Thai Ramen Chopped Salad Food

THAI NOODLE SALAD WITH PEANUT SAUCE

Steps:

• Drain and cool the noodles: Transfer to a colander, drain, and rinse with cool water until noodles are cold. Allow to drain well until ready to add to the salad. If noodles stick together, rinse them in cool water to separate.
• Combine the salad: Add the rice noodles to the bowl with the vegetables, herbs, and peanuts. Pour half of the dressing over the salad.
• Serve: Garnish salad with additional cilantro leaves, green onions, and chopped peanuts. Serve the remaining dressing on the side.

GARLICKY INSTANT RAMEN NOODLE SALAD WITH GRILLED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Chicken
• Place chicken in a medium bowl. Process garlic, cilantro roots, oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce, pepper, and salt in a small food processor until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, scrape marinade into bowl with chicken and mix well. Cover and chill at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours.
• Dressing
• Place chiles, vinegar, brown sugar, and fish sauce in a small glass jar; cover and shake to combine. Do ahead: Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Store at room temperature.
• Garlic
• Cook garlic and oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, until garlic begins to turn light brown around the edges, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is medium brown and crisp, about 1 minute more. Immediately strain oil through a fine-mesh sieve into a small heatproof bowl. Let cool. Do ahead: Garlic can be cooked 1 day ahead. Transfer garlic oil and crispy garlic to separate airtight containers and store at room temperature.
• Noodles and Assembly
• Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain and return noodles to pot. Pour in lukewarm water to cover and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to release as much starch from noodles as possible. Drain and repeat until water is clear. Drain well, shaking off excess moisture. Transfer noodles to a large bowl, pour in garlic oil, and toss to coat.
• Prepare a grill for high heat; lightly oil grate. Grill chicken until lightly charred on both sides and an instant read-thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°, 8-10 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing against the grain.
• Add dressing to noodles and toss well to coat. Taste and add more fish sauce and/or vinegar if needed; noodles should be salty and sour with sweetness trailing behind. Add scallions, lettuce, cilantro, salt, half of peanuts, and half of crispy garlic and toss to combine.
• Transfer noodles to a platter and arrange chicken on top. Sprinkle crispy garlic and remaining peanuts over. Do ahead: Noodles can be cooked and dressed with oil 6 hours ahead. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

THAI RAMEN CHOPPED SALAD

Steps:

• Break up ramen noodles while they are still in the package a bit. Open the packages and fish out the flavor packets. Cook the ramen noodles per package directions, use 1 package of seasoning in the cooking water, save the other package, cool noodles 5 minutes, put in big salad bowl.
• Shred or chop the two chicken breast, put aside in big salad bowl.
• Peel and shred the carrots, add to salad bowl.
• Chop half the red pepper into nice, small cubes, put into the salad bowl set the other half aside.
• Chop the green onions, add to salad bowl.
• Finely chop the Romaine lettuce, add to salad bowl.
• Drain the black olives, keep the juice aside, add the olives sliced into rings to salad bowl.
• Drain 1 can mandarin oranges, add to salad bowl.
• Toss everything in salad bowl, admire the nice colors.
• Get out the food processor.
• Put liquid from black olives into food processor bowl, followed by the other undrained can of mandarin oranges, oranges and liquid, into the food processor bowl.
• Add the second chicken flavor packet from the ramen noodles.
• Now add ¾ cups of peanuts, the other half of the red pepper, chopped up a bit to make it easier to process, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 2 teaspoons, or more, if you like it, sesame oil.
• Turn on the food processor and blend well. You are making salad dressing. Assess the consistency, add a bit of water if you would like it thinner. Process again. Set aside.
• You should still have 3/4 cup peanuts you haven't used yet, chop them, but don't add to salad until just before serving.
• You may also have the optional egg roll wrappers, these can be used to make your final salad classier, but aren't necessary.
• If you do want to use them, separate the package in half, cut half the package into thin strips. Heat oil in a deep pan and fry the strips until browned and done, drain on paper towels.
• While you are at it, take the other half of the package of eggroll wrappers you didn't use, cut each in half, deep fry and drain, sprinkle with either powdered sugar, or cinnamon sugar and use as a dessert with your salad.
• Just before serving, Toss your salad with your dressing, sprinkle with chopped peanuts. If you did make the optional fried eggroll wrapper crunchies, put them on top of your salad as a crispy, decorative condiment, and eat the sugared ones as a dessert.
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