Asian Rice Noodle Salad

This little heart teaser was ridiculously refreshing and was a perfect sidekick to the Asian Peanut Chicken (see above). I must admit - I got the idea from one of my new favorite salads at Pei Wei. But yet, it's totally different. Don't you love copying something you love and then end up loving it even better than what you were copying? Uh...that's confusing...but yeah. Um, hi - if you like fresh herbs and tart n' sweet vinaigrette's, than this has your mouth's name on it.

Tip: If you want to transform this into a main dish, just add grilled meat of choice. Grilled shrimp or chicken would be my recommendation.

Ingredients:

1/2 package of rice noodles

1 cup shredded romaine lettuce

1 cup bean sprouts

1/2 cup diced green onion

1/2 cup julienned (fancy name for shredded) cucumber

1/4 cup minced fresh basil

1/4 cup minced fresh mint

2 T. chopped salted peanuts

Dressing:

2 T olive oil

2 T rice vinegar

1 1/2 T sugar

juice from 1 med lime

1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
dried ginger powder to taste

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Prepare rice noodles according to the package. Drain and rinse in cold water. Add all remaining ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until well incorporated. Pour dressing over salad and lightly toss. Add chopped peanuts to the top as a garnish (optional).