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Asian Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe

Summer is here. School is almost out.

Definition of ALMOST (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

: very nearly but not exactly or entirely

We end on the 19th. I feel both excited and concerned about what life will look like beginning the 20th. Today I ate leftovers for lunch. Asian Chicken Pasta Salad. I took a photo on Instagram and received a couple requests for the recipe.

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It’s a great recipe I’ve had for 22 years. Originally from my friend Nancy Young. You know it’s good when the recipe card looks like this.

It’s a great recipe I’ve had for 22 years. Originally from my friend Nancy Young. You know it’s good when the recipe card looks like this.

I changed the name of the dish from “Oriental” to “Asian” to be politically correct. Oriental, for those of you who may not know, is an outdated word and offensive to many Asians.

“Oriental” is considered to be an antiquated, pejorative, and disparaging term in the United States. John Kuo Wei Tchen, director of the Asian/Pacific/American Studies Program and Institute at New York University, said the basic critique of the term developed in the 1970s. Tchen has said, “With the anti-war movement in the ’60s and early ’70s, many Asian Americans identified the term ‘Oriental’ with a Western process of racializing Asians as forever opposite ‘others’”.[7] In a press release related to legislation aimed at removing the term “oriental” from official documents of the State of New York, Governor David Paterson said, “The word ‘oriental’ does not describe ethnic origin, background or even race; in fact, it has deep and demeaning historical roots”.[8] (Wikipedia)

Okay, back to the recipe:

12 oz. Angel Hair pasta (cook and drain)

3 C sliced mushrooms

2 sm tomatoes, diced

3/4 C sliced green onion

6 oz snow peas cut crosswise (see photo of recipe card and the drawing of the snow pea)

4-5 C cooked chicken

2 T toasted sesame seeds

Dressing: 

1/2 C soy sauce

1/2 C lemon juice

1/3 C vegetable oil

2 minced garlic cloves

1 t. sugar

1 t. chili/garlic paste (I didn’t have any so I just skipped this ingredient)

Mix everything together in a big bowl, mix dressing, toss and coat, chill at least 2-3 hours. Toss in sesame seeds just before serving.

It makes a big batch (hence the leftovers), so this is a good dish to serve at summer potlucks or to take to the beach in a cooler.

Enjoy!!