Asian Noodle Salad with Chicken and Cashews

It's been really hot outside and I didn't want to cook a big heavy meal. I was craving an Asian noodle salad with chicken. I looked through the refrigerator and cupboards to see what I had on hand and founds lots of veggies, cashews and mandarin oranges. I imagined all the flavors combining well so I went in search of a dressing/marinade. I found this one on Epicurious and adapted it just a bit. It turned out so delicious. I loved the crunchy veggies and nuts with the tender meat and sweet mandarin oranges. My husband, son and I loved this salad. Our daughter couldn't get enough - she had seconds for dinner and requested the leftovers for lunch the next day. I love it when that happens.

Dressing and Marinade:
Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net
Recipe adapted from Epicurious

• 6 tbsp of seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup of canola oil
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 5 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp hot chili sauce
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of any fat

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour 3-4 tablespoons of marinade in a large zip lock bag, add chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Set the remainder of dressing/marinade in a sealed container in the refrigerator so flavors can combine.

Chicken and Noodle Salad:

• 1 handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
• 2 green onions, diced finely
• 1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1/2 orange bell pepper, julienned
• 1 cup of shredded carrots
• 1 cup of snow peas, cut in half
• 1 cup of mandarin oranges, drained
• 1/2 cup of toasted cashews
• 3/4 lb spaghetti noodles, cooked per instructions

Cook the spaghetti per instructions, rinse with cold water and drain. Add half of the dressing to the noodles and let it sit for 20-30 minutes (this allows the noodles to become very flavorful). Prepare all the vegetables, set aside. Grill chicken until cooked thoroughly (about 3-4 minutes on each side), let the meat rest for 5 minutes before slicing into chunks. Add the vegetables, cashews, mandarin oranges, chicken and remainder of dressing to the noodles. Stir until well combined and serve. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net