I have a special section in my bookshelf called “Inspiration and Eye-Candy” and only a handful of lucky titles get a coveted spot on that shelf. These are books that I reach for when I’m feeling hungry-but-not-hungry-but-hungry, which really means I want to eat but I can’t muster up the energy to be creative and whip up something in the kitchen on the fly. Currently on the shelf is Nobu, The Cookbook (recipe next week), Things Cooks Love from Sur La Table (recipe soon) and 
delicious days by Nicole Stich.
Nicky was kind enough to send me one of her books…she’s an an award-winning food blogger www.deliciousdays.com, amazing cook, detailed photographer, creative designer and naturally gifted writer. Oh, and she’s married to handsome Oliver, have beautiful friends and they live in Germany. Sounds so exotic, doesn’t it? Well friends, wait til you see this book, you will love it.
The cookbook contains hundreds of photographs so vivid and sharp that you can totally pretend that you’re there. Instead of traditional cookbook chapters, Nicky and Oliver bring you on a food journey and divide the book into mini sections like, “Boat Trip in Greece” and “Bella Italia.” Recipes that accompany these journeys are fabulous, many of them with only a handful of ingredients. A simple “Greek Yogurt with Honey and Roasted Nuts” is so much more special when Nicky and her friends are savoring it aboard a yacht sailing the Aegean.
Asian Sesame Chicken Noodle Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts
- salt
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil (peanut, vegetable or canola)
- 1/2 large red chili pepper, sliced
- 1 cucumber, washed and thinly sliced
- 1-2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
- 5 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, divided
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 4 tablespoons kejap manis
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 3.5 ounces thin, dried Japanese or Chinese noodles (such as somen or soba)
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in a pot with lightly salted water (enough water to cover the chicken.) Bring to a boil, immediately reduce heat and cook in the barely simmering water for 10-15 minutes until done. Test for doneness. Remove chicken and let cool. Return water back to boil and cook the noodles according to package instructions and drain.
- Heat a wok or frying pan with the cooking oil, Sichuan peppercorns and red chili pepper until the peppercorns unfolds its aroma. Add the cucumber and fry for 30 seconds. Let cool.
- In a mortar, crush the garlic and just 4 tablespoons of the sesame seeds until it forms a rough paste. You can also do this in a blender. Add the remaining tablespoon of sesame seeds, kejap manis, sesame oil and about 5 tablespoons of water. Stir the sesame sauce.
- Shred the cooked chicken meat, toss with the sesame sauce along with the oil/peppercorn/pepper mixture and drained noodles.
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comment section! I always appreciate your feedback and I know other readers do, too!
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This recipe looks fabulous. I just love Asian food. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes Jayden.
this looks SO good. i f*cking love you! seriously… your site kicks ass and EVERY time I logon I find like 5 recipes I HAVE to make. rare… but wonderful occurence.
Oh, I was just rummaging around your blog and found this recipe. I’ve been looking for ways to use left-over phad thai noodles because I’ve got some, AND because I’ve been craving some kind of cold soba noodle dish. This recipe looks deeeeelish! Only problem is that I live in No-mans-land, Texas and can only find certain ingredients in a somewhat bigger city that’s 2 hours away from here. Anyway, ONE DAY, I’m going to try this one out because it looks yummy. And while I’m waiting…I was wondering if YOU knew any recipes that involve left-over phad thai noodles/rice sticks…??
Yummy, will try.
That chicken noodle salad looks good!
that looks so good!! a *must* try. especially, on warm weather days.
Looks yummi,thanks for sharing.gina
Wow that looks so delicious, it looks so refreshing. My youngest might be allergic to sesame, I hope not, I want to make family meals with sesame oil and seeds again!
I, too, love the idea of reserving a special place on the bookshelf for the very favorite, very best cookbooks used time and time again. It sure would save the hassle of scanning all the shelves for that one book you thought you put there, but really filed away somewhere else. 😉
You had me at sesame….I will definitely have to save this for one of those “I need carbs…noodles!” cravings. Thanks for sharing!
I have a special spot for my special cookbooks – problem is I have so many cookbooks and so many special ones I need spaces – plural! I will put yours in one of those specialplaces when it comes out!
Wonderful dish, it looks and sounds fantastic. I love their site, they are one of my inspirations for even starting a blog. Beautiful photos and tasty recipes as well they live on the other side of the pond, where I cannot wait for us make that move, too!
Adding this recipe to our must cook soon stack – thanks for sharing it!
Yumm!! Looks so delish!
I was a subscriber for a while but realized today that I haven’t been receiving any new postings, and that chicken salad looks to die for! Just now I tried to re-subscribe and it says there’s a server problem. Can you add me back, or I will try again later. I don’t know what happened.
YUM. Love sesame, love cold noodles, love them both mixed with chicken. YUM.
I love the idea of special section in the bookshelf! Yeah, my fav books should definitely have a space for their own special selves.
Recipe sounds good too. I’m still waiting to find that perfect combination. Will try this.
This will be great during the Andalucian summer when all you want to eat are cold noodles & Gazpacho. 🙂
sounds like a wonderful meal, and I agree on use of sesame seeds over peanuts. Great photo jaden. Love the heaping of cilantro on top. yum 🙂