Ellie Alexander's Asian Noodle Salad, and a #bookgiveaway!

LESLIE BUDEWITZ: We LOVE Sundays, when other authors visit the Kitchen to share their tales and recipes. Today's guest, Ellie Alexander, has a new Bakeshop Mystery coming out later this month, and she's celebrating with a recipe and a giveaway! Leave a comment below for a chance to win a signed copy of A Crime of Passion Fruit AND some tropical baking treats!  

ELLIE ALEXANDER: Thanks so much for having me on today! Here in the Pacific Northwest the sun is finally out after a record-breaking winter of rain, rain, and more rain. I spent many water-logged months dreaming of sandy beaches, salty blue waters, and tropical recipes for the latest culinary adventure in the Bakeshop Mysteries, A Crime of Passion Fruit. In this book, Jules is setting sail for a week in the Caribbean where she’ll be whipping up mango tarts, pineapple flambés, and dainty citrus cakes. I’m thrilled to get share her recipe for Asian Noodle Salad. This pasta is easy to make and perfect for a summer picnic or dining al fresco in your backyard. Three cheers for summer and the return of the sun!

Asian Noodle Salad

For the salad:

8 ounces of spaghetti—boiled and cooled

½ of purple cabbage—chopped

½ of Napa cabbage--chopped

2 cups of bean sprouts

1 8 oz. bag of fine-cut carrots

1 bunch of cilantro—chopped

2 cups peanuts

2 cups of diced chicken breast, cooked and cooled

For the sauce: 

¼ cup sesame oil

½ cup peanut oil

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup teriyaki sauce

½ cup of rice wine vinegar

¼ cup brown sugar

2 cloves of garlic--chopped

Start a pot of water boiling for the pasta. 

In a separate pan, add a healthy glug of sesame oil. If you want to add a little heat to the chicken I recommend using spicy sesame oil. Then add thinly sliced chicken breasts to the pan and sauté on both sides for five minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside to cool. 

Once water has come to a boil, add spaghetti and cook to al dente. I use veggie pasta to sneak in another serving of vegetables, but any spaghetti will work.

Next halve the heads of cabbage and chop. Add to a large mixing bowl. If you can find julienned carrots, simply pop open the bag and add to cabbage. If your local grocery store doesn’t sell the carrots pre-sliced, then simply grate or finely chop whole carrots. Add in bean sprouts and chopped cilantro. Note—I use the same cutting board for the chopping process. Everything is going to end up tossed together so there’s no need to clean as you go. 

Mix veggies together with cooled chicken, peanuts, and noodles.

In a separate bowl, begin making the sauce. First dice two cloves of garlic. Next whisk in oils, teriyaki sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar.

Pour over the salad and stir with tongs. Top with chopped cilantro, peanuts, and a quarter of a lime.

Serve cold.

Leave a comment below for a chance to win a signed copy of A Crime of Passion Fruit, along with some tropical baking treats. (US addresses only, please.) Contest open through Monday, June 5. 

Ellie Alexander writes the Bakeshop Mystery series for St. Martin’s Press, set in the Shakespearean town of Ashland, Oregon and featuring a romantic, artisan pastry chef, Juliet Montague Capshaw.

Ellie is a Pacific Northwest native who spends ample time testing pastry recipes in her home kitchen or at one of the many famed coffeehouses nearby. When she’s not coated in flour, you’ll find her outside exploring hiking trails and trying to burn off calories consumed in the name of research.

You can find her online at her website, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.