Thai Chicken and Noodle Salad

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine and Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen
Serves 4

This one-bowl Asian meal made my husband's tummy "purr." He loved it! The secret's in the sauce, made from fragrant kitchen standbys. I loved the different textures with crisp carrots and cucumber, tender noodles, and crunchy peanuts. The basil and mint added great flavor and the dish was quite lovely. This recipe is definitely company worthy! All of the ingredients can be found at Lost River Market & Deli.


Spicy Asian Dressing (See easy make-ahead recipe below)
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced crosswise
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)

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

In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients.

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).
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.
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.
Top with carrots, cucumber, and basil. Drizzle with reserved dressing, and sprinkle with garnishes, if desired.

Slow Cooker Spiced Chicken and Carrot Stew

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine and Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen
Serves 6

I wanted to expend my energy today cleaning the screened in porch so that we can start grilling again, so I needed to find a recipe that was simple to make. This one fit the bill. You can make it even quicker if you scrub your carrots instead of peeling them. It's super easy, tasty and can be made in the slow cooker or the oven. I used the slow cooker. Do not omit the cilantro or the toasted almonds. They made the dish! I served this "stew" on couscous made with vegetable broth.

2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
6 to 8 skinless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds total)
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted if desired
Couscous, for serving (optional)


Place carrots in slow cooker. In a bowl, toss together chicken, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; add to slow cooker. Cover, and cook on high, 4 hours (or on low, 8 hours), adding raisins 15 minutes before cooking is done.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken and carrots to a dish (remove cinnamon stick); top with cilantro and almonds. Season cooking liquid with salt and pepper; spoon over chicken. Serve over couscous, if desired.

Oven Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In step 1, use a 5-quart Dutch oven or ovenproof pot with a tight-fitting lid, adding 1 cup water. Cover, and bake until chicken is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Proceed with step 2.