... Chicken, Edamame, and Noodle Stir Fry

I love cooking with new ingredients.  I've never used udon noodles until now and now I can officially say that they'll certainly be keeping a place in my pantry.  They have a great texture - similar to linguine - but are a little less nutty tasting than the pasta.  And, how great is it that they come in pre-portioned serving sizes?  Love it.

The bright purple onion and the crisp green edamame make this fresh dish one I'll be making again and again.

Chicken, Edamame, and Noodle Stir Fry
serves 4

coarse salt and ground pepper
8 ounces udon noodles or linguine
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each), cut crosswise into thin strips
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 napa cabbage (about 1 pound), thinly shredded
2 cups frozen shelled edamame
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until al dente, according to package instructions.  Drain, and rinse under cold water; drain again, and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, in a medium bowl, toss chicken with cornstarch; season with salt and pepper.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high.  Cook chicken in two batches, until light brown on the outside and opaque throughout, 2 to 4 minutes.  Transfer to a plate (reserve skillet).

Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet; add onion and garlic.  Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 1 to 3 minutes.  Add cabbage, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 2 to 4 minutes.

Add edamame, vinegar, soy sauce, chicken, and noodles; season with salt and pepper.  Cook, tossing, until noodles and edamame are warmed through, 3 to 5 minutes.

Taylor's Notes:
Here's another quick and easy recipe that would be perfect for a weeknight meal.  It would be easily adapted with different veggies or meats - or tofu... which is next on my list.  Per the comments on the site where I found the recipe, I added Siracha at the end to spice it up.  Others mentioned red pepper flakes or marinating the chicken, both of which would be good to add a little heat or extra flavor.   


As I'm finding with most recipes, it makes huge serving sizes.  I halved the recipe and could have gotten three servings out of it.  But you know what, that's fine with me because, as with most Asian-inspired dishes, the leftovers taste even better.


Enjoy!