Recipe of A Week: Danger's adaptation of "Aunt Tammy's Tasty Thai Salad"

Thailand has given many things to the world - Thai massage, countless Buddhist temples, cool ping pong games, and most recently, red shirt protests. Certainly at the top of the list though belong Thai food and the friendly and lovable Thai king. I shall concentrate on the former with today's recipe.

While recently participating in an email recipe exchange, Aunt Tammy sent me her recipe for a delicious Asian chicken salad. It was already off to a good start, but I decided to make a few tweaks to it - my own Thai dressing, turkey instead of chicken, add some carrots, and scrap the soup seasoning - and below is my adaptation of what is certainly a Thai Turkey salad now.

 You'll need:

- Two medium turkey breasts, cooked and sliced
- 4 cups of chopped red cabbage
- 2 medium carrots, julienned
- 2 cups green onion, diced
- Sesame seeds
- Flax seeds (optional)
- 1 package of oriental (Ramen) noodles
- 1/4 c. (60ml) of vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- fresh coriander (or basil can work, too)

For the dressing:

- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp garlic ginger paste
- salt and fresh crushed pepper
- 2 red Asian chili peppers, diced
- about 1/4 cup (60ml) Avocado oil (any other salad oil will do, though)

Begin my putting the chopped cabbage into a large bowl. Mix the vinegar and salt in a cup, until salt is dissolved. Add the carrots and green onions, and then coat the entire veggie mixture in the vinegar. Toss and make sure it is thoroughly saturated. Let it sit in the fridge while you prepare the dressing, so that the veggies can slightly tenderize.

In a mortar and pestle, crush together the garlic, garlic ginger paste, salt/pepper, and chili peppers. Crush until it is a consistent paste. Place this paste together with the avocado oil and mix thoroughly.

At this point, prepare the Asian noodles. I discard the seasoning packet from the soup, because the flavor of this dressing will carry the entire salad, and those packets are full of MSG and stuff I don't want in my body. Simply prepare the noodles by breaking them up, placing them in a bowl, and putting boiling water on them for about 1 minute. Drain and add to the salad.

Add the cooked turkey chunks, sesame seeds, flax seeds, pour the dressing on top, and toss thoroughly. Finally, add fresh chopped coriander (or basil), toss once again, and let stand in the fridge for about 30 minutes, until the dressing is set and the noodles are completely cooled.

This makes a giant bowl, will keep in the fridge, and will fill you and your friends with healthy deliciousness!

This just in: the fighting is still taking place in Thailand, but the King has declared that this salad is: Delicious!

Thank You, Your Royal Highness, and thank you Aunt Tammy for sending the oriental salad recipe!