Sesame Noodles

Serves 6 as a main dish, 8 to 10 as a side dish

For the sesame dressing

• 3/4 cup sesame seeds plus 1 tablespoon
• 7 tablespoons peanut oil
• 3 medium or 2 large shallots (about 2 ounces total), sliced
• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar (or to taste -- if making vegan, use cane sugar)
• 1 teaspoon hot chile paste
•  3/4 to 1 cups water (or less)
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

For the noodles:

• 12ounces fresh Chinese egg noodles (sometimes called wonton noodles) or other long thin noodles of your choice
• 3tablespoons peanut oil
• 1cup blanched snow peas, thinly sliced
• 1red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1cup daikon radish, thinly sliced
• 1cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2cup chopped peanuts
• 1cup scallions, thinly sliced

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Put the sesame seeds on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven until golden brown and fragrant, 10 to 15 minutes. Be careful not to overcook them. Put the toasted seeds in a blender.
2. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil over medium-low heat. Sauté the shallots and garlic until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Add the shallots, garlic, remaining 6 tablespoons peanut oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and chile paste to the sesame seeds in the blender. Blend on high speed just until a thick, rough paste forms, 2 to 3 minutes. Stop blending when most of the seeds have broken up and been puréed. After the paste forms, it will begin to get oily if you continue to purée it, as the seeds begin to give off their oil. If you have time, refrigerate the purée (for up to a day).
4. Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a rolling boil. Cook the noodles per package directions. If using fresh Chinese egg noodles, gently fluff the noodles and add them to the water, stirring. Return the water to a boil and cook the noodles for just 10 to 30 seconds. (These tiny fresh noodles don’t need much cooking. If it takes a minute or more for the water to come back to a boil, the noodles will already be done.) Drain the noodles immediately and cool them under cold running water. Drain well. Put the cold noodles in a bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons peanut oil.
5. When ready to dress the noodles, drain off any oil that has gathered on the top of the purée. Whisk about 3/4 cup water into the purée to thin it and to reach a creamy consistency; the sauce will lighten in color and become emulsified; add more water as needed. Add the chopped cilantro to the sauce.
6. In a large bowl, toss the noodles with about half the dressing. Add the snow peas, red pepper, and daikon, and toss to combine (using your hands is easiest). Add more dressing if you like. Put the noodles in a large serving bowl or on individual plates. Garnish with the cilantro leaves, chopped peanuts, and sliced scallions, or pass little bowls of the garnishes at the table
   
   Recipe Source:  Food52

Chicken Pad Thai

Restaurant-style Chicken Pad Thai - ready in just 30 minutes!


Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8 ounces flat rice noodles (found in the Asian section in most grocery stores - may sub fettuccine noodles in a pinch), cooked al dente according to package instructions

•  1 large boneless skinless chicken breast, pounded to ½ inch thickness and chopped into bite-sized pieces + salt & pepper to taste

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts

• ⅓ cup sliced green onions

• ¼ cup sliced white onion

• ⅓ cup cilantro, roughly chopped

Peanut Sauce

• ¼ cup ketchup

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce (found in the Asian section at most grocery stores)

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1 teaspoon peanut butter

• juice of 1 lime

• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Instructions
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Cook chicken in a large wok or pan over medium heat, stirring throughout until cooked through (about 6-8 minutes), transfer chicken to a bowl and set aside.
2. Whisk together all sauce ingredients and set aside. Crack eggs over preheated pan (where you cooked the chicken) and allow to fry for a bout a minute ,then break it up with a spoon and add the onions and bean sprouts. Add chicken and sauce. Add noodles and toss to coat the noodles in the sauce. Stir in green onions and cilantro. Garnish with peanuts if desired.

Nutrition Facts
Servings 4.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 252
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6 g	10 %
Saturated Fat 2 g	8 %
Monounsaturated Fat 2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 142 mg	47 %
Sodium 1197 mg	50 %
Potassium 266 mg	8 %
Total Carbohydrate 30 g	10 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g	7 %
Sugars 12 g
Protein 19 g	39 %
Vitamin A	19 %
Vitamin C	18 %
Calcium	4 %
Iron	10 %

*adapted from The New Way To Cook Light
Recipe by Creme De La Crumb at http://lecremedelacrumb.com/2014/05/chicken-pad-thai.html