversy surrounding pre-grated, pre-packaged parmesan cheeses going on, why risk sprinkling wood chips onto this casserole? Besides, there is a world of flavor difference between freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese and any bag or boxed pre-grated cheese.

The Cream Cornbread Casserole bakes in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown. The center of the casserole will have some movement or wiggle in the center, however, after resting for 15-20 minutes before serving, it all comes together perfectly. 

Having made other corn pudding recipes in the past, I have to say I think the recipe for this Creamy Cornbread Casserole is now my favorite. If there were ever a side dish worthy of having a starring role on your dinner table, this would be it. Unlike some of the other side dishes you have brought to your dinner table, this will definitely be one of those falling into the unforgettable ones category.

Recipe
Creamy Cornbread Casserole (slight adaptation to Colorado Chef John Broening's Creamy Cornbread Casserole recipe)

Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup medium grind, stone ground corn meal (Recommend Bob's Red Mill Stone Ground Cornmeal)
4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
1 can (15.25 ounces) whole kernel sweet corn with liquid (do not drain)
1 can (14.75 ounces) creamed corn
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 large eggs
1 1/2 generous cups (7 ounces) shredded aged cheddar cheese, divided (Recommend Kerrygold's 12 month old Aged Cheddar Cheese)
1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Butter a 11"x7" casserole dish and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine butter, whole kernel sweet corn with liquid, creamed corn, sour cream, heavy cream, eggs and 1 1/4 cups grated cheese until blended. Set aside.
3. In a medium sized bowl, combine all-purpose flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk until blended.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix to blend.
5. Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish.
6. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 plus grated cheddar cheese. Top with finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
7. Bake 35-40 minutes or until top is golden. Note: There will still be some slight movement in the center of the casserole. 
8. Remove from oven. Allow to sit at least 15-20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Whipped Cheese

If you asked me if I wanted to spend a Saturday night going out to eat a restaurant or spend most of the day preparing a four-course dinner for family and/or friends, more often than not I would choose the later. Even though deciding what to make is equally as difficult as choosing off the menu from one of my favorite restaurants. I have more creature of habit tendencies when dining out than I do when planning a dinner party. So invariably I spend almost about as much time planning what to make as I do actually making it (this is a slight, but only a slight exaggeration). Depending on who is coming to dinner, I may or may not take the risk of making something for the 'first' time (after all these years my culinary ego still has its' fragile moments). In spite of or maybe because of a lifelong competitive relationship with my younger sister, I almost always make something new. And this past Saturday night the Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Whipped Cheese would make its' debut on my dinner table.

Since the New Orleans Domenica chef Alon Shaya shared this recipe in Bon Appetit a couple of years ago, it consistently received rave reviews by everyone who made it and/or blogged about it. Quite possibly responsible for putting cauliflower back in the limelight as 'the' vegetable du jour as well as one being the key ingredient in everything from pizza crust to risotto.

Everything on this past Saturday night's dinner menu were things I had never served to my sister and brother-in-law before. However, with the exception of the Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Whipped Cheese, everything else was tried and true (at least once or twice before). 

When choosing a cauliflower, choose the whitest one you can find as well as one with most green leaves. Even though you will be ultimately be removing the green leaves, they are indicators your head of cauliflower has been better protected and thus, fresher. This at its' peak winter vegetable has been around since 600 BC (talk about having longevity), but remains available year round. 

You don't want to necessarily choose the largest head of cauliflower. If it is 'too' big, it will not fully submerge when it first simmered in a large, deep pot filled with dry white wine, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, kosher salt, unsalted butter, Aleppo pepper, sugar, bay leaves, and water. Without the basket insert, my All-Clad pasta pot was the perfectly sized pot.

After the dry white wine, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, kosher salt, unsalted butter, Aleppo pepper, sugar, bay leaves, and water comes to a boil, the head of cauliflower (trimmed of its' green leaves) goes in (top side down or stem side up) and the heat is reduced to a simmer. Turning the cauliflower at least twice, it becomes knife tender in 15-20 minutes. If anything, err on the side of slightly versus overly tender. Using either slotted spoons or a large mesh spider the cauliflower is removed from the pot and placed on a large, rimmed baking sheet to drain. Note: If not roasting immediately, the simmered cauliflower can be kept at room temperature for a couple of hours.

In a preheated 475 degree (F) oven, the cauliflower is then roasted for 30-40 minutes or until browned all over. Note: Rotate the baking sheet halfway through the roasting process. After transferring the roasted cauliflower to a serving dish, drizzle lightly with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

This may be the most dramatic, visually striking, jaw-dropping head of cauliflower presentation to ever grace your dinner table. And the sheer beauty of this roasted cauliflower is merely a prelude to what your palate will be experiencing. Prepare to have your senses go into sensory overload, in the best of ways of course.

