Food Moods

 

I was craving some kind of Asian chicken and noodle combination. I don't know, it just sounded good. So, I did a search to see what I could find. This recipe sounded easy, so I thought I would give it a go. We all really liked it! I hope you will too.

Thai Chicken and Noodle Salad

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced crosswise

Spicy Asian Dressing (recipe below)

Coarse salt

3 1/2 ounces Chinese rice noodles, broken in half if long

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 carrots, sliced into ribbons with a vegetable peeler

1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

1/4 cup fresh basil, torn

Bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, fresh mint leaves, red-pepper flakes, and sliced scallion greens, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Place chicken and half of dressing in a resealable plastic bag (reserve remaining dressing). Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate up to overnight).

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until tender. Drain, and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Transfer to a platter.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Working in batches, cook chicken (do not crowd skillet) until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes; transfer to platter on top of noodles. 

Top with carrots, cucumber, and basil. Drizzle with reserved dressing, and sprinkle with garnishes, if desired.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipe. You can find it here.

Notes: The Spicy Asian Dressing uses anchovy paste which gives it a very subtle fish taste. If you don't like this flavor, reduce the amount of anchovy paste or omit it entirely. The flavor will still be great.

I would suggest serving the noodles in individual portions on each plate and topping it first with the carrots and cucumbers, then the chicken, and then any toppings you choose to use, if any. It just looks prettier that way!

Spicy Asian Dressing

Ingredients:

4 thinly sliced scallion whites

2 minced garlic cloves

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste (or 1 minced canned anchovy)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:

In medium bowl, mix together all ingredients.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food. You can find it here.

Notes: Really flavorful. As mentioned above, if you don't like the hint of fish flavor, reduce or omit the anchovy paste.