thai-inspired noodles...

We looooove thai food at our house, but it can get pricey eating out whenever that Thai craving hits.  This dish is a great recipe to make at home.  It has some great Thai-inspired flavors, but is made with everyday ingredients that you probably already use on a regular basis.

I like to boil and shred lots of chicken at the same time, then freeze it in usable portions to cut down on prep time when I'm making dinner.  My freezer chicken worked perfectly for this recipe.

We thought it had a good level of spice without being too hot.  Plus, it got two thumbs up from the hubby...which is always a good sign!

I adapted my version from this Noodlehead recipe.

Thai-Inspired Noodles

Cook Time:  3o minutes

Ingredients:

1 carrot, peeled

3-5 green onions, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves, minced

Shredded cooked chicken

8 oz. linguine

Cilantro

dry-roasted peanuts, chopped

toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1.        Shave carrot lengthwise into thin strips using a vegetable peeler.  Prep other veggies as well.

2.     Cook noodles according to package directions.

3.      Place chicken in a large saucepan with 2/3 cup of the chicken broth.  Bring to a simmer and add veggies.

4.      Combine 1/3 cup of the broth, peanut butter, ginger soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, pepper flakes, and garlic. Whisk until smooth.

5.      Combine peanut sauce, chicken & veggies, and noodles in a large bowl.  Toss to coat and sprinkle with cilantro to taste.  Garnish with chopped peanuts and toasted sesame seeds.  (Tip: I put my peanuts in a little baggie and smashed them with a hammer.  Way faster than chopping or busting out a food processor.)

Servings:  4 servings

Variations/Substitutions:

Try adding other vegetables such as snow peas or bean sprouts.  Or use shrimp instead of chicken.