Salad Crunch
I’m currently sitting in the Huntsville library, trying to force myself to create my composition syllabus for the upcoming semester.
Say it with me: “UGHGHGHGHGHGHG.”
At the end of some summers, I feel an eager anticipation for fall. Remember this post? It’s one of my favorites.
This summer is different.
I’ll take the 95 degree days and oppressive heat if it means I don’t have to go back to work and trade my mornings of hanging out with this sweetie pie:
…for mornings of lectures and piles and piles (and piles) of freshman composition papers explaining to me why the drinking age should be lowered to 18.
Sigh. I’m just not ready for summer to end.
Alas. Onward and upward.
We had a delicious Asian-inspired salad for dinner last night. I’m getting better about cooking for two nights—that is, using ingredients that will lend themselves to more than one meal. On Monday night, we had pork tenderloin with corn on the cob and couscous. We had a considerable amount of pork leftover, so I used it to create this yummy salad:
Crunchy Asian Salad
1 napa cabbage, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 carrot, sliced into strips (I use my julienne peeler for this)
1 package ramen noodles, cooked without spices and cooled
1 bunch basil, chopped
1 bunch mint, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1.5 cups chopped pork (you could easily use chicken or shrimp or whatever you have on hand—or leave it out for a veggie salad!)
2 tbsp. roasted peanuts
1/4 cup prepared peanut sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. soy sauce
juice from one lime
Directions: Combine chopped veggies, herbs, noodles, and pork. In a separate small bowl, combine peanut sauce, water, soy sauce, and lime juice. Pour over veggies. Top salad with peanuts.
Mmmmm….this was so refreshing! The flavors of the fresh herbs really brighten the salad.
Well, off to do a bit more work! Hope you have a great Wednesday!
so yeah, never really thought to have carry-over ingredients to make the next night’s meals easier. DOY.
As bad as the heat is here right now, I will still take summer over any other season!
that salad looks perfect – it is SO hot here, there is nothing other than fresh fruit and salads that really sounds good – other than chocolate
Chocolate always sounds good.
She is so sweet! She has such beautiful eyes. Syllabus day in college was so fun- a blank slate! Probably not as fun to come up with one! Thanks for the recipe- I need salad inspiration and this looks awesome!
That salad looks amazing!!
Fall is so bitter sweet! I love the weather, but all the added stress of work and school can go away! That salad looks amazing! I’m definitely trying that one out soon! I need some different stuff to make and this looks right up my alley!
Yum Yum! I always try to do the two-for-one thing when I cook up meat! Hang in there!
You sound like my mom. She’s a school nurse and is DREADING next week when she has to return to school. I’m just jealous you had the entire summer off! But I can certainly understand not wanting to go back (especially with a new and adorable baby!).
THis salad is right up my alley. I love peanut buts and that ramen noodle crunch in salads. Pinning it!
I would love the salad more than the pork loin dinner – sounds delicious.
I feel your pain. I wrote one syllabus yesterday…ignored work today and have to go back to work tomorrow to finish the other three. Ugh!
I swear, sometimes I think creating the syllabus is worse than teaching the class!!
Good luck with your return to work! Ive made similar salads and, man, do they hit the spot!