There’s this period of time in the middle of summer, when the garden starts producing all the best vegetables, and it usually leaves me scrambling to keep up. What do you do with three heads of cabbage, a bundle of carrots, too much fresh cilantro, peppers and cucumbers and peas and spinach out the wazoo? This salad requires all of those veggies, and yet, including the warm sesame noodles and that sticky chicken somehow makes it feel a little less like rabbit food. And those colours?! It’s called “Rainbow Salad” for a reason;)

Give it a shot and let me know how it goes in the comments below, or tag me on social, @alittlesaltblog

Recipe

Sticky Chicken with Rainbow Salad + Sesame Noodles

Ingredients

For Chicken:

4 large chicken breasts
1/4 cup avocado oil or olive oil
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
Juice and zest from an orange
2 tbsp apricot preserves
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
Juice and zest of one lime
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp each of chipotle chili powder, onion powder, salt

For Dressing:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup avocado oil
Juice of one lime
2 tbsp sesame oil
3 tbsp honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Pinch of red chili flakes

You will also need:

Noodles of your choice (I use lentil pasta, but rice noodles, or regular spaghetti work well too!)
Drizzle of sesame oil
Baby Spinach, washed and stems removed
Red cabbage, shredded
A red and a yellow pepper, cored and cut into thin strips
Cucumber slices
Snap peas, washed and sliced in half
Grated carrot
Fresh, chopped cilantro
A large handful of toasted cashews or peanuts

Directions

Mix together oil, maple syrup, orange juice and zest, apricot preserves, balsamic vinegar, dijon, lime juice and zest, garlic, and spices in a shallow dish. Add the chicken breasts, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
After the chicken is marinated, take it out of the fridge and bring to down to room temp. Turn it over in the sauce a few times. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Heat an oven proof skillet over high heat. Add a drizzle of oil. Once the oil is shimmering, sear the chicken on each side, about 2 minutes per side. Move the skillet to the preheated oven and cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165 F.
While the chicken is in the oven, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook noodles according to package directions. When pasta is cooked, drain, put pasta back in the pot and toss with sesame oil. Cover until ready to make salad.
In a very large bowl, add all the salad ingredients: spinach, cabbage, peppers, cucumbers, carrots, peas and cilantro. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl, and toss the veggies in the dressing.
When the chicken is finished cooking, allow it to rest for 8-10 minutes before slicing and topping it on the salad.
Add the warm sesame noodles and chopped nuts to the salad and serve!