Chicke Otsu

Given an 8 1/2 out of 10 by my husband, a very high mark, this recipe was a definite hit!  A new ingredient for me in this recipe was soba noodles, a Japanese buckwheat noodle.  They had a nice texture and good flavor.  I was able to find them at Cub but after a bit of hunting around in the Asian food section.  This recipe was a bit spicy for the boys so if you don't like a lot of heat, perhaps cut back on the cayenne in the dressing. 

Chicken Otsu

Recipe adapted from: Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson

Ginger sesame dressing:

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1-inch cube fresh ginger peeled and grated

1 tbls. Honey

¾ tsp. cayenne

¾ tsp. fine grain sea salt

1 tbls. Freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ c. unseasoned brown rice vinegar

1/3 c. shoyu sauce or soy sauce

2 tbls. Extra virgin olive oil

2 tbls toasted sesame oil

Other ingredients:

12 ounces dried soba noodles

3-4 chicken breasts

¼ c. chopped fresh cilantro

3 green onions, thinly sliced

½ cucumber peeled, cut in half, lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced

1 small handful of cilantro, coarsely copped for garnish

¼ c. toasted sesame seeds

To make the dressing, combine the zest, ginger, honey, cayenne, and salt in a food processor and process until smooth.  Add the lemon juice, rice vinegar, and shoyu and pulse to combine.  With the machine running, drizzle in the oils.

Cook the soba in plenty of rapidly boiling salted water just until tender.  Then drain and rinse under cold running water. 

While the pasta is cooking, cut the chicken into cubes, season with salt and pepper and brown in olive oil or sesame oil until cooked through and juices run clear.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the soba, the ¼ c. cilantro, green onions, cucumber, and about 2/3 c. of the dressing and toss until well combined.  Add the chicken and toss again gently.  Serve on a platter, garnished with the cilantro sprigs and toasted sesame seeds.