Asian-Style Ramen Noodle Coleslaw

My mother-in-law makes this very yummy Asian-style substitute for traditional coleslaw. It omits the mayo and instead substitutes oil. In my heart-of-hearts I would like to believe that this version is much healthier, when in fact, I know better. This recipe can fetch up to 548 calories per serving, leaving me on a mission to health it up a bit.

I had been wanting this recipe for quite some time. I am not a fan of mayo in anything (I often substitute non-fat sour cream for dishes like chicken salad or potato salad), so I decided that this recipe was right up my alley. I found a few recipes online, compared them, and they were pretty much the same.

The recipe calls for oil so naturally I used olive oil. Olive oil is good for you, but like most things, only in small portions. The oil coated the slaw very lightly, which made me feel less guilty. The recipe called for the whole seasonings packet that comes with the Ramen Noodles. Knowing this is LOADED with sodium, which retains water, I only used about 1/4 of the packet. I also omitted the salt because I felt like it would be salty enough with the Ramen packet. Probably one of the biggest changes I made to this recipe is the fact that I used honey instead of a 1/4 cup of sugar, and I only used about 2 tablespoons, if that. Everything else in the recipe is the same, except I did not have any sesame seeds on hand.

After I mixed up my slaw and took a bite I was so happy that I altered the recipe. I felt that I was left with a great flavor, and I did not feel that I sacrificed calories for flavor at all. The next time I make this recipe (which will be soon as I have a lot of slaw left) I will try to put together a seasonings packet on my own that will allow me to cut even more sodium out of the recipe. Tonight I am going to serve this with hamburgers.

Salad
4 green onions, chopped (use less or more desired on taste)
1 (6 oz) bag of cole slaw mix
3 TBSP toasted sesame seeds
1 cup toasted almonds
1 packet Ramen Noodles, broken into small pieces

Dressing
1/4 cup oil
3 TBSP white vinegar
2 TBSP honey
1/2 TSP pepper
Seasoning packet (reserved from Ramen)

Mix salad ingredients in a a large bowl, remembering to crumble the Ramen first.
Mix dressing ingredients in separate bowls.
Pour dressing over salad mixture and refrigerate for a couple hours for best results.