Gingery Peanut Noodles with Chicken

Thanks to my dear friend, Tricia, for sharing this recipe.  Tricia and I have similar tastes in food and enjoy eating yummy things together whenever we get the chance, so I can't wait to try this one for myself!  

A great way to use up leftover rotisserie (or any) chicken!  This recipe is from the March 2011 issue of Real Simple magazine. It would be easy to swap veggies for whatever you have on hand. It says “serves 4” but the portions would be large for 4 people. It makes a LOT of sauce, I have halved it before and thought there was enough for 2 adults and a toddler. This could easily be made vegetarian/vegan by subbing cubed tofu and using the right kind of noodles. It takes less than 20 minutes to throw everything together, too!
-Tricia

Sauce

1 cup water (I think it’s too watery and I use about 2/3 cup water)

½ cup peanut butter

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (I used powdered ginger)

Also

8 ounces spaghetti cooked (I have used whole wheat spaghetti, whole grain rotini, and rice noodles like for pad thai – anything works, but the rotini held the sauce the best although it doesn’t look very Asian)

1 ½ cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1 sliced red bell pepper

½ English cucumber cut in strips (I always sub 1-2 carrots cut in matchsticks)

2 sliced scallions (didn’t have scallions once and used cilantro – still good!)

chopped peanuts to sprinkle on top (peanut overkill? Sprinkle bean sprouts instead)

In a blender, blend together water, peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and ginger.

Toss with cooked spaghetti, shredded chicken, bell pepper, cucumber (or carrot, my preference), and scallions. Sprinkle with peanuts (or don’t – the sauce tastes like gingery peanut butter already!).