Recipe: Sesame Noodles with Chicken & Vegetables

Posted on May 26, 2016

Now that it's veggie season again, this versatile dish is perfect for featuring pees, green onions and other spring favorites. Toss in whatever you have growing and you'll soon have a crowd favorite for kids and adults alike.

Ingredients (60 1-cup servings)

  • 1 bunch of green onions
  • 1 medium red bell pepper
  • 3 cups of tahini
  • 2.5 cups of low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2.5 cups of rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup of chopped garlic
  • 2 Tblsp of ground ginger
  • 2 Tblsp of ground black pepper
  • 2 Tblsp of hot sauce
  • 2 tsp of cayenne pepper
  • 2 cups of sesame oil
  • 8 lb of diced cooked chicken
  • 10 gallons of water
  • 2 Tblsp of kosher salt
  • 5 lb 8 oz. of snap or snow peas
  • 3 lb of whole wheat spaghetti
  • 1 cup of grated carrots
  • 1/2 cup of toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. ​Trim and slice green onions
  2. Stem, core and seed peppers; thinly slice.
  3. Blend tahini, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, pepper, hot sauce and cayenne in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, a blender or immersion blender. While the motor is running, slowly add oil. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Refrigerate.
  4. Put chicken in a 4-inch full hotel pan. Cover and heat in a steamer until it reaches 165 degrees F, about 20 minutes.
  5. Place a bowl of ice water and long-handled strainer next to the stove.
  6. Bring 5 gal of water and 1 Tblsp of salt to a boil in each of 2 large stockpots. Add peas to one stockpot; stir. Cook for 4 minutes. Remove with the strainer and plunge into the ice water. Let stand for 5 minutes, drain and set aside.
  7. Cook pasta in the other stockpot, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10-12 miuntes. Drain.
  8. Divide the cooked pasta between two 2-inch full hotel pans. Pour half the dressing over the pasta and toss until well-combined. Sprinkle each pan with half the peas, carrots, green onions, bell pepper and chicken. Drizzle each pan with the remaining dresssing and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve warm or cold.

This recipe comes from New School Cuisine: Nutritious and Seasonal Recipes for School Cooks by School Cooks. Download the cookbook for FREE or purchase a hard copy from the Shelburne Farms store here.