Recipe Talk

Does anyone have a recipe for a salad similar to California Pizza Kitchen's thai Crunch Salad? I've heard it's really good and have been looking for copycat recipes but no luck so far. Any help would be appreciated.

crunch salad

Categories: None

Yield: 1 Servings

4 c Fresh broccoli florets (about 3/4 pound)

4 c Fresh cauliflowerets (about 3/4 pound)

1 md Red onion; chopped

2 c Cherry tomatoes; halved

1 c Mayonnaise

1/2 c Sour cream

1 tb Sugar (up to 2)

1 tb White vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

DRESSING In a large salad bowl combine
vegetables. Whisk the dressing ingredients until smooth; pour over vegetables and toss to coat. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Source: Taste of Home, Mary Anne McWhirter, Pearland, Texas Posted to Bakery-Shoppe

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Thai Tofu Crunch

Category: Salad

Serves/Makes: 2 | Difficulty Level: 2
| Ready In: 30-60 minutes

Ingredients:

1 package (3-ounce size) all-natural ramen
noodles, uncooked

5 tablespoons prepared peanut sauce

1 cooked tofu (6-oz size, any flavor), cut into
small cubes

1/2 peeled small cucumber, sliced into half moons

1/2 medium carrot, sliced into thin rounds

1/2 cup small frozen broccoli florets, thawed

Directions:

Crumble the ramen noodles into a medium-size
bowl. (Save ramen seasoning packet for another use.) Add peanut sauce and stir to coat all noodles well.

Toss in tofu, cucumber, carrot and broccoli. Transfer to plates. (The noodles will soften somewhat as they soak up the sauce if you leave them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.) Keep cold.

Per Serving (5.5 oz-wt.): 300 calories (100 from fat), 12g total fat (18%), 1.5g saturated fat (8%), 3g dietary fiber (13%), 20g protein, 28g carbohydrate

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Fried rice noodles add crunch to salad

By Bev Bennett

As a pasta lover, I never pass up an opportunity to try a new noodle product. Most recently, I've been inspired by the Asian aisle of my supermarket, where, thanks to the popularity of Thai restaurants, I'm finding more noodles to love.
Asian noodles are divided into two major categories based on their ingredients: wheat and rice.
Like the wheat pastas of Italy, Asian wheat noodles are usually made from flour, salt and water, and occasionally eggs. Supermarkets stock dried wheat noodles, although a trip to an Asian neighborhood can offer up fresh noodles. Wheat noodles come in a variety of widths.

To prepare, cook wheat noodles until they are tender but slightly firm at the center. Unlike a pasta that's immediately topped with sauce, Asian wheat noodles are usually added to a stir-fry or soup, so it's important to not overcook them.

Rice noodles are made from fine rice flour. They are white and translucent, like thin strips of cellophane. For most preparations, soak rice noodles to soften them, then add to a stir-fry.
But if you really want to have fun, try deep-frying rice noodles. Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large pot. Add the noodles a few strands at a time. When the noodles hit the oil, they puff up into fat white stands and curl into spirals. You can't duplicate this with wheat pasta.
The crunchy fried noodles are a great base for an entree salad. Or you can turn them into a fried snack with a light sprinkling of salt. Don't make more than you'd eat in one batch, though, because the noodles soon become stale and tough.
Pork and snow pea salad over fried rice noodles
1 12-ounce pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

2 cups stir-fry rice noodles, broken into 2- to 3-inch lengths (see note)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 cups snow peas

Honey vinaigrette dressing (recipe follows)

1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
Place pork tenderloin on rack of shallow roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast in preheated 400-degree oven for 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the tenderloin, not touching the pan, registers 160 degrees. Remove from oven and set aside.
While pork is roasting, fill a wok or Dutch oven with 2 inches of vegetable oil and heat to 375 degrees. To test, drop a rice noodle into the hot oil. It should curl and puff up in about 30 seconds.
Separate noodles into individual threads, and drop a few at a time into hot oil. When the noodles puff into fat white strands, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Place noodles in a large salad bowl.
Drain off all but 2 tablespoons oil from wok.
Heat oil again, if cooled. Add ginger root, garlic and snow peas. Stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes, or until the snow peas are crisp-tender. Remove snow peas, ginger root and garlic; combine with noodles. Cut pork into 1-inch pieces and add to noodles. Spoon honey vinaigrette dressing over noodles. Sprinkle with scallions. Toss gently but well.
Serve immediately to 2.

Note: I used Thai Kitchen stir-fry rice noodles for this recipe.

HONEY VINAIGRETTE DRESSING:

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Combine honey, oil, vinegar and soy sauce in a small bowl. Mix well.

TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES

I would love to have a recipe for Thai Crunch Salad that is served ar the California Pizza Kitchen. I am craving that salad and I don't live close to a CPK.

I just had this salad on Saturday and was sure that I would be able to find a recipe for it here. No luck. It is SOOOOO good, can someone please help?

This is my favorite thing ever. This is the best I could find:

The Thai Crunch Salad has been on the menu since June 2005 and is a mix of white and red cabbages, crispy rice noodles, shredded grilled chicken breast, fried won ton strips, cucumbers, carrots, peanuts, cilantro-lime dressing, peanut dressing and shelled edamame, or green soybeans.