Thai Chicken Noodle Salad
For the chicken:
4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 Tb fish sauce
6-7 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
4 tsp soy sauce
4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2-1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
2 tsp curry powder
Juice of one lime
2/3 cup coconut milk
For the salad:
thin rice noodles (vermicelli) prepared according to package instructions (check if they're don enough for you, we liked them soaked longer)
limes
cucumbers
carrots
scallions
basil
chopped peanuts
Slice the chicken breast across grain into chunks, 3-4 per chicken breast. Whisk together all marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Toss chicken in marinade in a bowl or ziploc bag, making sure all pieces are well coated. Marinate the meat for at least 1 hour, up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
Get all your toppings ready for your salad. Chop nuts and basil, dice scallions, slice cucumbers, and peel carrots. We liked "carrot ribbons"; I just peeled the carrot then used the peeler to slice the carrot into ribbons. Have sliced limes for squeezing over the salad. Of course, all these toppings are optional.
Cook the chicken (reserve the marinade!!) on a rack in a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet under the broiler for about 10-15 minutes, or thread onto skewers and grill. Let rest a few minutes before serving. Collect all juices on the foil from under the chicken, and add to a small saucepan with leftover marinade bring to a simmer on medium heat for a few minutes, until it thickens into a sauce. Serve over the salad!
Top individual servings of noodles (warm or chilled) with veggies, chicken, and sauce. Enjoy!