Thai Chicken Salad

We've been experimenting with Asian-flavored chicken salads for the past few weeks, and this is the first version to make the cut. Yes, it's difficult to believe, but sometimes we keep our meals off the internet. Though occasionally it's because we've already posted the recipe (roasted chicken) or there's no recipe to post (fudgesicles with peanut butter), generally it's because we've failed.

Our success with this chicken salad from our decision to compose the chicken salad separately from the greens, and to combine them immediately before serving. The leftover sauce from the chicken became the dressing for the entire dish, so the flavors meshed together perfectly. The inspiration from our recipe comes from one of the Culinary Institute of America's "one-dish meals," which we always accidentally call "one-dish wonders."

Ingredients (makes 4-6 entree-sized portions):
3 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp dried red pepper flakes
2 1/2 lb. chicken breasts, minced
6 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
3/4 cup scallion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 mint leaves, chopped
3 tbsp lemongrass, minced
1 cup lime juice
1 cup cashews or peanuts, chopped
1/2 head napa cabbage, chopped
1 radicchio, chopped
2 cups bean sprouts
1 cup cilantro

Instructions:
Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for about 10 seconds, until aromatic. Add the chicken, fish sauce and brown sugar. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink and cooked thoroughly. Remove from heat. Add scallion, mint leaves, lemongrass, tomatoes, cashews and lime juice. Mix until all of the ingredients are fully coated. Combine the cabbage, radicchio, bean sprouts and cilantro. Scoop the chicken salad over the greens, and use leftover liquid from the chicken as salad dressing.