Ina Garten's Chinese Chicken Salad

The first April Barefoot Bloggers recipe was Chinese Chicken Salad chosen by McKenzie of Kenzie’s Kitchen.

Chicken, red peppers, asparagus and scallions are paired with a dressing that has a nice Asian zing to it. Peanut buttery and gingery… it reminds me of the salad dressing my favorite Hibachi places use. I never thought I’d ever try or get even close to duplicating that kind of dressing at home.

The recipe is pretty easy, I threw it together in the same amount of time it took to cook a box of angel hair and jarred pasta sauce from start to finish. Although I did take a shortcut and use pre-cooked chicken breast strips to make it easier. I used crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth. I read some comments from others that the salt could potentially be overwhelming so I just left it out.

I wasn’t sure I’d like this recipe going into it but I ended up being very pleased. I loved cooking with mostly fresh ingredients and making my own salad dressing. The salad had a ton of crunch and seemed to hold up well mixed together with the dressing which was light and had a great flavor. The apple cider vinegar gave it a fresh boost that I really liked.

I’d highly recommend this one. Thanks, McKenzie!

The Fabulous Ina Garten’s Chinese Chicken Salad
From the book Barefoot Contessa Parties!
TV Show: Barefoot Contessa Episode: Back to School

Ingredients
4 split chicken breasts (bone-in, skin-on)
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound asparagus, ends removed, and cut in thirds diagonally
1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded
2 scallions (white and green parts), sliced diagonally
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, toasted
For the dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup good apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger
1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Click here for directions!

There’s lots of great things starting to happen with the Barefoot Bloggers group, especially this month. My schedule is getting a little hectic right now but I hope to participate as much as I can. Thanks so much to Tara and Rebecca for coming up with so many interesting ideas. The group just gets better and better!