Healthy Ramen Slaw
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 Tb. olive oil
- 1 14 oz. pkg coleslaw mix
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1 3 oz. pkg. ramen vegetarian or chicken flavor recommended
Instructions
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Combine water and sugar in a small bowl or measuring cup.
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Microwave on high for 30 seconds; stir well. Repeat for additional 10 second increments until sugar is fully dissolved.
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Allow simple syrup to cool slightly; add vinegar, olive oil, and ramen flavoring packet.
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Mix ingredients well, then refrigerate for about 30 minutes to allow sauce to cool.
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Combine cole slaw mix, almonds, and cranberries in a large bowl.
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Break ramen into smaller pieces, and add to cole slaw mix; toss well
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Pour sauce over salad mixture, toss well.
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Serve salad.
Notes
Isn’t it interesting how people become your dear friends? If you take a second and think about the way you met and became friends with your closest companions, each has his or her own story. There’s the friend you met in grade school, the friend you worked with, the friend you met through a hobby.
My friend, Liz, is a newer friend. We met four years ago when she asked for a coffee meeting. She was the director of an initiative and wondered if I’d serve on the committee. I know some people go into these meetings dreading such a request, but I was excited. I loved the idea and said yes.
Through this committee we began spending time together working on various assignments. She was fun to work with, so as these things go, we became friends. The beauty of working with a friend is that you can schedule meetings to end with a social lunch or start with a bit of coffee. Work is always better when you enjoy the people who are there with you.
As our friendship bloomed, each of us at separate times endured personal, trying life events. Neither of these do I want to rehash, but rather I’d prefer to reflect on them. When I had my own trying time, my friendship with Liz was very new. Yet, she supported me as strongly as some of my oldest friends. Then when Liz had her challenge, I’d like to think I was there for her as well.
To me it’s kind of crazy that we met because of a work committee, but through that formed a friendship, which in its young years saw each of us go through major life events. And our friendship was more like a lifelong relationship than a barely known each other a year or two.
So, what does a dear friendship have to do with a slaw recipe? This recipe comes to me courtesy of Liz. We spent the 4th of July together, and she described this slaw to me with a sort of apology that it was weird. Weird or not, it was delicious. So, I asked for the recipe.
Of course, I can’t write someone else’s recipe as my own, which meant it was time to transform her recipe into something different. Her recipe had sunflower seeds (which were yummy), but I opted for dried cranberries to add a bit of sweetness. Her recipe had canola oil, which I switched to olive oil. I loved the salad concept; I just needed to make it into my own recipe.
Ramen Slaw, friendships made over a committee- I guess they’re both sort of weird but also pretty darn wonderful as well.
