Oriental Noodle Salad With Chicken and Plums

Ingredients

1/4 cup Low-sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons Low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons Sesame oil, cold pressed or light

2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce

3 lrg Garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon Minced fresh gingerroot

2 teaspoons Dark sesame oil

1 teaspoon Sugar

1 teaspoon Red pepper flakes, or less

Salt, optional

Freshly ground pepper

8 ounces Poached chicken breast meat, or less

4 Ripe firm red plums, pitted and cut into chunks, peels left on

1 cup Shredded bok choy or substitute a combination o

4 Green onions, sliced

8 ounces Angel hair pasta, broken in half

1 tablespoon Toasted sesame seeds, optional

Crisp chow mein

Preparation

For dressing, combine broth, soy sauce, vegetable oil, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, sugar, pepper flakes, salt and pepper in blender container. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes or until as smooth as desired.

Makes about 12 tablespoons. Set aside.

Shred the chicken into small bite-sized pieces. Transfer to a large serving bowl. Toss chicken with 2 tablespoon of the dressing.

Prepare the plums, bok choy and green onions. Add to the salad bowl with the chicken. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the dressing; toss to coat.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain well. Add to the salad bowl. Toss to combine, adding a little dressing if needed to moisture.

To serve: If desired, add the rest of the dressing just before serving or offer it as an extra. Transfer the pasta salad to large shallow bowls; sprinkle with sesame seed. Offer crisp low-fat chowmein noodles as an extra.

REVIEW: The dressing was not as aromatic as expected, but the flavors were full and the after-taste pleasant. We changed the proportions: twice the pasta, half the chicken, half the greens.