Sesame Noodles With Shredded Chicken - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Sauce
5 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted, divided
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, divided
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced finely
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (sriracha or other Asian style hot sauce preferred)
4 -6 tablespoons hot water
Dish
8 ounces cooked chicken, shredded
1/3 lb spaghetti or 1/2 lb fresh Chinese noodles
1/2 red bell pepper, cored and sliced into 1/4-inch-wide strips
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced across 1/4-inch wide
1 carrot, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
2 scallions, sliced thinly on the bias
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaf (optional)

Preparation

In a blender, combine soy sauce, 3 tbsp sesame seeds, peanut butter, rice vinegar, brown sugar, 1 tbsp sesame oil, ginger, garlic and hot sauce. Process until smooth. With the blades still running, add hot water, 1 tbsp at a time, until the sauce has the thickness of heavy cream.
If serving hot, heat the chicken without overcooking it (1 minute or so in the microwave on high should do).
Cook the pasta in 4 qts of salted water until tender. Reserve 1/2 c of pasta water before draining. If serving cold, rinse under cold running water until cold.
Transfer noodles to a large bowl and toss with remaining 1 tbsp sesame oil. Add sauce, chicken, bell pepper, cucumber, carrot, scallions and cilantro if using. Toss well to combine. If the sauce looks too thick, drizzle with reserved pasta water and toss again; repeat until desired consistency is achieved. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tbsp sesame seeds and serve.