Peanut Noodles with Chicken

Makes about six servings

This is a very popular dish at pot luck dinners and summertime family gatherings. It’s even better as leftovers. Kids love it, too.

ingredients

Noodles:
1 box whole wheat linguini (I use Healthy Harvest brand), broken in half and cooked “al dente” (usually 1-2 minutes less than package directions). Drain noodles very well, pat dry and refrigerate for one hour. Can also make the noodles the night before, just be sure to cover tightly while storing in refrigerator.
Chicken:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
Marinate chicken for at least one hour in:
2 T tamari (soy) sauce
1 T sesame oil
1/4 C sweet chili-garlic sauce
2 cloves crushed or minced garlic
1/4 C cider or rice vinegar
Peanut Sauce:
In a blender or food processor, combine:
1 small jar natural peanut butter, smooth (about 14 oz. or just under two cups)
Zest and juice of one lime
4-5 T tamari (soy) sauce
1-2 T fresh ginger (or 1 t ground dried ginger)
1 T sesame oil
1/4 C sweet chili-garlic sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 C finely minced cilantro
1 T brown sugar or Splenda
1 T cider or rice vinegar
Once the above ingredients are blended well, add hot water in teaspoon increments until the sauce has the consistency of a milk shake.

1
Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. Broil or grill chicken until done (char the outside a bit), refrigerate until cool and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices. Can make the chicken the night before, but cover tightly when storing.
2
Assembly:
3
Pour the sauce over the cold noodles and stir well to distribute the sauce evenly. Transfer noodles to a serving bowl and add any or all of the following: fresh bean sprouts, red bell pepper slices, sprigs of cilantro, chopped roasted peanuts. Arrange the cold sliced chicken on top of the noodles or on an accompanying platter, garnish with more cilantro.