Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Tasty Tuesday: Thai Drunken Noodles with Chicken

I have a confession to make: I haven't been feeling very inspired in the kitchen lately.

I usually think searching for new recipes to try, coming up with ways to tweak each recipe, and actually putting them together is really fun. But lately? It's felt more like a chore.

I have a feeling this has something to do with the fact that we spent several glorious days away from home, eating out for every single meal. We got used to the ease and convenience of having someone else prepare all of our food, and it was really hard to get back into a normal dinner routine. Seriously ... We've had Chinese takeout, Qdoba, and a couple of frozen meals in the nearly two weeks we've been back. We've had a few other things as well, but pretty much everything we've made at home has been incredibly simple and not what I'd consider "blogworthy" (think pasta and jarred sauce or eggs and hash browns).

So I started searching through the pictures in my phone to see if there were any recipes I'd made in the past that I'd never bothered to post. And that's when I saw it: Thai Drunken Noodles.

 photo ThaiDrunkenNoodlesWithChicken_zpsc7hb4gyf.jpg

I made this recipe for the first time a really long time ago, and it was one of my earliest kitchen triumphs. It's not complicated, but it's packed with great flavor. It's also pretty versatile: you can easily substitute another protein (shrimp, tofu, beef, etc.) or add more (or different!) veggies. Additionally, it's a great substitute if you're craving Thai but don't feel like heading out for dinner (or paying for takeout).

Thai Drunken Noodles with Chicken

Adapted from a recipe on A Taste of Thai.

Ingredient List:
  • 8 oz. wide rice noodles
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 cloves garlic (or, if you're lazy like me, the equivalent of jarred, pre-minced garlic)
  • 1 large white onion, diced
  • 2 large tomatoes, diced
  • 1 large red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 large green bell pepper, diced
  • 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips (I used 2 chicken breasts, but they were very thick.)
  • 1 lime
  • 1/4 cup garlic chili pepper sauce (I used Lee Kum Kee sauce. Also, please note that this amount of sauce will make the meal pretty spicy. If you're not a huge fan of really spicy food, start with a small amount of garlic chili pepper sauce. You can always add more if it doesn't have enough kick.)
  • 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce (I used A Taste of Thai sauce.)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

Instructions:

1.  Soak the rice noodles according to the directions for stir fry. The recommended soak time on my package of noodles was 25-30 minutes, so make sure you allow some time for this step.

2.  Heat the sesame oil in a medium skillet. Add the chicken strips and cook until slightly browned, making sure no pink remains.

3.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

4.  Add the diced onions, tomatoes, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper to the garlic, and cook until the vegetables begin to soften (about 3-5 minutes).

5.  Add the cooked chicken to the vegetables, stirring to combine. Allow the meat and vegetables to cook together for about 1-2 minutes.

6.  Add the garlic chili pepper sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Squeeze in the juice from the lime, and stir several times to thoroughly combine.

7.  Drain the rice noodles, and add them to the skillet with the chicken, vegetables, and sauce. Stir several times to ensure the noodles are evenly coated. Allow the noodles to cook until they are firm but tender (al dente).

I realize that my Thai cooking will probably never be completely authentic and we'll never stop going to our favorite Thai restaurants, but at least this can (mostly) satisfy our cravings if we're trying to save some extra cash by limiting our dinners out.

4 comments:

  1. Don't feel bad. I rarely come up with my own recipes and sometimes get in ruts where I'm just barely tweaking someone else's too.

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  2. hahaha we have had frozen pizza, take out and fast food since we've been back as well. i just don't feel like cooking! i'm sure i'll get back into it soon.. or just wait for all the thanksgiving leftovers and eat those instead.

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  3. Oh yes, I need this. I never think the ones I get in the restaurant are spicy enough, I always end up adding a ton of that chili paste they have on the tables.

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