If you like the flavors of wasabi and ginger (which I do!), you’re going to love this recipe! You get a little zip from the wasabi without it knocking your head off, plus a little zing from the ginger and lime. This is a great summer recipe, and tastes like something you’d order in a restaurant!

The salmon cooks quickly on the grill so don’t wander off or you might end up with blackened, over-cooked salmon (not tasty!). For the mayonnaise mixture, add the wasabi paste last, tasting as you add it until you get the flavor/zip factor that you like. Enjoy!

Grilled Salmon with Wasabi-Ginger Mayonnaise
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine

You can find wasabi paste and powder at Asian groceries, or try the Asian section of your supermarket. Serves four.

1-1/2 limes
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1-1/2 Tbs. wasabi paste; more to taste
2 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 6-oz. skinless salmon fillets
Vegetable oil for the grill

Prepare a medium-hot grill fire (be sure the grill grate has been scrubbed clean with a wire brush).

Cut the half lime into four wedges and set aside. Finely grate the zest from the whole lime. Cut the zested lime in half and squeeze the juice from one half into a small bowl (save the other half for another use). In a medium bowl, combine 1 tsp. of the lime juice with the lime zest, mayonnaise, wasabi paste, ginger, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Stir to combine. Taste and add more wasabi paste if you’d like a zippier flavor.

Run your finger along each salmon fillet to feel for tiny bones; use tweezers or needlenose pliers to pull out any that you find. Season the fillets lightly with salt and pepper. Spoon about 2 Tbs. of the mayonnaise mixture onto the salmon fillets and refrigerate the rest. With your hands, spread the mayonnaise in a thin layer over all sides of the fillets.

When the grill is ready, oil the grill grate using tongs and a paper towel dipped in oil. Grill the salmon until crisp and slightly charred on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn and continue to grill until the salmon is just cooked through, another 3 to 6 minutes. Serve the salmon topped with a dollop of the mayonnaise and a lime wedge on the side. Pass the remaining mayonnaise at the table.

I’m linked to:
Tuesdays at the Table
Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Tuesday Tastes
Delicious Dishes
Show Off Your Stuff
Family Food Fridays
Foodie Fridays

Tags: ginger, Grilling, lime, mayonnaise, Quick Cooking, salmon, wasabi paste

Here’s a great salad dressing that will go perfectly with your next Asian-inspired meal. I got the recipe out of Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2by Todd Wilbur. This recipe is his version of the dressing served at Benihana restaurants. I’ve been to Benihana and several other hibachi grill restaurants, and they all serve salads with a similar ginger dressing. The dressing is tangy, refreshing and super easy to make.  Yumm!

I didn’t have peanut oil so I substituted 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup canola oil. The dressing also makes a great marinade for chicken or pork. This recipe really is a no-brainer…you need to try it!

Top Secret Version of Benihana Ginger Salad Dressing
-recipe from Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 by Todd Wilbur

Before your meal at the Benihana chain of hibachi grill restaurants you are served a side salad doused in this tangy, slightly sweet, fresh ginger dressing. When spooned over a simple iceberg lettuce salad this easy clone transforms your bowl of greens into a great start for any meal. Making the dressing is as simple as dumping the ingredients into a blender, whizzing it up, and popping it into the cooler to chill. Ive seen many attempts to duplicate this coveted formula, but I think the original clone recipe presented here comes closer to the real thing than any other recipe floating around cyberspace.

1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup peanut oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced celery
2 tablespoons ketchup
4 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds or until all of the ginger is pureed. Chill. Makes 1 3/4 cups.

I’m linked to:
Tuesday’s at the Table
Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays
Tuesday Tastes
Delicious Dishes
No Whine Wednesday
Show Off Your Stuff

Tags: celery, garlic, ginger, ketchup, lemon juice, oil, onion, rice vinegar, soy suace, sugar

This salad is soooo good! I love the mixture of citrus, soy sauce and sesame oil for the dressing, and the combination of moist chicken, crunchy vegetables and tender greens…delicious! I made it for my Mom’s birthday luncheon recently and everybody loved it (especially Mom)!

