Good all year 'round - #MFRWAuthor

This week, the #MFRWAuthor 52-week blog challenge asks participating authors to share favorite recipes for the holidays. I'm sure this will trigger folks' Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes, but you know I'll do something a little different. I can't help it. Really.

Holidays, gatherings with families and friends, corporate potlucks, social events, and the like often call for attendees to bring a dish. That gets tricky, because hot dishes quickly become tepid. Cold dishes become tepid. These days of phobias, dietary restrictions, and overwrought fears of spoiled food further limit acceptable potluck options. I do, however, have a go-to recipe that can accommodate most potluck requirements (and restrictions) and it's darned tasty, too. We simply call it cabbage salad and, when we make it, we always double the recipe.

Salad ingredients:
1 package ramen noodles, chicken flavor
16 ounces fresh cole slaw (shredded cabbage)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped

Dressing ingredients:
1 pack chicken flavoring (from the ramen noodles)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons of white vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Crumble the ramen noodles into a large bowl. (Do not cook the noodles.) Combine the rest of the salad ingredients with the noodles. Combine the dressing ingredients, shake or blend well, and pour over the salad. Toss.

We find that this salad keeps well in the refrigerator for several days--not that it ever lasts that long.

If you prefer a sweeter dressing, omit the white vinegar and use 3 Tbsp. of rice wine vinegar. You can use canned chicken, but shredding the leftover meat of a roasted (or rotisserie) chicken works just as well and tastes much better. For those who don't like or won't eat meat, omit the chicken.

I acquired this recipe from about 30 years ago. The recipe card is falling apart and the ink faded, but this dish remains an easy to prepare and tasty favorite at any time of day all year 'round.