I didn’t think it would take this long after having baby #2 to post another recipe; there has definitely been an adjustment period! Life with two girls definitely has its challenging times, but I have to say that overall, my heart is just so filled with joy to have them.
With that being said, time is extremely limited. Hence this salad I saw posted on social media recently from Ree Drummond, ( http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/asian-noodle-salad.html) and I just made some tweaks to make it my own. Hubby and I decided we would try more chicken salad type dinners to eat a bit lighter (at least during the summer! ) and hopefully save on some time. (I used pre-shredded veggies) I like that it has a lot of vegetables that I can sneak in there that I would not normally eat. I added chicken to have the protein and make it more substantial and the pineapple adds a juicy and sweet component.
- 8 ounces spaghetti, cooked as desired
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
- 1 cup shredded white cabbage
- 1/2 cup bagged broccoli slaw mix
- 1 1/2 cup curly kale, (leaves torn off the stalks) and shredded
- 1 cup pineapple, sliced thin
- 2 chicken breasts, seasoned with salt, onion & garlic pepper & grilled, sliced thinly
- 1 cup salted peanuts, rough chopped
- 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped, if desired
- DRESSING
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger ( I used a jar)
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced (also used a jar)
- 1/2 lime juice, squeezed
- Cook the spaghetti as you like it and set aside to cool. Season and grill (or pan sear) the chicken breasts and also allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, mix all ingredients in a large boil, except for peanuts and cilantro.
- Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a separate bowl, whisking the oil in slowly. (It also works great to shake it all together in a jar) Once the chicken and noodles have cooled, slice the chicken thinly and mix all together.
- Pour the dressing over all the ingredients and top with chopped peanuts and cilantro.