Meal Planning Mondays with Recipe for Japanese Noodle Salad with Scallion-Chile Oil

Dinner Menu, Week of March 9th:(Currently, we have a standing Friday night pizza dinner while Jack plays soccer and on Saturdays we get take-out or go out, so these days will be skipped in the dinner planning.)

Monday: Rotisserie chicken; maccaroni and cheese; arugala salad

Tuesday: Black bean and kale quesadillas

Wednesday: Cheese raviloi with olive oil and parmesan; sauteed zucchini

Thursday: Scrambled eggs with scallions; pancakes; citrus slices 

Sunday: Japanese Noodle Salad with Scallion-Chile Oil

Japanese Noodle Salad with Scallion-Chile Oil

Ingredients

Chile-Scallion Oil

2 scallions, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

½ cup vegetable oil

Noodles and Assembly

10 oz. Japanese udon wheat noodles 

3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 large cucumber, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced

6 radishes, trimmed, thinly sliced

 Preparation

Chile-scallion oil

Cook all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling pan occasionally, until scallions and garlic are just golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Let cool; transfer oil to a jar with lid.

May store oil in refrigerator for several days, which works nice for leftovers.

 

Noodles and assembly

Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions; drain. Rinse noodles under cold water, then shake off as much water as possible.

 

Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and oil in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Add noodles, chicken, and scallions; toss to coat.

 

Toss with cucumber and radishes and drizzle with chile oil just before serving.

 

recipe adapted from Bon Appetite