Friday, June 8, 2007

Grab Bag Friday: Chicken Soba Salad

This is a quick, easy, healthy, & delicious recipe I got from Cooking Light Magazine and modified a bit to my liking. It's a great summer meal because it's tasty hot or cold. The chicken only takes about 15 minutes to cook, but you can use rotisserie chicken if you're pressed for time (just don't get the kind with the seasoning). You can find soba noodles at your natural foods store, in the "World" section (or maybe the noodle section) of your grocery store, or at any Asian grocery. Enjoy!

Chicken Soba Salad

2 cups water
2 (6-oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (I've substituted with white wine vinegar, I'm sure others would work well, too)
4 tablespoons peanut oil (I've also used sesame oil, olive oil, and even canola with good results)
4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons honey
1-2 garlic cloves (minced)
1-2 teaspoons of chopped jalepeno (Depending on how much zest you like. Use hot sauce if you don't have a pepper)
2 cups cooked soba noodles (about 4 oz. uncooked)
1 cup grated or chopped carrot
1/2-3/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
4 teaspoons chopped unsalted peanuts (optional)

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 15 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan, and discard peppercorns, bay leaf, and cooking liquid. Shred chicken; place in a large bowl.

2. Cook soba noodles according to package directions.

3. Combine vinegar and next 5 ingredients (vinegar through jalepeno), stirring with a whisk. Pour over chicken; let stand 5 minutes. Add soba noodles and the next 4 ingredients (noodles through chopped basil) to chicken mixture and toss well. Sprinkle with peanuts. Garnish with lime wedges. Yield: 3-4 servings.

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