On its' own this Whole Roasted Cauliflower is incredibly delicious. Served with the Whipped Cheeses it is elevated to a new level of deliciousness insanity. The combination of flavors of the roasted cauliflower and slightly tangy whipped cheese may be unlike anything you have ever experienced. Goat cheese, feta cheese (buy fresh if you can), cream cheese, whipping cream, extra-virgin olive oil, and some sea salt are simply blended together in a food processor. Note: You can make the Whipped Cheese early in the day or the day before, keeping covered and chilled in the refrigerator.

If food can be art, then this Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Whipped Cheese should be put in a place of honor in the National Gallery. It is almost too beautiful to eat, but eat it you must.

Anyone who claims not to be a fan of cauliflower (and we all know those individuals known to be quickly dismissive about things they don't like) will be converted after one taste. The meat and potato lovers in your family will be transformed into meat and cauliflower lovers. 

As it turned out the Whole Roasted Cauliflower was a perfect compliment to the Porchetta-Style Pork Roast. Roasted asparagus and a salad of fresh green peas, apples, Maytag Blue Cheese, and mixed greens tossed in a lemon vinaigrette, and the Swedish Gooey Chocolate Cake with freshly whipped cream helped to create a memorable meal. One having me wondering if I should rethink my view of not making the same company dinner again and again. 

There are innumerable benefits to spending time sharing a great meal with the people in your life you really like, you love, or you enjoy. Having your sister and brother-in-law bring a bottle of Von Strasser Reserve (2006) for dinner might not be at the top of that list, but its' definitely one of those benefits making a home cooked meal feel like dinner in a five star restaurant. Except nothing is more intimate than having dinner at your own dining room table or having dessert by a warm, roaring fire on chilly winter night. 

Recipe
Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Whipped Cheese (an ever so slight adaptation to Domenica chef Alon Shaya's Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Whipped Goat Cheese recipe, as shared in Bon Appetit May 2013)

Ingredients

Whipped Cheese
4 ounces fresh goat cheese
3 ounces fresh feta
3 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup heavy cream 
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
Sea salt

Roasted Cauliflower
1 head of white cauliflower, leaves removed
2 1/2 cups dry white wine (recommend a Pinot Grigio)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup kosher salt
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Aleppo pepper (or crushed red pepper flakes)
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
2 bay leaves
8 cups water

Extra virgin olive oil for serving
Coarse sea salt

Directions
Whipped Cheese
1. Blend goat cheese, feta cheese, cream cheese, heavy cream, and two Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a food processor until smooth.
2. Season with sea salt.
3. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Note: Whipped Cheese can be made one day ahead. Cover and chill in the refrigerator.

Roasted Cauliflower
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees (F).
2. In a deep pot, bring wine, olive oil, kosher salt, lemon juice, butter, Aleppo pepper, sugar, bay leaves, and 8 cups of water to a boil.
3. Add trimmed cauliflower, reduce heat, and simmer, turning occasionally, until a knife easily inserts into the center (approximately 15-20 minutes). Note: Begin by placing the cauliflower stem side up.
4. Using a large mesh spider, transfer cauliflower to a rimmed baking sheet. Allow to drain. Note: If not roasting the cauliflower immediately, keep at room temperature.
5. Place cauliflower in oven, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until brown all over. Approximately 30-40 minutes.
5. Transfer cauliflower to serving dish. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and lightly sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with the Whipped Cheese.

Oriental Cabbage Salad

Sometime this past fall I sought to convince the person who shall remain nameless that we should subscribe to Netflix as we were probably one of a handful of Netflix holdouts. Using both broad sweep generalizations as well as appealing to personal self-interest (what else was he going to watch while in Saudi Arabia for extended periods of time?), we shifted from being video-streaming outliers to potentially becoming Netflix binge watchers. Well, not exactly potentially. In the last couple of weeks we have immersed ourselves in the first three seasons of the "House of Cards". Although the critically acclaimed series "Breaking Bad" still remains as one of our all time favorites, this political drama is simply wicked (good). Beyond it's sheer entertainment value along with causing me to become even more weary of the media and politicians (isn't truth always stranger than fiction?), some unintended benefits have resulted from spending thirty-nine hours of my life watching this series.

In the past couple of weeks I have eaten more fresh fruit and vegetables than I have probably consumed in the past couple of years. While I still have my favorite indulgences (heck, even Oprah still eats bread every day), my food cravings and choices are starting to shift. As superficial as this may sound (and it does), I have Claire Understood (aka Robin Wright) to thank (in part) for causing me to make some of these changes. One of them being trying to shift away from making so many mayonnaise-based salads. So when I rediscovered the recipe for this Oriental Cabbage Salad, I thought this sort of, kind of 'coleslaw without mayonnaise' would be the perfect salad to make. It would also allow me to sort of, kind of be part of the ramen noodle craze.

