For a good while now, I’ve been fond of making what I call my Asian-inspired noodle bowl. The dish borrows from Thai, Japanese, and Chinese culinary traditions, and it’s a little different every time I make it, depending on available ingredients and my mood on a given day. But it’s almost always delicious (unless the ratios in my sauce are way off).
This particular version uses a base of wide rice noodles with chicken and green peppers. It was dinner last night, and unless Kelli beats me to the leftovers, it’ll be lunch today, too! Here’s how I make it:
Start with one or two boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and slice the meat thin. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sautee in a frying pan or wok in olive oil. When the chicken is mostly cooked through, add the juice from one freshly squeezed lime (the citrus brightens the flavor, and you can experiment with using lemon or orange, as well). Set the chicken aside, and sautee one sliced green pepper. Also set aside.
At this point, boil a pot of salted water, and get your rice noodles cooking. Meanwhile, in the fry pan or wok, start to make the sauce. I always make my sauce on the fly, tasting as I go along, so I don’t have hard measurements. Estimate. Begin by adding a quarter cup or so of water to the pan, followed by several tablespoons of soy sauce (tamari wheat-free version, of course). Add a spoonfull of red curry paste, another of red chili paste, and several tablespoons of honey. Lastly, dissolve one or two spoonfulls of corn starch in a small amount of cold water, and add that to the pan as well. Mix thoroughly, and bring to a light boil. Important: you want to boil it enough for the corn starch to thicken the sauce, but no so much that you evaporate too much sauce and make the dish overly salty by concentrating the soy sauce.
Turn down the heat to medium-low, and add the chicken and pepper. When the noodles are al dente, strain them and flush under cold water. Add to the sauce, chicken, and pepper. Toss it all together to evenly distribute the sauce, and serve! Enjoy in your favorite noodle bowl, and eat with a pair of chopsticks (not a requirement).
– Pete
This dish is very appealing, Pete, for looks and taste. I might skip the curry (not a big fan of the curry taste despite its nutritional benefits). I also love that the recipe calls for honey. I may have mentioned before that we keep bees so any time I can use honey in my cooking, I am very pleased!
Shirley
Hey Pete,
I just spent some time catching up with you and Kelli (reading a bunch of your past blog posts). First off, congratulations on the birth of sweet Marin! You are embarking on a true magic carpet ride. It’s awesome and amazing. Enjoy every (almost) moment!
What tests are you planning for Marin? You mentioned that in your “welcoming her to the world” blog and I’m curious, if you don’t mind me asking. As a holistic nutritionist specializing in celiac — I’m being nosey.
And last but not least, this Asian noodle bowl looks wonderful. Yum!
Best wishes, congratulations, and here’s to a healthy and happy 2009! With lots of fresh powder!
🙂
Melissa
Enjoy experimenting with and modifing the recipe, Shirley!
Thanks for the congrats, Melissa! Let’s hope for lots of powder indeed. To answer your question, in addition to testing Marin for Celiac Disease, we’re thinking mostly of having her tested for some hereditary diseases/disorders that run on my side of the family (neurological and endocrine).
– Pete
Pete — if you need any info about testing for celiac genes, that’s my area. Don’t hesitate to email me.
I think I may head up to Mary Jane for a couple of hours this morning. Sounds like the wind has finally died down a bit.
Take care,
Melissa