Sesame Noodles with Shredded Chicken
                (from America's Test Kitchen)

Serves 4 to 6; preparation time only 15 minutes.

Ingredients

  ¼ cup sesame seeds
  ¼ cup chunky peanut butter (or add some peanuts)
  2 cloves garlic, fresh minced
  1 tbsp ginger, fresh minced
  5 tbsp soy sauce
  2 tbsp rice vinegar
  1 tsp hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
  2 tbsp brown sugar, lightly packed
  hot water
  1½ lb chicken breast halves, boneless, skinless
  1 tbsp salt
  1 lb dried Asian noodles (substitute 12 oz dry spaghetti)
  2 tbsp sesame oil
  4 scallions, sliced thin on diagonal
  1 medium carrot, grated

Preparation

1. Toast sesame seeds in medium skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 tbsp sesame seeds. Puree remaining sesame seeds, peanut butter, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, and sugar until smooth, about 30 seconds. With machine running, add hot water 1 tbsp at time until sauce has consistency of heavy cream.

2. Bring 6 quarts water to boil in stockpot over high heat. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to 6 inches from broiler element and preheat. Spray broiler pan top with vegetable cooking spray; place chicken breasts on top and broil until lightly browned, 4 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken over and continue to broil until thickest part registers about 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer (about 6 to 8 minutes more). Transfer to cutting board and rest for 5 minutes. Using 2 forks, shred chicken into bite-size pieces.

3. Add salt and noodles to boiling water; boil noodles until tender, about 4 minutes for fresh (10 minutes for dry spaghetti). Drain, then rinse with cold running tap water until cool to touch; drain again.

In large bowl, toss noodles with sesame oil until evenly coated. Add shredded chicken, scallions, carrot, and sauce; toss to combine. Divide among individual bowls, sprinkle each bowl with portion of reserved sesame seeds, and serve.