1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. tahini, stirred
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 Tb. dry sherry
2 Tb. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1/3 c. honey
1 Tb. garlic, coarsely chopped
1 Tb. ginger, coarsely chopped
1/2 c. peanut butter, crunchy/ regular (not old fashioned)
3/4 tsp. dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 c. water
For Chicken:
1 recipe chili marinade and basting sauce
2 chicken breast halves, boneless, skinless (4 oz. in total), tenderloins removed and reserved for another use
For Noodles and Vegetables:
6 Asian fresh egg or water noodles, refrigerated
2 vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 hot house cucumber, unpeeled and julienned
Cilantro sprigs and green onions
To Make Peanut Sauce:
In order given, add all ingredients to blender and process until thoroughly combined. Makes 2 1/2 cups of sauce.
To Marinate Chicken:
Make chili marinade. Add chicken and marinate for 1 hour at room temperature, stirring once.
To Prepare Noodles & Vegetables:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook al dente, 3 minutes for fresh, 5 minutes for dried. Drain and run under cold water. Transfer to a bowl. Add vegetable oil and sesame oil; toss to coat. When cool, stir in cucumbers and carrots. Before serving, toss with as much peanut sauce as desired. Serve at room temperature.
To Grill Chicken:
Oil grill grate and prepare coals or preheat gas grill. Grill over medium heat, smooth-side down, until bottom has deep brown grill marks, 5 to 8 minutes. Turn and continue until cooked through, 5 to 8 more minutes. Chicken is done when thickest part is opaque. Let rest 5 minutes; slice thinly on the diagonal.
To plate:
Mound pasta onto the center of 4 small plates. Top with slices of chicken. Drizzle with sauce. Top with green onion curls and a sprig of cilantro. To create green onion curls, trim bottoms of onions, cut 2 inches off tops and remove outer layers. Using a sharp knife, cut stalks into thirds. Diagonally cut each into thin julienne slivers. Put them into a small bowl and cover with water. Refrigerate until they curl, at least 30 minutes. They can be stored in the refrigerator in water overnight, but I like to use them at room temperature when I garnish hot food
Serves 4-6