Chinese Chicken "Salad"

I'm definitely feeling like it's my last quarter here at UCSB. Why? Because I don't want to do any of my school work. I'm exhausted and I don't even want to do anything but sleep. Mmmm Sleeeeep :) That is all that is on my mind. And I'm upset because at the end of last year I took caffeine out of my diet, but with all the reading that I have to do, I've pretty much given back in to caffeine, just not Dr. Pepper so much. 

What does any of that have to do with the post?... Absolutely nothing. The recipe I originally found was from Ina Garten on FoodNetwork. There are a few Chefs from Food Network who's recipes I absolutely love and are typically never a fail for me. Ina is one of those Chefs. This recipe I was a little iffy about. The entire peanut butter ingredient threw me off and I wasn't sure if it was going to be good or not. There are those people who LOVE peanut butter, Sean, and those who KIND OF LIKE it, Me. It turns out, it wasn't overwhelming at all. I technically wouldn't call this a salad also. Especially since I found that serving it over brown rice made it even better, but I don't know what else it could be called. 

Here's the recipe:

(Adapted from Barefoot Contessa)

Serves 8-12

Ingredients

4 chicken breast (boneless, skinless)

Olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 lb asparagus, ends removed & cut into fourths diagonally

1 red or green bell pepper, cut into strips about the same size of asparagus

2 green onions (white & green parts) sliced diagonally
Brown Rice (optional) 

For the Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil (or vegetable oil)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

1/2 tablespoon honey

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoons, grated ginger

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

2. Place chicken in a pan and rub with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Roast for about 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside until it's cool enough to handle. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. 

3. Blanch the asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes until crisp-tender. Plunge into ice bath. Drain. 

4. Combine chicken, asparagus and peppers in a large bowl.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing. Pour over the chicken and vegetables. Add the green onions & sesame seeds. Season to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature over brown rice, if desired.