
As most of you know, I live away from home Monday to Friday without a kitchen, which is pretty terrible for someone like me who’s life revolves entirely around food!
I rely a LOT on meal prep for this reason primarily but it also has a lot of other benefits. Portion control being one (not my strong suit) but mainly COST and prep/cook time saved during my busy working weeks. At the very least ALL my breakfasts and lunches are prepped on a Sunday which sorts me out for the vast majority of the week. Snacks will include boiled eggs, cheese, fruit and some crackers plus any of my home baked snacks to see my through the afternoons ahead of a training session.
I try to mix up what I make and create new ideas as often as possible and I LOVE Thai/Asian food and just really fancied trying out a noodle salad. Most importantly- I LOVE peanut butter so a satay style sauce was mandatory. I looked at a few ideas for dressings but couldn’t find chilli jam (for a spicy kick with the sweetness you need for these dressings) so I used onion chutney and chilli paste. Same idea as the chilli jam but used up things I already had in the fridge!
I ate these salads heated up each day which was delicious. My husband (working out of a van) ate his cold and said it was also delicious!
So hot or cold, this is a cheap, fresh and TASTY option for a meal prep lunch or dinner or even just a tasty family meal for everyone made fresh!!!
Thai Chicken Noodle Salad
Serves 4-5
Ingredients
150g dried Rice noodles
Handful of beansprouts
1 large carrot, grated
10 radishes, grated
6 spring onions, sliced
2 pak choi, chopped
Fresh Mint
Fresh coriander
3 x large chicken breasts
Sesame oil
Salt and pepper
Dressing:
1 1/2 tbsp crunchy nut butter
Juice of 2 limes
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp chilli paste (add more If you like it hot)
1 1/2 tbsp onion chutney
Method
1. Boil a full Kettle of water. Place the dried rice noodles in a heatproof bowl and cover with the boiling water. Leave for 2 minutes, drain into a colander and then run under cold water until cool. Drizzle with sesame oil to prevent them sticking.
2. Prep and cook your chicken: butterfly the chicken breast (cutting lengthways across the meat to open it out flat). Cover with cling film and bash with a rolling pin until the meat is even thickness throughout. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a tbsp of sesame oil in a non stick frying pan. Fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. Set aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, add the carrot, radish, pak choi and spring onions. Chop the fresh herbs and add to the bowl along with the rice noodles. Toss together until combined.
4. Finely slice the cooled chicken breast.
5. Add the peanut butter to a small heatproof bowl or jar and microwave for 30-60 seconds. While warm, add the remaining dressing ingredients and mix together until combined.
6. Divide the noodle mix between your containers, top with slices of cooked chicken and then divide the sauce between them.
7. Enjoy hot or cold for prep ahead lunches or dinners!
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