Thai Chicken (or Tofu) Salad with Rice Noodles

I have been craving Thai food recently, and tried out this recipe from the Epicurious website.  It was nothing short of FANTASTIC!  I loved it and thought it would be perfect at a luncheon or ladies shower.  Danny enjoyed it, but just kept saying he couldn't believe I'd made something that tasted so authentically Thai.  Ha!  There are no limits to my cooking curiosity.  Note:  This recipe requires some serious chopping, but think of how good it is for you!  Also, if you do plan to serve this to guests, you might consider very lightly dressing the salad, and allowing them to add more dressing themselves.  The color of the dressing is a little brownish, and you wouldn't want to hide all the bright colors of the veggies when your food is on display.  Click here to see a nice picture.

4 1/2 oz. rice stick noodles (maifun)

2 large garlic cloves

1/4 c. soy sauce

1/3 c. fresh lime juice

2 Tab. sugar

1 Tab. smooth peanut butter

2 tsp. fresh ginger, peeled & chopped

1 1/4 tsp. hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek)

1/4 c. vegetable oil

2 -3 c. cooked chicken (I used a Costco rotisserie chicken.  You could easily sub with tofu.)

3 c. Napa cabbage, shredded

1 c. carrot, coarsely grated

1 c. red bell pepper, thin strips

1/2 c. red onion, super-thinly sliced

1 med. cucumbers, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise

1/3 c. roasted salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Cook noodles in small pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 3 minutes.  Drain and cut in several places with scissors.  Spread out on a platter and set aside.

Puree next 7 ingredients in blender.  With machine running, gradually add oil and blend until dressing is smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Combine chicken, cabbage, carrot, pepper, onion and cucumbers in large bowl.  Toss with enough dressing to coat.  Arrange atop noodle, sprinkle with peanuts, and serve passing remaining dressing alongside.  (I also thought mixing the noodles in the salad worked just as well.)