These crunchy ramen cakes combine with a tangy Asian chicken and veggies for a tasty, healthy lunch!
As a blogger, sometimes I'm still amazed at how recipe ideas come together! This particular one started with a chicken salad a friend made several years ago for a summer party. I loved the salad, however, I wanted to come up with something to make it a little more little unique. I've played around with a variety of different things, but hadn't found quite the right one, then one afternoon I was at Nordstrom getting my make-up done before a charity event and I was chatting with my beauty stylist, who I know pretty well, about life and blogging.
We started talking about all the things her husband and son would, and would not eat, which somehow led me to mention this Asian Chicken Salad recipe I'd been working on. I said I was hoping to come up with something a bit "different" and she mentioned some ramen "burger buns" she'd had with her sister, who lives in California. And here we are - Ramen Cakes with Asian Chicken Salad!!
If you have a Nordstrom in your area I'd highly recommend you check out their beauty stylist program. A make-up artist will help you will all your make-up and skin care needs. Different than going to one of the brand counters, she can work with all of the cosmetic lines and after you spend a bit of time with her she will get to know you and your skin and will make recommendations. I also get my makeup done for special events etc. You're expected to purchase something when you do, however that's well worth the price for a professional make-up application. And she'll always let you know about special events, including a gift with purchase option for a line you really like. It's a great program!
Anyway, back to the salad now.....I've always liked the crunch of ramen noodles in an Asian Chicken salad so baking the noodles gives them that nice crunchy texture without adding a lot of extra oil that would come from frying them.
Other than the time needed to bake the ramen cakes, and marinate and bake the chicken, all of which can be done ahead of time, this is a pretty quick and easy recipe. This is a great packable lunch - just separate the salad portion from the ramen cake until you are ready to eat it. A bento lunch box is a great way to pack it for easy transport.
things you may want for this recipe
Built NY Bento Lunch Box – This bento-style lunch box is great for transporting multi-part lunches to the office. You can separate the two contained and refrigerate on with the salad while keeping the ramen cake in the other.
Small Ramekins – These ramekins are the perfect size for making the ramen cakes, and are great measuring out small amounts of ingredients too.
Ramen Cakes with Asian Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 2 ounce package ramen noodles
For the chicken:
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
For the dressing:
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
For the salad:
- ½ cup snow peas, sliced
- ½ cup shelled edamame, steamed
- 1 10.5- ounce can mandarin orange slices, drained
- chopped green onions and cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the ramen according to package direction, leaving out any seasonings that come with the noodles. Remove from heat and drain when done. Coat two small ramekins with cooking spray and divide the noodles between them. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
- While the ramen is cooking combine the chicken, sesame oil, soy sauce and pepper in a large zip lock bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- While the chicken is marinating, prep the veggies and other ingredients as needed.
- After the chicken has marinated for 30 minutes, remove from marinade and place the chicken in a baking dish. Discard any excess marinade. Bake for 30 minutes. Cook the ramen in the ramekins at the same time.
- To make the dressing, mix the rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce, ground ginger and sugar in a small bowl.
- Remove chicken and noodles from the oven when done. Let chicken cool slightly and shred with two forks.
- Add chicken, snow peas, edamame and oranges to a medium mixing bowl. Add the dressing and toss until everything is coated.
- Place one ramen cake on a plate and top with chicken salad mixture. Garnish with chopped cilantro and green onions. Repeat with the remaining ramen cake and salad. Serve immediately.
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