Sesame Noodle Bowl

Sesame Noodle Bowl You’ve got your Sesame Dressing, your Juicy Poached Chicken and your blanched pea pods in the fridge. Add some fast-cooking Asian noodles and raw veggies for a perfectly delicious lunch. Ingredients: Salt 1/2 lb fresh or dried Asian noodles (I like the fresh Shanghai Style) 2 tbsp sesame oil 2 tbsp Sesame Dressing (recipe follows) mixed with 2 tbsp water 2 cups pea shoots 1 cup sliced blanched pea pods 1 cup shredded peeled carrot 1 green onion, thinly sliced 1 Juicy Poached Chicken breast, thinly sliced (recipe follows) 1 tbsp toasted white or black sesame seeds (or a mixture) Directions: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add noodles and boil for 1 to 2 minutes or until cooked but still al dente. Drain and rinse very well with cold water. Toss with sesame oil, cover and refrigerate until ready to dress and serve. Toss noodles in a bowl with thinned Sesame Dressing. Divide between lunch containers and top with pea shoots, pea pods, carrot, green onion, chicken and sesame seeds. Serve with more Sesame Dressing drizzled overtop if desired. Makes 2 Servings SESAME DRESSING You will find so many uses for this delicious dressing. Thin it out with a little water to get it to the consistency you need. Ingredients: 3 tbsp Chinese sesame paste or tahini 1 tbsp white miso paste 2 tbsp light soy sauce 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar 2 tsp packed brown sugar 2 tsp grated ginger 1 tsp grated garlic 1/2 tsp Sriracha Directions: Combine sesame paste and miso in a medium bowl and whisk until uniform. Whisk in soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and Sriracha. Thin with water as needed. Makes about 1/2 cup or enough to coat 1 lb of noodlesJuicy Poached Chicken Starting your chicken in cold water with lots of aromatics is the key to making delicious poached chicken. Ingredients: 2 medium bone-in skin-on chicken breasts, about 1 1/4 lbs 5 cups cold water 1/2 onion, cut into chunks 1 stick celery, cut into chunks 1-inch chunk ginger, sliced 2 tsp kosher salt 1/2 tsp black peppercorns Directions: Combine all the ingredients in an uncovered medium pot (chicken should be covered by liquid). Turn heat to medium and slowly bring liquid to a gentle simmer. Turn heat to low and cook very gently (with small bubbles going from top to bottom) for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked (internal temperature should be 165°F. Remove from heat. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cool. Remove and discard skin and bones, then shred or slice meat. Makes 3 to 4 servings