Sesame Pasta Salad

This is one of my favorite recipes that I love to make. I love it so much, I don't care if it's hot or cold. This is a pasta salad that you can eat with or without meat.

I got this recipe off of allrecipes.com, and I absolutely love it.

Sesame chicken pasta salad

Ingredients
•1/4 cup sesame seeds
•1 (16 ounce) package bow tie pasta
•1/2 cup vegetable oil
•1/3 cup light soy sauce
•1/3 cup rice vinegar ( a substitute you can use is 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar plus 1 tbs sugar. However, it creates a slightly more tangy taste. My hubby likes this combination more than the rice vinegar)
•1 teaspoon sesame oil
•3 tablespoons white sugar
•1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
•1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
•3 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast meat
•1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
•1/3 cup chopped green onions

Directions
1.Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sesame seeds, and cook stirring frequently until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and set aside.
2.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain pasta, and rinse under cold water until cool. Transfer to a large bowl.
3.In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine vegetable oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, sesame seeds, ginger, and pepper. Shake well.
4.Pour sesame dressing over pasta, and toss to coat evenly. Gently mix in chicken, cilantro, and green onions.

Good food click me.

When I was grocery shopping for the ingredients for this recipe, I found out that some of these ingredients, believe it or not, were hard to find. so my personal advice (which is why I recommend you come to check out my blog first because I give you such valuable information) is to check out oriental shops first. When it comes to the sesame seeds (which can be double the price in local grocery stores), the rice vinegar, and the sesame oil, you can get these at a more reasonable price.

If you absolutely cannot find the sesame seeds at a grocery store or oriental shop, you could try this website, where you can buy a variety of spices and other oriental products.

sesame seeds buy here

If you cannot find the sesame oil, you can buy it at the below link.

Sesame seed oil buy here

It is is a little pricey, but this is something that you can use sparingly and it will last you a long time. It has a strong smell so please be cautious.

Here is a link to find rice vinegar if you are having trouble finding it.

rice vinegar buy me buy me!!!

The first time I made this, I accidentally forgot to add the chicken, and I was curious as to what it tasted like. So you can eat it with or without chicken, but it's a personal preference. You can also add vegetables such as snow peas or carrots but again, it's up to you. I don't add any.

You get to decide

I love certain dishes that let me decide on if I want meat in it, or if it’s hot or cold. Sounds impossible, right? However, it’s totally possible. Most of the time, these preferences would only fit pasta salads. I found a wonderful sesame pasta salad in which I can have it with or without chicken, and it can be hot or cold.

Sesame pasta salad is easy to make, and it is very filling. I think I remember eating it for almost a full week straight. The first time I made it, I didn’t know what to expect. I brought it to my father-in-law’s birthday party, and I had a few people asking me for the recipe. I love to try new things, and this is definitely one of my favorite recipes.

I didn’t know this until now, but according to Wikipedia.com, sesame seeds are high in iron, magnesium, manganese, copper, and calcium. This is definitely a nutritional benefit. The website also claims that sesame seeds help with reducing cholesterol levels. Sesame seeds are known for its nutty flavor, especially when heated.

For more information about sesame seeds, click on the link below.
sesame seeds website

When I first went shopping for the ingredients for this recipe, I didn’t know where to start. My husband suggested going to an oriental store instead of a local grocery store because they tend to be cheaper, and they will have everything at one location that other stores may not carry. He was right. Local grocery stores tend to not sell as many oriental foods, therefore they charge higher prices.

I will give this recipe on a later blog. In regards to the recipe itself, it does not contain a lot of vegetables like the traditional pasta salad. That is also up to you. Please come check out my blog and see what other goodies are on there.