Regular readers of this blog know that I buy chicken in bulk. My family never seems to tire of eating “the bird.” I, on the other hand, struggle on a weekly basis to find new ways to present chicken without going over budget.
Fortunately, I got some inspiration during our recent trip to Hawaii. The following Asian-inspired recipes pep up chicken in a way your entire family will enjoy. What’s more, both dishes are easy and affordable.
CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD
Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 package chicken flavored ramen noodles
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 head Napa cabbage, shredded
1 bag spring mix lettuce
6 green onions, chopped
1 can water chestnuts, drained
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons water
1/8 cup white sugar
Directions:
Crush noodles; place them in a medium skillet and brown in butter over medium heat. Add almonds and sesame seeds. Stir often to prevent burning. Let cool. Set aside.
Whisk together vegetable oil, vinegar, soy sauce, water, sesame oil, sugar, and chicken seasoning packet from ramen noodles. Pour a little of the mixture over chicken breasts and let marinate for 30 minutes or more.
Grill chicken.
Slice into thin strips.
In a large bowl toss cabbage, lettuce, water chestnuts, oranges, and onions with dressing.
Serve on individual plates with sliced chicken, crispy noodle mixture, and chopped fresh cilantro on top.
JAPANESE FRIED CHICKEN
Ingredients:
3 boneless chicken breasts
Potato starch
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Ingredients for Marinade:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup sake
1 piece fresh ginger root, crushed
Directions:
Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Combine marinade ingredients. Marinate chicken for an hour.
Remove chicken from marinade and dredge in potato starch.
Deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown.
Serves 4.
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