Crunchy Asian Slaw

"I first had a version of this recipe at a friend’s house a few years ago. She told me then that the secret to her recipe was super-crunchy ramen noodles and almonds. So, I took her advice to heart. It takes a few extra minutes and a bit of babysitting the oven, but the results are well worth the effort. To start, combine the ramen noodles with the almonds and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Bake for 4 minutes at 400 degrees. Stir and bake another 2 minutes. Continue to stir and bake in 1-2 minute increments until evenly toasted. Once the ramen and almonds are toasted thoroughly, set aside to cool. Next, shred the cabbage and carrot; add sunflower seeds and peas. Once your salad ingredients are mixed in a large bowl, go ahead and make the dressing. I placed everything in a measuring cup and used my immersion blender to combine. It worked great! If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a whisk or a regular blender. Whichever method you choose, be sure to allow the sugar to dissolve before adding the dressing to the salad. Refrigerate the salad, without the ramen/almond mixture, until you’re ready to serve. Right before serving, add the ramen and almonds. Stir thoroughly. If I know we aren’t going to finish the salad in one meal, I often mix just what we’re going to eat with the ramen and almonds. Then, when we have leftovers, our salad is crunchy and not full of soggy ramen!"