Asian-style noodle bowls. I love them. If there's a noodle bowl on an eatery's menu, I am likely to give it a try. That said, when confronted with a snowstorm the likes of what the Northeast just recovered from, neither eating out nor ordering in was an option. That said, as long as the power doesn't go out, the peace-and-quiet of staying inside for a few days can be a lot of fun when you've got a well-stocked pantry and keep a few protein staples on hand in you freezer. Binge-watching a few series on TV while cooking creatively in a nice warm kitchen is fun for one, or an entire family. This quick and easy think-fast snowstorm dinner turned out so good I've vowed to make it again -- any time I, my family, or friends need to quell a craving for Asian noodles.
An easy, 30-minute Asian-style noodle bowl? You betcha.
2 large, boneless, skinless chicken thighs, pounded into paillards
2 tablespoons vegetable oil + 1 tablespoon sesame oil
4-6 tablespoons thick teriyaki sauce, your favorite store-bought brand, for seasoning chicken thighs (Note: I highly-recommend Panda Express's Mandarin teriyaki sauce.)
2 3-ounce packages ramen noodles
3-4 tablespoons additional thick teriyaki sauce, your favorite store-bought brand, for seasoning noodles
1, 10 1/2-ounce package steam-in-bag Asian vegetable medley (broccoli, carrots, snow peas and water chestnuts)
~Step 1. To prepare the chicken, cover a small cutting board with plastic wrap. Unravel/unroll the chicken thighs and place them, flat and slightly apart, atop the plastic. Cover with a second sheet of plastic. Using a flat-sided meat mallet, pound to a thickness of 1/4"-1/2". Place oils in bottom of a 10"-12" nonstick skillet. Place the thighs into the oils. Using a pastry brush, liberally paint top sides of thighs with teriyaki sauce, about 1 generous tablespoon per thigh. Heat skillet to medium- medium-high and sauté chicken until golden on the bottom, about 6-8 minutes. Flip the chicken over and paint the second sides with about the same amount of teriyaki sauce. Continue to sauté until browned on the second side, about 5-6 minutes. Flip chicken over one last time and sauté 1-2 more minutes, until teriyaki sauce is nicely caramelized. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and use a chef's knife to slice each one into thin strips. Loosely tent with a aluminum foil and set aside while preparing the noodles as directed below.
~Step 2. To prepare the noodles and vegetables, in a 2 1/2-3 quart saucepan bring 1 1/2-2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the ramen noodles (discard the seasoning packets from the packages) and adjust heat to simmer rapidly for 3-3 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer noodles directly from saucepan to a large bowl. Add and fold in the 3-4 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce, to taste. In the microwave, steam the bag of vegetables until cooked through. Add and fold the steaming hot vegetables into the still warm noodles. Add additional sauce, to taste, if desired. Portion equally into two large pasta-type bowls and top each portion with a still-warm thin-sliced teriyaki chicken thigh. Serve immediately.
Portion noodles & vegetables into two pasta-type bowls:
Top each portion w/a thin-sliced teriyaki chicken thigh:
Easy Teriyaki Chicken w/Ramen & Steamed Veggies: Recipe yields 2 hearty main-course servings.
Special Equipment List: cutting board; plastic wrap; flat-sided meat mallet; 10"-12" nonstick skillet; pastry brush; chef's knife; aluminum foil; 2-3 quart saucepan; large slotted spoon; large bowl; microwave oven
Cook's Note: Teriyaki sticky-chicken wings and teriyaki steak or chicken chicken skewers have been two of my family's and tailgate-family's favorite game-day appetizers for decades. Because of everyones love for the tantalizing flavor of teriyaki sauce, I came up with a couple ways to put teriyaki flavor in my family's main-dish meal rotation too. My recipes for teriyaki-style slow-cooker baby-back spare-ribs and easy teriyaki-glazed rock Cornish game hens pleased everyone -- the husband, the kids, and, more importantly me because both are so easy to make. Try ~ My Easy Teriyaki-Glazed Rock Cornish Game Hen ~.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2022)
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