Chicken Salad With Rice Noodles - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 1/2 ounces rice sticks (malfun)
For the dressing
4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 limes, juice of, only
1 tablespoon peanut butter (I used low-fat peanut butter)
2 teaspoons ginger, chopped
1 1/4 teaspoons hot chili paste (sambal oeleck)
1/4 cup canola oil (or your favorite vegetable oil)
For the salad
3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
3 cups napa cabbage, shredded
1 cup carrot, grated
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise
1/3 cup peanuts, chopped (optional)

Preparation

Cook noodles in a pot of boiling water until tender (3 minutes); drain; and cut noodles in several places with scissors. (The original recipe suggests to spread noodles out on a platter, but I added them to the large salad bowl instead).
Puree next 7 ingredients (garlic - chili paste) in a blender and with machine running add oil, blending until dressing is smooth. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Set aside.
In a large salad bowl combine salad ingredients (chicken - cucumbers). (I tossed the salad ingredients with the noodles in the salad bowl).
Toss with dressing.
Although I tossed the noodles with the salad in the bowl, the original recipe suggests to arrange noodles on a platter and arrange salad on top of noodles and sprinkle with peanuts, passing additional dressing.
Can be served warm or is best refrigerated.