These Noodles be Mighty Magic

Ok, as promised, my Vietnamese Chicken salad. I'm not going to lie, Asian food is not my forte. I don't understand the 'balance' between sweet and sour or salty or hot or...see I can't even remember which one is meant to oppose which, let alone how to actually achieve it. So, never fear, if you fall in to this category too then you will very easily be able to make this salad.

I actually made this salad because ages ago I bought Konjac noodles. They are sometimes called 'Magic Noodles' and I think the 'Chongs' brand now makes their own version too. They are basically noodles made out of the Konjac root that are most often used when people are trying to lose weight, as they have the ability to keep you feeling full for a very long time due to their fibre content. They are almost calorie free, high fibre, low net carb and gluten free. They can be purchased from some supermarkets and all Japanese deli's.

Now. I need to warn you. These noodles have a funky smell, actually, phunky with a 'ph' . They are packed in a fluid which contains Kelp and it smells mighty fishy, but once rinsed thoroughly and boiled in fresh water for 5 minutes, they are right as rain.

Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Salad

Serves 1

150g Chicken breast, poached
1/2 Packet konjac noodles rinsed well
1/2 Carrot, julienned
1/2 Zucchini, julienned
1/2 Bunch Chinese broccoli, shredded
1/2 Cup bean sprouts

10mls Fish sauce
10mls Apple cider vinegar
1/2-1t Chopped chilli (alter to taste)

To poach the chicken, place chicken breast into small pot and cover with cold water. Place lid on pot and bring to the boil. Once the water has boiled for a minute or two, turn off the heat and allow to sit, covered for at least 10 minutes to finish cooking. Drain water and shred chicken with hands and set aside.

In another pot boil noodles in fresh water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a bowl combine carrots, zucchini, chinese broccoli, bean sprouts, cooled chicken and cooled noodles and toss.

To make the dressing mix the vinegar, fish sauce and chilli and pour over the salad. Serve

NB - I forgot to add the Chinese broccoli to the dish above, so yours should have more greens in it!

This dish is so fresh and crisp as well as being high in protein. The perfect Summers dinner.