Cold Supper

With hot weather returning to Southern California, cold suppers have replaced my usual rotation of soups and sandwiches.  This new version of a chicken soba noodle salad was a big hit and I wished I had made double the recipe.  It comes together super easy and hit the spot!  Ingredient note:  If you don't want the spiciness of the chili oil, you can leave it out and serve some Sriracha on the side or replace with some red pepper flakes.  You can also substitute whole wheat spaghetti or rice noodles for the soba.

Chicken Soba Noodle Salad with Hoisin Dressing (serves 2)

1 tsp. sesame oil

2 T rice wine vinegar

3 T soy sauce

1 T hoisin

1 tsp. chili oil (optional)

5 T extra virgin olive oil

12 oz soba noodles

1 cup cooked, shredded chicken

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 cup broccoli slaw

2-3 T chopped cilantro

Whisk together the first 6 dressing ingredients in a large bowl.    Add the chicken, stir, and let it stand at room temperature while you cook the soba noodles and chop the vegetables.  Cook soba noodles according to package instructions, drain, and rinse with cold water.  Add the drained noodles and vegetables to the bowl.  Top with the cilantro.

Asparagus Salad

Let's start with some family news . . . 

Middle had her preschool promotion and is off to Kindergarten in the fall!

Big broke her arm (jumping off her bike) and did her last school project for the year

The girls and their cousins performed an original play in a park in Claremont

Little went to Chuck E. Cheese for the first time and LOVED it

We are on major count down mode . . . I only have ONE more day on campus and ZERO more papers to grade.  Big has 4.5 days of 2nd grade left and the little girls already started preschool summer camp.  The warm weather, a fun Memorial Day BBQ with the cousins, and lots of outside time has us super excited for the summer.

As you head into summer, here is a side dish that I love.  I posted about it a long time ago, but there are a few things buried in the blog that I wanted to share again.  My girls love asparagus and we normally just grill it or roast it in the oven, but this tangy, crunchy topping is really delicious.  It would be a great thing to bring to a summer BBQ or potluck!  

Sarah's Asparagus with Bleu Cheese (serves 6)

1 1/2 lbs fresh asparagus cut into 2 inch wedges (I used 2 bunches)
2 small tomatoes, cut in wedges or diced
1/3 c. sliced almonds, toasted
1/3 c. crumbled bleu cheese

Dressing:
3 T cider vinegar
3/4 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 T sugar (more or less depending on your taste)
1 T onion, diced or grated
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/3 c. vegetable oil.

Cook asparagus in boiling water for 3-5 minutes or steam it until it's "crisp tender" (al-dente?). Add the tomatoes.

In a blender, combine the dressing ingredients and process until smooth. Toss with the asparagus/tomato combination and sprinkle the almonds and bleu cheese on top.