I substituted fresh spinach for the watercress, and added some Sriracha Hot Chile Sauce to the dressing for a little kick. To make the salad a meal, I served it with a variety of spring rolls that I got at Trader Joe’s. Yumm!

For other recipe ideas, check out: Friday Favorites, Foodie Friday, Finer Things Friday, Friday Food, It’s a Hodgepodge Friday.

Chicken Salad with Crunchy Vegetables and Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette
-recipe from Fresh Every Day: More Great Recipes From Foster’s Market by Sara Foster

I’m always looking for new ways to satisfy my customers’ insatiable appetites for chicken salad. This one can be made several hours in advance, so it’s the perfect thing to take to the office for lunch or on a picnic. If you like to eat lots of vegetables, toss in a handful of shredded savoy or napa cabbage, snow peas, or julienned carrots for more crunch.

Serves 4 to 6.

4 cups shredded cooked chicken (one 3 1/2 to 4-pound roasted chicken)
2 ribs bok choy or celery stalks, sliced on the diagonal into 1/4″ pieces
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
2 cups watercress, washed and trimmed of tough stems
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine the chicken, bok choy or celery, red pepper, cilantro, scallions, and 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette in a large bowl and toss to mix. Add the watercress and more vinaigrette to taste. Season with salt and pepper and toss again gently. Divide the salad evenly among individual plates or place on a large platter and serve immediately.

Note: If you make this salad to serve later, add the watercress and toss with the dressing just before serving.

Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette

Makes about 1 cup

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
2 tablespoons light soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (about 1 2″ piece)
2 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup canola or safflower oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Stir the orange zest and juice, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, ginger, scallions, and garlic together in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the sesame and canola oils until they are incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the sesame seeds just before serving. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to serve for up to 1 week.

Tags: bok choy, Chicken, cilantro, ginger, honey, orange juice, rice wine vinegar, Salad, sesame oil, sesame seeds, sesame vinaigrette, soy sauce

Since my folks are galavanting around London right now on holiday and enjoying the delicious Indian food that the city has to offer, I thought I’d make my own Indian food in honor of their trip. This recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala, noted as being Britain’s new national dish, is a great way to recreate this British favorite at home. Chunks of chicken are marinated in yogurt and spices, broiled in the oven then quickly simmered in a fragrant sauce of tomatoes, spices and cream. If you like Indian food, you’re going to love this recipe!

While at Whole Foods recently, I found organic bulk spices so I bought small quantities of several of the spices needed for this recipe. Usually I just buy spices in jars but these bulk spices were so fragrant that I couldn’t pass them up. The fresher spices made a huge difference in the overall dish!

For the spice paste, I only used 6 drops of red food coloring instead of 1 teaspoon. If you don’t want to use it at all, the dish will still be great…just not as red.

To make the sauce, the recipe calls for cumin and coriander seeds but I substituted ground cumin and coriander instead. I also skipped the step of straining the pureed tomatoes through a sieve. Even with the changes, the sauce was silky and delicious! Serve with steamed basmati rice and enjoy the excellent meal you’ve just created.

For other recipe ideas, check out Foodie Friday.

Chicken Tikka Masala
-recipe from Saveur.com

Serves 6.

1 tbsp. ground turmeric
4 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. red food coloring (optional)
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1  2 1⁄2″ piece ginger, peeled and chopped, plus julienned strips for garnish
1 jalapeño, stemmed and chopped
1  28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1⁄2″ cubes
1⁄4 cup Greek yogurt, such as Fage
Kosher salt, to taste
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1⁄2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tbsp. paprika
2 small yellow onions, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
Cilantro leaves, for garnish
Cooked basmati rice, for serving

In a blender, purée turmeric, 2 tsp. garam masala, coloring, garlic, ginger, jalapeños, and 1⁄2 cup water. Put paste into a bowl. In the same blender, purée tomatoes and strain through a sieve. In a bowl, mix 2 tbsp. paste, chicken, yogurt, and salt; marinate for 30 minutes. Place oven rack 4″ from heating element; heat to broil. Transfer chicken to a foil-lined sheet tray; broil until cooked, 5–6 minutes; set aside.

