Hi!
I’m still around. This End of School Year business is crazy-crazy. Leaves very little time for anything other than cookie baking, driving to and fro from campus, photos, year-end gifts… Believe-you-me, I barely have time to use the facilities. Three in elementary school will do that to you this time of year.
When my neglected DH made a simple request for a cole slaw without mayo dish, this Asian delight came to mind. It’s from Zov’s Bistro. Who here doesn’t loves their Asian Noodle Chicken Salad? The last time I slipped away for a girls lunch, it seemed to be a best seller in Tustin, California. They were pumping those babies out of the kitchen as fast as they could.
It’s super easy. The recipe just takes some chopping, throwing a multitude of ingredients into a blender, boiling pasta and buying a chicken roaster at the market.
No problemo. Let’s get to work.
Sliced cabbage, shredded carrot, lettuce, celery, bell peppers, cucumber, green onion, chopped peanuts, cilantro and mint. Use a big kitchen knife not a steak knife, promise it makes things kinda easier.
In the blender goes; rice vinegar, fresh lime juice, honey, minced peeled fresh ginger, fish sauce (use Thai Premium, not the cheap stuff – never please) soy sauce, minced garlic, minced shallots, hot chili oil, kosher salt, pepper, toasted sesame oil and canola oil.
Break your angel hair into thirds and boil. BARELY BOIL. Think only 1 1/2 minutes. Al Dente is key here.
Confession, I did buy a rotisserie chicken to save time. However, Maddox the Beagle decided to pull it off the counter and chow down. How did he manage this? I’ll never know. I ended up grilling a batch of brand new pollo. Damn him, I shake my fists.
When the angle hair is done, drain and dump into your bowl. Then add your sesame seeds.
Now it’s time for the rest of the ingredients to join the party. Toss it all and serve.
DH gave it 5 stars.
- 8 oz angel hair pasta broken in thirds
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- ½ Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
- ½ head romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
- 3 cups pulled roasted chicken meat from 1 whole rotisserie chicken
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced diagonally about 1 cup
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and cut into matchstick-sized strips
- ½ English hothouse cucumber halved, seeded and thinly sliced (about ½ cups)
- 1 grated carrot
- 5 green onions chopped
- 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
- ¾ cup fresh mint leaves torn by hand
- ⅓ cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
- 6-8 lime wedges
- Ginger Vinaigrette
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- ¼ honey
- ¼ cup minded peeled fresh ginger
- 3 tbsp. fish sauce (use Thai Premium, not the cheap stuff – never. please)
- 2 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. minced garlic
- 1 tbsp. minced shallots
- 2 tbsp. hot chili oil
- ¼ cup toasted sesame oil
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Blend the first 9 Ginger Vinaigrette ingredients in a blender. With the blender running gradually add the sesame oil, the canola oil, blending well. Season the vinaigrette to taste with more salt and pepper.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water for just 1/12 minutes (do not cook any longer) Drain the pasta in a colander, but do not rinse. Toss the pasta in the colander with the olive oil to coat. Set aside to cool.
- Stir the sesame seeds in a heavy small sauté pan over medium heat until they are golden, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Tip: The pasta can be cooked up to 2 days ahead; store in an airtight container and refrigerate. Store the sesame seed in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
- Toss the cooled pasta, toasted sesame seeds, cabbage, lettuce, chicken, celery, bell peppers, cucumber, green onion, cilantro and mint in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette (about 1½ cups) to coat. Mound the salad on 6-8 plates or in a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with the peanuts and serve with lime wedges.
Kristin A. says
Adding this to my summer dinner list!
Sarah says
Wow wow wow – the pics looks delicious too.
Mama B @ My Edible Journey says
This looks like a great, healthy meal for us (minus the peanuts). Thanks for sharing.