There are hundreds of versions of this Oriental Cabbage Salad out there. You may have heard it called Asian Cabbage Slaw/Salad, Chinese Cabbage Salad, Amazing Asian Ramen Salad, or Chinese Napa Salad. This combination (uncooked) ramen noodle and cabbage salad is the perfect blend of 'crunchy, tender, crisp, salty, sour, and sweet' in a single bite. I wouldn't go so far as to say it is one of the healthiest salads you will ever make or eat. However, this Chinese version of cole slaw is much healthier than the heavily mayonnaise based coleslaw I grew up with and (still) love.

Some of the recipes for this salad call for using a bag of coleslaw mix. However, when given the choice over chopping fresh vegetables versus using ones chopped and sitting in a bag for some undetermined period of time, I choose the slightly more time-consuming, fresher, more flavorful option of chopping a head of cabbage (1 to 1 1/4 pounds), a large carrot and a bunch of scallions myself.

Cabbage happens to be one of those vegetables put in the 'world's healthiest' category. And when when combined with carrots and scallions, this low-calorie and fiber-rich vegetable seems it should be put in the category of the 'world's best indulgences'. 

While some view canola oil and vegetable oil as interchangeable, canola oil is slightly healthier and a great option for dressings and marinades. Some recipes for versions of the Oriental Cabbage Salad call for omitting the seasoning packet that comes with the Oriental Ramen Noodles. But this version calls for using these seasonings. Combined with the canola oil, white vinegar, granulated sugar, and black pepper, the seasoning creates a very flavorful dressing.

As for the ramen noodles, they go into this salad raw (uncooked) and crushed. The easiest way to break them up or crush them is to put them in a resealable plastic bag and use a rolling pin to do most of the work. You don't want the ramen noodles to be ground into a powder, but rather you want them to be in small pieces.

In a large bowl, the chopped vegetables and crushed ramen noodles are mixed together with the dressing. After covering the bowl with plastic wrap, the salad is chilled in the refrigerator for 1 1/2 to 2 hours before serving. 

Some add the toasted sliced almonds to the salad before it goes into the refrigerator to marinate, others mix them in right before serving. Either option works. I went with mixing them in before the salad was refrigerated. You can either toast the almonds in the oven or on the stove. I prefer toasting them in a pan on the stove as I feel like I have more control. As an added benefit, I don't have to turn on the oven!).

For those of you who love coleslaw, particularly one made with mayonnaise, this one is an incredibly delicious, refreshing alternative. And for those of you live in warmer climates and worry about how long a mayonnaise based salad sits out before it may go bad, this salad takes that worry off of your plate. 

Need to bring a salad to a gathering or a potluck, bring this one. It pairs well with grilled beef or chicken as well as adds another taste dimension if served with sloppy-joes. If you are looking for a salad to make for an upcoming Superbowl gathering, this Oriental Cabbage Salad is bound to have wide appeal. Especially since it can be served chilled or at room temperature.

For optimum flavor, serve the Oriental Cabbage Salad on the day it is made. While leftovers are still delicious, the salad (i.e., ramen noodles) will lose some of its' crunch the longer it marinates. If there was ever a salad to prove 'healthier for you' can be immensely satisfying and incredibly flavorful, this Oriental Cabbage Salad would definitely qualify. 

You may never go back to making a mayonnaise based coleslaw after you taste this salad. Or maybe you will go back a little less frequently. But, I now think I have found a salad worth binging on.

Recipe
Oriental Cabbage Salad (inspired by a recipe received many years ago)

Ingredients
Salad
1 - 1 1/4 pound head of cabbage, julienned
1 large carrot or 2 medium carrots, coarsely grated
1 bunch of scallions (about 5-6), white and green parts, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 packages of Oriental Ramen noodles (reserving seasoning packets), crushed/broken up into small pieces
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted plus more for garnish (Recommend Fisher Nuts Sliced Almonds)

Dressing
1 cup canola oil
4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 seasoning packets (from the Oriental Ramen Noodles)

Directions
1. Combine the canola oil, granulated sugar, white vinegar, black pepper and ramen noodle seasoning packets in a medium sized bowl. Whisk until combined and sugar has almost completely dissolved. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the sliced cabbage, grated carrot, sliced scallions, and crushed Oriental Ramen noodles.
3. Pour dressing over the vegetables and toss until they are well coated. Stir in toasted almonds, cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 1/2 - 2 hours before serving. Note: Alternately, the toasted almonds can be stirred in right before serving.
4. Transfer salad to a large platter or bowl, garnish with additional almonds and serve.

View at the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park and Boulder Falls in Boulder, Colorado