Sesame Noodles with Chicken

This Yummy Chinese Dish has become a favorite main dish for us with the addition of browned chicken tenders and some thinly sliced red pepper or grated carrots, for more color and flavor

Serves Us 3.

Sea salt

1/2 lb. dried plain, whole-grain spaghetti, or rice Noodles

3 Tbs. Asian sesame oil

3 medium cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup ginger-flavored soy sauce

3 Tbs. rice vinegar

1 tbls light or dark brown sugar

1/2 lb. chicken tenders

1 tsp. peanut oil

Freshly ground black pepper

3 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions until the pasta or noodles are al dente.Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water until cool. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl, and toss with 1 Tbs. of the sesame oil.

Either in a pestle & mortar or food processor, grind the garlic until roughly chopped. Add the remaining 5 Tbs. sesame oil, and the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and 1-1/2 tsp. salt. blend until smooth, scrape down the bowl, about 30 seconds. Set aside.

Trim off any exposed tendon ends from the wide tips of the tenders, if necessary. Season the tenders with 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Heat the peanut oil in a in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook the tenders until well browned on both sides and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and slice crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Add the chicken to the spaghetti or noodles along with half of the scallions.

Pour about 1-1/4 cups of the dressing over the pasta and chicken and toss to coat. Add more dressing to taste—you may not need to use it all. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with the remaining scallions, and serve.

More delicious Asian recipes here at FineCooking.com