Tyler Florence’s Sesame Chicken Salad with Spinach Cucumber and Cilantro and Cold sesame noodles

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 garnish
Cook 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.

Crisp Chicken Wings with Chili-Lime Butter

Recipe by Tyler Florence

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs. chicken wings
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 big, fat rounded tablespoon Thai red curry paste
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 1 lime, halved
  • Chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

  1. Rinse the wings under cool water and pat dry. Put them in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.
  2. Toss to coat with the seasoning. Then spread the wings out on a baking sheet and roast about 25 minutes until the skin gets crisp and brown, and the meat is tender.
  3. While you wait, throw the butter, red curry paste honey and soy sauce into a blender. Season with salt and puree. Scrape into a big bowl.
  4. When the wings come out of the oven, add to the bowl with the curry butter. Squeeze the juice of the lime over the wings. Give it a toss and you’re done. Garnish with cilantro.

Serves 4 to 6.

(Green) edamame and carrot salad with rice vinegar dressing

From Epicurious. Green juice to come.

1 1/2 cups shelled cooked edamame beans (from about 20 ounces of pods)
4 medium carrots (about 12 ounces), peeled, coarsely grated
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced

Combine first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, oil and garlic in small bowl to blend. Add to edamame mixture; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 3 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/EDAMAME-AND-CARROT-SALAD-WITH-RICE-VINEGAR-DRESSING-104267