Asian Pasta Salad
I ran across one of those cute Pinterest ideas in which Wonderwoman Mom creates a photobook/cookbook of family favorite recipes for the kids.
That's a great idea!
But I know me. I would procrastinate and never, ever do it. So instead, I am going to start adding recipes one by one to our family blog. Makes sense right? Food and nostalgia go hand in hand.
Before we get started, let me enlighten you about something. I am NOT a "by-the-book" cook. I view cooking as both an art and a science. It is not purely science. If it was purely science, new recipes would never be created, and the world would be a sad, sad place. It is not purely art. If it was purely art, then you would end up with Sauteed Cinnamon Zucchini. Yes, my dad that made that for us (by accident) one time, declared it a culinary success and forced us to eat it. We have never been the same since. Siblings, can I get an 'amen'? Thank you.
Today, I will introduce one of Allan's favorites: Asian Pasta Salad. This is decidedly a summer dish, but even though we have officially entered Autumn, it is supposed to be 90° here on Saturday. Summer, live on!
First off, boil some Angel Hair Pasta. You may be tempted to use spaghetti. Please refrain. How much? Oh, about 8oz. Roughly half a box. Unless of course, you have a 12oz. box. Sometimes, the pasta companies try to trick you like that. One must always be aware of such trickery when grocery shopping or it is likely that one will be getting 25% less product than one could have gotten if one was paying attention. And one will have spent $.25 more than one should have. Quite possibly, it will be the most expensive mistake of your life.
Contrary to popular practice, don't salt your pasta water. Just don't. At least not this time. It's small pasta and there's plenty of salt in the soy sauce dressing. Also, I like to break the pasta into small segments, not more than 3 inches in length.
While the water is heating up, go grab some veggies from the garden, preferably one zucchini and one yellow squash. If you have some red, yellow and orange sweet peppers in the garden, use some of those as well. If you don't, buy them at the store. They taste good, AND they're good for you. How many cups once cut? Umm....some.
Cut them up like so.
Picture enlarged to show texture...I mean size.
Now, here's where it gets crazy.
Heat a skillet (preferably old and seasoned) with some olive oil. How much? Some. Um...ok. Maybe a couple of tablespoons. It kind of depends on your pan and how old it is. High heat is best. And since you're using an old pan, it doesn't really matter because all the Teflon has already burnt off.
Toss in your unseasoned veggies and walk away. Truly. Forget about them. At least for a little while. Long enough to sear them. This is the secret to a beautiful food life: do not hover. Sear the veggies (sear is a fancy word for char), toss them with a wooden spoon and sear a little more. Then turn down the heat, cover with a lid and steam them until they are tender, but not mushy. Remove from heat. (Note: I usually cook my peppers first, then the squash, since it doesn't take as long, and mushy squash is not desirable in this recipe.)
You will also need about a cup of cooked chicken. Not shredded. Not rotisserie. Grilled is fine, as long as it wasn't marinated in a honey-balsamic marinade or Mexican spices. That would be weird. The chicken should be 1/2" cubes or thereabouts.
Mix up the dressing. I almost always make a double-recipe because I like more dressing as opposed to less dressing. Make a double recipe, then add however you prefer. Keep in mind, that the dressing "soaks in" as it sits.
Dressing (single recipe):
1/4 c. canola oil
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar (rice vinegar is sweeter than white vinegar)
2 tsp. white, granulated sugar
1 tsp. fresh grated gingerroot
1 minced garlic clove
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
a splash (1/4tsp?) sesame oil
Please note: fresh ingredients are always better than dried or powdered. Always.
This counts as fresh, right?
When the noodles are done, drain them and dump them in a large bowl, preferably the one you plan to store the pasta dish in. This reduces the number of dishes you have to wash by one, which is a good thing (I have all types of helpful hints, don't I?)
Add your seared veggies and chicken to the drained pasta.
Add your dressing.
Toss to coat. Refrigerate until chilled (about four hours, but overnight is best).
It may not look beautiful, but it is generally a crowd pleaser.
Enjoy!
P.S. Top with chopped peanuts prior to consuming, if desired. I desire.
This recipe was adapted from The Pampered Chef. However, since I changed several things, I guess technically, I can claim it as my own. But credit goes where credit is due...thanks TPC!