Heat butter in 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add coriander and cumin; toast 4–6 minutes. Add paprika and onions; cook until soft, 6–8 minutes. Add remaining paste; brown for 5–6 minutes. Add tomatoes; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in cream and 1 cup water; boil. Reduce heat; simmer until thickened, 6–8 minutes. Stir in remaining masala and chicken; season with salt. Serve with garnishes and rice.

Tags: chicken tikka masala, coriander, cream, cumin, garam masala, garlic, ginger, jalepeno, tomato, turmeric, yogurt

I’ve always loved Chinese Hot and Sour Soup. In fact, it’s usually one of the foods I send Husband out to get for me when I feel like I’m coming down with a cold. Now that I have this recipe, though, I can make it myself in just a few minutes.

I followed the recipe as written except for substituting regular mushrooms for the shiitakes. I also took the recipe’s suggestion of adding sesame oil to the soup. Yumm! A steaming bowl of hot and sour soup ready in no time!

For more recipe ideas, check out Ultimate Recipe Swap.

Hot and Sour Soup
-recipe from Martha Stewart Living

In this Chinese soup recipe, an egg is stirred in at the end to form tiny ribbons. For more flavor, add a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil just before serving. Serves 4.

Note: Be sure to drain the tofu thoroughly before adding it to the soup so it will soak up the flavor of the broth.

2 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms (about 4 cups), stemmed, caps thinly sliced
3 to 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 package (7 ounces) soft or firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch cubes, drained
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
3 scallions, thinly sliced

In a large (5-quart) pot, combine broth, soy sauce, crushed red pepper, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add mushrooms; reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons vinegar and cornstarch. Add to pot; simmer, stirring, until soup is thickened, about 1 minute.

Add egg through a slotted spoon, and stir to form ribbons. Stir in tofu. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, 1 minute. Put ginger in a small sieve, and squeeze to release juice into soup (discard solids). Taste; add remaining tablespoon vinegar, if desired. Serve sprinkled with scallions.

Tags: ginger, hot and sour soup, mushrooms, rice vinegar, soy sauce, tofu

I love stir-fry dishes! They’re quick, easy to make, and a great way to eat more veggies.  My family is always thrilled to see beef on the menu so this meal was a hit (even with my Young Picky Eater). I particularly liked the sauce, which is flavored with hoisin sauce and sesame oil.

To get thin slices of beef, I froze the flank steak for 20 minutes or so then sliced it as thinly as possible. I used less garlic because I got side-tracked and forgot to put the remaining 4 cloves into the stir-fry (whoops!). It was still really good but the forgotten garlic would’ve added even more flavor. A rib-eye or flatiron steak would be a good substitute for the flank steak (use about a pound of meat). I sprinkled the stir-fry with toasted sesame seeds and served it with steamed jasmine rice.

Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry
-recipe from America’s Test Kitchen 30-Minute Suppers (Winter 2010)

Cooking the steak in two batches ensures maximum browning and flavor development. Serves 4.

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small flank steak (about 1 pound), halved lengthwise and sliced thin
1 (16-ounce) bag broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Whisk water, hoisin, sherry, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch in bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook half of steak until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to bowl and repeat with additional 1 tablespoon oil and remaining steak.

Add broccoli, bell pepper, and remaining oil to empty pan and cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until vegetables are nearly tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return steak and any accumulated juices to pan. Stir in hoisin mixture and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve.

Test Kitchen Note:To spice up this simple stir-fry, add a seeded, minced jalapeno chile (or two) along with the bell pepper.

