Chinese Chicken Salad, Chocolate Chip Cookies

DEAR SOS: We love the Chinese chicken salad at the Palm Valley Country Club in Palm Desert. Do you think the chef will part with the recipe?

--JOAN

DEAR JOAN: The current chef, Fritz Braun, still offers the salad on the menu.

PALM VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD

Vegetable oil

1 (6 1/2-ounce) package rice stick noodles, broken into 3-inch-long portions

4 boneless chicken breast halves with skin

1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded

1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds

1/3 cup cilantro leaves

1/4 cup sliced green onions with tops

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Salad Dressing

Heat oil in wok (or 3-inch deep heavy pan) to 375 to 400 degrees. Drop rice sticks, handful at time, into hot oil. Noodles will puff immediately. As soon as they stop crackling, remove noodles at once using slotted spoon. Do not allow to turn brown. Drain immediately on paper towels.

In same oil, fry chicken breasts until skin is crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. When cool enough to handle, dice and set aside.

Place shredded lettuce in large bowl. Add diced chicken, almonds, cilantro, green onions and sesame seeds. Pour Salad Dressing over and mix gently. Toss in crisp noodles. Makes 4 servings.

Salad Dressing

1/2 teaspoon wasabi powder

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1/4 cup oil

2 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 tablespoon rice vinegar

Mix wasabi powder, soy sauce, oil, sugar, sesame oil and vinegar until blended. Makes about 1/2 cup.

DEAR SOS: A recipe for chocolate chip cookies was printed in The Times in 1988 without a nutrient count. Can you print it with a calorie count?

--MRS. G.D.F.

DEAR MRS. G.D.F.: Start counting.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 3/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons milk

1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Combine flour and baking soda and set aside.

Cream butter until light. Add vanilla and sugars and beat until fluffy. Beat in egg. At low speed beat in cocoa, then milk. With wooden spoon mix in flour and baking soda mixture until blended. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto non-stick or foil-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees 12 to 13 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly before removing from baking sheets. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Each serving contains about:

151 calories; 56 mg sodium; 20 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.21 gram fiber.