I can't believe it's only 8:30. It feels like the middle of the night. After all the prepping, I just wanted to go to bed. But it was only 6pm. Bears are so much smarter than we are. Why can't we hibernate, too?
ANYHOW. This Asian Peanut Chicken Noodle recipe is from the CIA cookbook, and was really quick and easy. Omitting the chicken would make this an easy vegetarian option! Also, very easy to double or triple this recipe.
2 oz soba or whole wheat noodles
1 1/2 t sesame oil
4oz chicken thigh, boneless, skinless--cut into strips
1/2 cup sliced scallions
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced ginger
1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper (I had some chopped left over, so that's what I used)
1 heaping T peanut butter
1 T soy sauce
1 t rice wine vinegar
1 t sriracha (i.e., rooster sauce)
1 T cilantro, chopped
more scallions for garnish
rough chopped roasted peanuts for garnish
Boil water and cook noodles. When noodles are al dente, reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain noodles.
Heat sesame oil in a pot until it shimmers and then add the chicken thigh. Sautee until cooked, then remove chicken to a plate.
Add scallions, ginger, and garlic to the pot and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add red bell pepper, cook another 30 seconds. Add peanut butter and soy sauce and mix into vegetables. Add 1/2 cup of pasta water and mix until creamy. Add vinegar and sriracha. Add back the chicken and noodles, combine. If sauce is too thick, use pasta water to thin. Toss in cilantro, stir, and then transfer noodles to bowl, garnish with scallions and peanuts.
It didn't take very long to cook, and it was very satisfying. I used angel hair whole wheat noodles. The only thing I would change is that I would salt the initial veggies next time. The soy sauce is almost salty enough, but not quite.
Also as someone with a bottomless appetite for pasta, I just stopped making it at home.This pre-portion-controlled recipe is a really exciting way for me to have pasta again. And the whole wheat noodles makes the thing feel as nutrionally sound as a bushel of kale.
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