The recipe serves 4 – I almost doubled it.
Dressing – mix all ingredients except oil, then drizzle in while you wisk/immersion blend
1/4 c soy sauce
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Salad
Toast 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds in a small dry pan until fragrant – about 1-2 min. set aside.
Rinse and dry chicken about 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast. Tyler filleted the breasts, but I cut them into strips for easier eating. Toss the chicken with enough dressing to lightly coat. Let it marinate for at least 10 minutes. Combine 1 1/4 c panko (I used whole wheat panko from whole foods) with 1/4 c sesame seeds and salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken and pat to get it to stay on. Heat olive oil in a skillet over edium high heat and ready a plate with paper towels for cooked chicken. Cook about 2 minutes each side, until golden brown and crispy. I finished some in the oven, since this 4 min wasn’t quite enough. I then skipped the frying for the ones I made for our daughter, just spraying the with Pam and then baking at 400/convection.
Fill a bowl with about 4 c fresh baby spinach, 1 cucumber, cut into thin slices, unpeeled (I used 3/4 of an english one), a handful of fresh cilantro, chopped, 1 scallion, white and green parts, sliced. Mix together with chicken, and the 2 reserved tablespoons of sesame seeds. Drizzle with the dressing to taste.
Cold sesame noodles
1/2 pound Chinese egg noodles (or angel hair, which I used)
3 tablespoons dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon red chili paste, such as sambal oelek
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons hot water
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Cucumber slices, for garnish
Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnishCook the noodles in large pot of boiling unsalted water over medium heat until barely tender and still firm. Drain immediately and rinse with cold water until cool. Drain the noodles really well and transfer to a wide bowl; toss with the sesame oil so they don’t stick together.
In a small saucepan, heat the peanut oil over medium-low flame. Add the green onions, ginger, garlic, and chili paste. Cook and stir for a minute until soft and fragrant. Mix in the brown sugar, peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, and hot water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the peanut butter has smoothed out. Toss the noodles with the peanut sauce until well coated. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Garnish with the sesame seeds, cucumber slices, and cilantro.