Fabulous Chicken Salad Dish - Perfect for Summer Outdoor Dining

This is one of my favorite summer recipes and it can easily be modified so it's not so labor intensive.  It's from Mustards Grill in Napa Valley (love restaurant cookbooks).  You'll need a few spices you may not have (I buy mine from Penzeys). I'll show you how to short cut this one a bit.  If you are very ambitious follow the recipe as below, but it's just as good with the shortcuts.

(Great Cookbook to Add to Your Collection)

Chinese Chicken Salad Sesame Noodles and Rice Noodles and Rice Vinegar Cucumbers

Rice Vinegar Cucumbers
(I usually don't include the cucumbers but if I do I just cut them up and layer them in the salad.  I used shredded carrots bought shredded and then just add the scallions without the marinade)
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/4 in thick rounds
1 large carrot julienned
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 scallions, white parts only minced
1/4 c rice vinegar
2 t sugar

Chicken
1/4 c Chinese rose wine or 2 T dry white wine, shot of Scotch
1/4 c rice vinegar
1/2 c soy sauce
2 T sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 c peeled and grated fresh ginger
3 pods star anise
2 t Szechuan peppercorns
2 t Kosher salt
4 c water
3 large whole chicken breasts

Tahini Dressing
2 T soy sauce
1-2 cloves garlic
1 T peeled fresh ginger (I buy ginger in a jar, found in the Asian section of the grocery)
2 T peanut butter or Tahini (usually use peanut butter)
1/4 c peanut oil
1 T sesame oil
1 T rice wine vinegar
2 t sugar
1/8 to 1/4 t Lee Kum Lee black bean chile sauce (I bought this at an Asian food market)
1/4 t red chile flakes

Cabbage Salad
3 c arugula or mixed salad greens
3-4 cups shredded cabbage (buy in a bag, already shredded in lettuce section)
1c fresh cilantro leaves

Vinaigrette
1 T rice vinegar
1 1/2 t minced shallot
1 1/2 t Dijon mustard
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
1T sesame oil
2 T peanut oil

Sesame Noodles (I don't usually make this part)
1 lb spaghettini
2 T sesame oil
2 T black soy sauce
1 t Chinese black vinegar
1 T sugar
1 1/2 black bean paste with chile
1/4 c minced scallions

Prepare the pasta, make the salad and the sauces and mix it all together placing the pasta on top of the salad. 

Another short-cut:

When I make this and have leftovers, I ofter do not have extra Tahini Dressing.  Instead of making this again, I just use this Kraft Salad dressing. It tastes just as good.....