Green Bean and Tomato Salad

This is a really refreshing and light simple salad.

Green Bean and Tomato Salad

2 c. green beans, either fresh and cut into 2 inch pieces, or frozen
One tomato, sliced into 12 wedges
1 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. olive oil
1 t. soy sauce

Steam the beans until tender, or cook according to package directions. Add the beans and tomato to a large bowl. Mix the vinegar, olive oil, and soy sauce together, and pour over the vegetables, Stir gently to coat well. Marinate at room temperature for about an hour. Serve. Enjoy!

Oriental Cole Slaw

How many college students have survived on ramen noodles, raise your hand! There is a myriad of ways to use these super cheap noodles beyond the simple boiling and tearing open the little seasoning packet.

One problem.

Most aren't vegan.

Sure, duh! you say, when they are labeled chicken or beef or shrimp. I'm not talking about those. I'm talking about the ones labeled Oriental. Read the ingredients for the seasoning packet and see for yourself. Only one brand that I know of is vegan, and finding it can sometimes be nigh impossible.

I know. I spent this week trying to track some down for my cole slaw recipe.

Out of desperation I went searching for a recipe to duplicate the seasoning packet. That way I could buy any brand for the noodles part alone. Success! I was able to find one and modify it.

Oriental Cole Slaw

One package cole slaw mix
1/4 c. slivered almonds
1/4 c. sunflower seeds
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. oregano
One package ramen noodles, crushed
3 T. brown sugar
3 T. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. sesame oil
1 t. Oriental Ramen Noodle Seasoning (recipe to follow)

Mix everything in a bowl large enough to accommodate and stir to coat well. Chill to allow flavors to blend.

You can toast the almonds first if you like (I didn't) and I used raw sunflower seeds. If you use dry roasted, I'd eliminate the salt and be sure to check the label. Some name brands add gelatin.

Oriental Ramen Noodle Seasoning

2 T. onion powder
2 T. ground ginger
2 T. garlic powder
2 T. ground black pepper
1/2 t. Chinese five spice powder
1/2 t. salt

Mix all together, and store in an airtight container. Use 1 t. per package of ramen noodles.

Tuscan Panzanella

Panzanella is a Italian type of salad based on bread and tomatoes, often with onions and basil, and dressed with oil and vinegar. It is very simple to put together and gave me an opportunity to make croutons for the first time.

Tuscan Panzanella

4 slices of bread, crusts removed
Olive oil
Basil leaves, chopped
1/2 c. sliced red onion (I chopped mine)
One can small black olives, drained
One pint of grape tomatoes, cut in half
2 cans white beans, drained
1 T. water
1 T. olive oil
3 T. red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. black pepper

Cut the crustless bread into one inch cubes and arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Spray or brush lightly with olive oil. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Combine the basil, onion, olives, tomatoes, and beans in a bowl and mix gently. Mix the water, olive oil, vinegar, garlic and black pepper together and whisk until well blended. Pour over the vegetables and mix gently, but well.

Dish the salad into a bowl and top with some of the croutons.

Enjoy!

I loved this salad, but might play around with the croutons. They were on the plain side. I think adding some herbs to the olive oil before brushing it on will liven things up a bit.