That's a great idea!
But I know me. I would procrastinate and never, ever do it. So instead, I am going to start adding recipes one by one to our family blog. Makes sense right? Food and nostalgia go hand in hand.
Before we get started, let me enlighten you about something. I am NOT a "by-the-book" cook. I view cooking as both an art and a science. It is not purely science. If it was purely science, new recipes would never be created, and the world would be a sad, sad place. It is not purely art. If it was purely art, then you would end up with Sauteed Cinnamon Zucchini. Yes, my dad that made that for us (by accident) one time, declared it a culinary success and forced us to eat it. We have never been the same since. Siblings, can I get an 'amen'? Thank you.
Today, I will introduce one of Allan's favorites: Asian Pasta Salad. This is decidedly a summer dish, but even though we have officially entered Autumn, it is supposed to be 90° here on Saturday. Summer, live on!
First off, boil some Angel Hair Pasta. You may be tempted to use spaghetti. Please refrain. How much? Oh, about 8oz. Roughly half a box. Unless of course, you have a 12oz. box. Sometimes, the pasta companies try to trick you like that. One must always be aware of such trickery when grocery shopping or it is likely that one will be getting 25% less product than one could have gotten if one was paying attention. And one will have spent $.25 more than one should have. Quite possibly, it will be the most expensive mistake of your life.
Contrary to popular practice, don't salt your pasta water. Just don't. At least not this time. It's small pasta and there's plenty of salt in the soy sauce dressing. Also, I like to break the pasta into small segments, not more than 3 inches in length.
While the water is heating up, go grab some veggies from the garden, preferably one zucchini and one yellow squash. If you have some red, yellow and orange sweet peppers in the garden, use some of those as well. If you don't, buy them at the store. They taste good, AND they're good for you. How many cups once cut? Umm....some.
Cut them up like so.
Picture enlarged to show texture...I mean size.
Now, here's where it gets crazy.
Heat a skillet (preferably old and seasoned) with some olive oil. How much? Some. Um...ok. Maybe a couple of tablespoons. It kind of depends on your pan and how old it is. High heat is best. And since you're using an old pan, it doesn't really matter because all the Teflon has already burnt off.
Toss in your unseasoned veggies and walk away. Truly. Forget about them. At least for a little while. Long enough to sear them. This is the secret to a beautiful food life: do not hover. Sear the veggies (sear is a fancy word for char), toss them with a wooden spoon and sear a little more. Then turn down the heat, cover with a lid and steam them until they are tender, but not mushy. Remove from heat. (Note: I usually cook my peppers first, then the squash, since it doesn't take as long, and mushy squash is not desirable in this recipe.)
You will also need about a cup of cooked chicken. Not shredded. Not rotisserie. Grilled is fine, as long as it wasn't marinated in a honey-balsamic marinade or Mexican spices. That would be weird. The chicken should be 1/2" cubes or thereabouts.
Mix up the dressing. I almost always make a double-recipe because I like more dressing as opposed to less dressing. Make a double recipe, then add however you prefer. Keep in mind, that the dressing "soaks in" as it sits.
Dressing (single recipe):
1/4 c. canola oil
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar (rice vinegar is sweeter than white vinegar)
2 tsp. white, granulated sugar
1 tsp. fresh grated gingerroot
1 minced garlic clove
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
a splash (1/4tsp?) sesame oil
Please note: fresh ingredients are always better than dried or powdered. Always.
This counts as fresh, right?
When the noodles are done, drain them and dump them in a large bowl, preferably the one you plan to store the pasta dish in. This reduces the number of dishes you have to wash by one, which is a good thing (I have all types of helpful hints, don't I?)
Add your seared veggies and chicken to the drained pasta.
Toss to coat. Refrigerate until chilled (about four hours, but overnight is best).
It may not look beautiful, but it is generally a crowd pleaser.
Enjoy!
P.S. Top with chopped peanuts prior to consuming, if desired. I desire.
This recipe was adapted from The Pampered Chef. However, since I changed several things, I guess technically, I can claim it as my own. But credit goes where credit is due...thanks TPC!
YUM! thanks for sharing! Might get to make it before my Zucchini is done for the season :)
ReplyDeleteYummy!
ReplyDelete