Tags: Asian, Beef, broccoli, flank steak, garlic, ginger, red pepper, stir-fry

This Hawaiian-inspired pork dish is simple yet very tasty. The pork becomes extremely tender from braising over an hour in a broth mixture seasoned with Chinese five-spice powder, a blend of spices that incorporates the five basic flavors of Chinese cooking (sweet, sour, bitter, savory, and salty).  To save time on the Stir-fried Cabbage, substitute a bag of coleslaw mix for the whole cabbage and proceed with the recipe as written. Serve with steamed rice.  

Hawaiian-Style Braised Pork with Stir-Fried Cabbage
- recipe from Bon Appétit  Magazine, April 2002

“My wife, Jean, and I run a coffee farm on the Big Island of Hawaii,” writes George Fike of Keauhou Mauka, Hawaii. “I really love to cook, so we entertain a lot, and I enjoy planning the dinners as much as I do making them. I tell people the best restaurant in town is our house! Since I do most of the cooking, recipes must either be relatively fast or look after themselves. My recipe for Hawaiian-style pork has both of those qualities. It’s based on the traditional Hawaiian kalua pig, in which the meat is steamed in an underground oven. For this version, you don’t have to dig a pit in your back yard, and once everything’s in the pot — which involves chopping a few ingredients — it cooks slowly but doesn’t require a lot of attention.”

Complete this main course with steamed rice. Look for Chinese five-spice powder in the spice section of the supermarket.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

3 1/2 pounds boneless country-style pork spareribs, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 14-ounce can low-salt chicken broth
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Stir-fried Cabbage (recipe below)

Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 of pork to pot and sauté until brown, about 6 minutes; transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining pork. Add garlic, green onions, and ginger to pot; sauté 1 minute. Return pork and any juices to pot. Add 1 1/2 cups broth, soy sauce, sugar, crushed red pepper, and five-spice powder; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until pork is very tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Stir remaining broth and cornstarch in cup to dissolve; mix into pork. Simmer until gravy thickens, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Season with pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly and chill. Rewarm over low heat.) Serve pork with cabbage.

Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 of pork to pot and sauté until brown, about 6 minutes; transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining pork. Add garlic, green onions, and ginger to pot; sauté 1 minute. Return pork and any juices to pot. Add 1 1/2 cups broth, soy sauce, sugar, crushed red pepper, and five-spice powder; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until pork is very tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Stir remaining broth and cornstarch in cup to dissolve; mix into pork. Simmer until gravy thickens, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Season with pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly and chill. Rewarm over low heat.) Serve pork with cabbage.

Stir-Fried Cabbage

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings
 
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 2-pound green cabbage, quartered, cored, very thinly sliced
6 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon oriental sesame oil

Heat vegetable oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add ginger and stir 30 seconds. Add half of cabbage and toss until wilted, about 4 minutes. Add remaining cabbage, green onions, and sesame oil. Toss until all cabbage is crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Tags: braised, Chinese five-spice, ginger, hawaiian-style, pork

This dish is super tasty, super quick and super easy. The caramelized onions add a nice richness to the stir-fry, and the grated ginger gives the sauce a bright, fresh taste without overpowering it. Chilling the beef in the freezer for 20-30 minutes makes it easier to slice it into thin strips.  I used a few rib-eye steaks (instead of the tenderloin or sirloin) because that’s what I had in the fridge. Serve with steamed rice and stir-fried veggies or salad and you’ve got yourself a quick and delicious meal.

Beef with Ginger & Caramelized Onions
-recipe from Williams-Sonoma: Asian Food Made Fast Cookbook

1 1/2 lb beef tenderloin or sirloin, cut across the grain into thin strips
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons corn or peanut oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 orange or yellow bell pepper, seed and sliced (optional)
1 tablespoon grated ginger
red pepper flakes (optional)
Steamed rice, for serving

Marinate the beef: In a large bowl, combine the beef, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, and the wine and mix to coat the beef evenly. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons water, the remaining 4 tablespoons soy sauce, and the Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon of pepper and stir to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch.

Stir-fry the vegetables: Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat until very hot and add 1 tablespoon of the corn oil. Add the onion and bell pepper, if using, and stir-fry until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the onion mixture to a plate. Return the pan to high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the beef and stir-fry just until it begins to brown and is still rare in the center, about 1 minute. Return the onion mixture to the pan. Give the sauce a quick stir, add to the pan, and stir until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 seconds. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes to taste, if desired. Serve with the rice.

