Your Daily Dish: Chinese Chicken Salad

Chinese chicken salad wasn’t the glorious creation of a steamed-out Shanghai kitchen – it came from big box, suburban restaurant chains that keep you waiting hours to eat their gooey food. That doesn’t mean we don’t like them but let’s just say this, our homemade healthful rendition – a towering salad topped with peanuty chicken, crunchy baked noodles and golden almonds tossed in a sweet hoisin dressing – beats a trip to the mall any day.

Ingredients

Peanut Butter Chicken
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cubed
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

Hoisin Peanut Dressing
6 tbsp hoisin sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp grated fresh ginger

Crunchy Noodles
1 (3oz/85g) package ramen noodles, crushed
3/4 cup slivered almonds
1 tbsp melted butter
2 cups snow peas, trimmed and cut on the diagonal
2 cups peeled and grated carrots
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
12 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

Directions

1) For the chicken, preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 11×9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place cubed chicken in baking dish.

2) In a small bowl, whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil and ginger. Pour sauce over cubed chicken and bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature before adding to salad.

3) For the dressing, in a medium bowl, whisk hoisin, rice vinegar, brown sugar, peanut butter, sesame oil and ginger. Set aside.

4) For the crunchy noodles, preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a small bowl, toss ramen noodles, slivered almonds and melted butter until evenly coated. Spread mixture on prepared baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes or until toasted. Remove from the oven and cool.

5) Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add snow peas, turn off heat and cover saucepan for 3 minutes. Drain snow peas and rinse under cold water to prevent further cooking. Drain and set aside.

6) On a large platter, top shredded lettuce with snow peas, carrots and corn. Pile cooked chicken in the center of the platter. Scatter noodle and almond mixture on top of the lettuce, vegetables and chicken. Drizzle with salad dressing and serve.

Serves 8

Bite Me Bit: “It takes more than just a good looking body. You’ve got to have the heart and soul to go with it.”-Epictetus

Have the time to cook up a traditional Chicken Soup that would make grandma proud? Try this classic Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls.

 

 

 

Whether it’s cruising the aisles at the Dollar Store or experimenting at the stove, we believe that every day can be a holiday.

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