PEANUT-SESAME CHICKEN & SPIRALIZED CUCUMBER NOODLE SALAD

Amarante

Thu, Nov 24 2016, 9:49 am

COLD PEANUT-SESAME CHICKEN AND SPIRALIZED CUCUMBER NOODLE SALAD

Excerpt From: Gina Homolka - Skinnytaste Fast and Slow

SERVES 4

I love cold sesame noodles, but rather than using actual noodles, I spiralize cold cucumbers to keep it lighter and healthier, while also adding a refreshing crunch to the salad. Here, I toss them with leftover shredded chicken (also great with shrimp), diced peppers, and my light peanut-sesame dressing that’s so darn tasty, no one will ever guess it’s low in fat!

PEANUT DRESSING

¼ cup powdered peanut butter
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1½ tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

SALAD

2 English cucumbers (about 14 ounces each)
8 ounces cooked chicken breast, shredded
½ red bell pepper, cut into ⅛-inch dice
½ yellow bell pepper, cut into ⅛-inch dice
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

For the peanut dressing: In a blender, combine 2 tablespoons water, the powdered peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, Sriracha, garlic, and ginger. Set aside.

For the salad: Cut the cucumbers in half so they fit into the spiralizer. Spiralize the cucumbers into thick noodles with the thickest size noodle blade. Cut the strands into smaller pieces (about 5 inches long) so they’re easier to eat. If you don’t have a spiralizer, use a knife to cut the cucumbers into small cubes or julienne.

Divide the cucumber and chicken among 4 serving bowls. Top with the bell peppers and drizzle each with 3 tablespoons of the dressing. Serve sprinkled with the scallions and sesame seeds.

SKINNY SCOOP Powdered peanut butter, made by pressing peanuts to remove most of their fat and oil content, is perfect for lightening up recipes that use peanut butter. Two tablespoons of regular peanut butter has around 190 calories and 16 grams of fat. The same amount of PB2 (my favorite powdered brand) has just 45 calories and 1.5 grams of fat.

PER SERVING
1 salad + 3 tablespoons dressing
CALORIES
231
FAT
8.5 g
SATURATED FAT
1.5 g
CHOLESTEROL
48 mg
CARBOHYDRATE
17 g
FIBER
3.5 g
PROTEIN
23 g
SUGARS
10 g
SODIUM
438 mg