Quick fix: Celebrate Beijing Olympics with a tasty main-dish salad

By Linda Gassenheimer

McClatchy Newspapers

Celebrate the start of the Beijing Olympics with this main-dish salad, a simple meal made with shiitake mushrooms, chicken, cashew nuts and an Asian dressing. It's perfect summer evening fare, warm or at room temperature.

Most supermarkets stock toasted sesame oil, which lends a nutty flavor. Steamed Chinese noodles can be found refrigerated in the produce department.

If you would prefer making the dish with ingredients on hand, angel hair pasta can be used in place of Chinese noodles, white vinegar diluted with a little water in place of rice vinegar, regular sesame or canola oil in place of toasted, walnuts in place of cashews and any sliced mushrooms in place of shiitake.

This meal contains 642 calories with 27 percent of calories from fat.

n Wine suggestion: Toasted sesame oil calls for a toasty wine; try a California chardonnay.

Chicken Salad

with Asian Dressing

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1½ tablespoons toasted sesame oil (divided use)

¼ pound steamed or dried Chinese noodles

¾ pound boneless, skinless, roasted or rotisserie chicken breast

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 red bell pepper, sliced (about 1 cup)

1 cup sliced shiitake or portobello mushrooms

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Washed, ready-to-eat romaine lettuce (about 3 cups)

2 scallions, sliced

2 tablespoons cashew nuts

Place a medium saucepan filled with water on high heat.

Mix the soy sauce, vinegar and 1 tablespoon sesame oil.

When water boils, add the noodles. Cook 2 minutes and drain in a colander. Run cold water through them. Set aside.

Heat the remaining ½ tablespoon sesame oil in a wok or nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the chicken, garlic, red pepper and mushrooms. Stir fry 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove pan from the heat and add the noodles, sauce mixture and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well.

Divide lettuce between two dinner plates. Spoon noodle and meat mixture over lettuce. Sprinkle with scallions and cashews.

Yield: Serves 2.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 642 calories (27 percent from fat), 19.6 grams fat (2.9 grams saturated, 10 grams monounsaturated), 144 milligrams cholesterol, 53.7 grams protein, 60.9 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams fiber, 742 milligrams sodium.