Cooks tip: Look for fresh ginger that feels firm and heavy for its size and has smooth, shiny, pale skin. Use a vegetable peeler or the edge of a spoon to remove the thin skin before cutting as directed in a recipe. You may use a variety of tools to grate ginger, including a rasp-style grater; a specialized flat ceramic grater with tiny, sharp rasps; or the finest holes on a box grater-shredder.

Tags: Asian, Beef, caramelized onions, ginger, quick, stir-fry

Who needs Asian takeout when you can easily make it yourself in just a few minutes? Ok, I admit that it is fun to get takeout but this recipe for Cashew Chicken just might inspire you to skip the takeout joint and try it yourself at home. With just a few minutes of prep and a few minutes on the stove, I had a great weeknight dinner for my family. I actually tripled the recipe so I could take some over to my neighbor who was recovering from knee surgery. My family and my neighbor gave the Cashew Chicken two thumbs up.

For other recipe ideas, check out: Friday Food.

Cashew Chicken
-recipe from williams-sonoma.com

For a quick and easy side dish, separate 1 lb. broccoli into small florets. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the broccoli, and cook just until bright green and tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain well, place in a dish, drizzle lightly with soy sauce and chili or sesame oil, toss and serve.

3 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. rice wine or dry sherry
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Asian sesame oil
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. cornstarch
3 Tbs. corn or peanut oil
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup salted roasted cashews
Steamed rice for serving

Marinate the chicken:
In a large bowl, stir together 2 Tbs. of the soy sauce, the wine and ginger. Stir in the chicken to coat evenly and set aside for 15 minutes.

Make the sauce:
In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbs. water, the remaining 1 Tbs. soy sauce, the Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, sugar and cornstarch, and stir to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch.

Stir-fry the chicken:
Heat a wok or large fry pan over high heat until very hot and add 2 Tbs. of the corn oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade, draining it well, and discard the marinade. Add the chicken to the wok and stir-fry until opaque, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl.

Return the wok to medium heat and add the remaining 1 Tbs. corn oil. Add the green onions and stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Return the chicken to the wok and add the cashews. Give the sauce a quick stir, add to the pan and stir until the sauce thickens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately with the steamed rice. Serves 4.

Tags: Asian, cashew, Chicken, ginger, Quick Cooking, sesame oil, soy sauce, stir-fry

Recipes don’t get much easier than this one: a simple, fresh-tasting sauce tossed with cooked pasta. I also like to add cooked chicken for protein, and sliced red pepper and steamed snow peas for added color, crunch and flavor. I recommend making 1.5 to 2 times the sauce if you plan to add the vegetables and/or chicken. I’m a cilantro lover so I dig the combination of flavors in the sauce (cilantro, sesame oil, fresh ginger).  For the sauce I omitted the chicken broth because I didn’t want to open a can of it for such a small amount. Instead, I used a few tablespoons of water. If you do this, you may need to add a bit more soy sauce or salt, depending on your tastes. I also substituted regular ol’ dried spaghetti for the fresh noodles.

Asian Noodles with Ginger-Cilantro Sauce
-recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine – epicurious.com

Add chicken or pork to turn this side dish into a satisfying main course. Chopped roasted peanuts are a nice garnish.

Serves 4.

1 12-ounce package fresh oriental-style water noodles or linguine
3 tablespoons oriental sesame oil

2 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 small jalapeño chili, seeded
1 cup (packed) fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons (or more) canned chicken broth

Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain noodles. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Transfer to large bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon sesame oil.

With processor running, drop ginger and chili through feed tube and mince. Add cilantro, soy sauce, vinegar, peanut butter, 3 tablespoons broth and remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil. Process until mixture is almost smooth, adding more broth if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add sauce to noodles and toss.

Tags: Asian, cilantro, ginger, noodles, Pasta