Thai Chicken and Noodle Salad

Okay are you ready for summer? I was the lucky one to choose our project for this weeks Martha Monday...and yes, I know it's Friday! Did you know I had such good plans for my time off for summer? But just like all of those "best laid plans" my husband has kept me busy running for parts, and watching his shop while he is out on a dock call fixing a jet ski so he won't have to close the doors, and he can keep working. This wouldn't be so bad if I could get on line while I was there and work on my blogging, but you can't count on getting on the internet on any given moment...it comes and goes...kinda like mine at home. The problem is if I call when it happens there is no way they can come to fix it right at that moment. Plus I loose my phone, but the cable TV still works.

Back to Martha Monday...I was searching the no cook section and found this wonderful Thai Chicken and Noodle Salad...but then you have to cook the chicken and the noodles, oh well you can make it ahead and serve it up later. The dressing is wonderful and you can make it as spicy as you want. Of course I had to change a few things, just for what I had on hand and my husband doesn't like cucumbers so I used zucchini instead. Brette from Martha and Me gave me that idea. I also used chicken that was already cooked just put the dressing over it all. 

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced crosswise

Spicy Asian Dressing

Coarse salt

3 1/2 ounces Chinese rice noodles, broken in half if long

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, such as safflower

2 carrots, sliced into ribbons with a vegetable peeler

1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

1/4 cup fresh basil, torn

Bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, fresh mint leaves, red-pepper flakes, and sliced scallion greens, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Place chicken and half of dressing in a resealable plastic bag (reserve remaining dressing). Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate up to overnight).
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until tender. Drain, and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Transfer to a platter.
3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Working in batches, cook chicken (do not crowd skillet) until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes; transfer to platter on top of noodles.
4. Top with carrots, cucumber, and basil. Drizzle with reserved dressing, and sprinkle with garnishes, if desired.

Spicy Asian Dressing

4 thinly sliced scallion whites

2 minced garlic cloves

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons light-brown sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste (or 1 minced canned anchovy)

1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes