Chicken and Sesame Noodles

One of my most popular recipes last year was Simple Sesame Noodles. I admit it is a real favourite of mine too, and not the least because not only is it tasty, but quick and easy as well.

This recipe here today is a slight variation on that theme . . . with a slightly sweeter, tangy spicy sauce . . . and the addition of chicken. I've also added red peppers for some colour. In truth I could eat this every day of the week. I do sooooo love pasta.

Not sure what the Italians would think of it . . . but they didn't really invent spaghetti did they. I hear tell it was the Chinese that invented noodles.

I think they would approve. And even if they didn't, I don't really care. My kitchen. My rules. Chopsticks . . . I've never been able to master them. Hand me a fork any day. It's more my speed.

*Chicken and Sesame Noodles*

Serves 6

I could just eat the sauce off of these with a spoon. It's so tasty. Quick and easy too. My kind of cookery.

• 16 ounces egg spaghetti noodles (1 pound)
• 6 TBS Toasted Sesame Oil
• 4 tsp Gourmet Garden crushed garlic, or 4 medium cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 120g of smooth and creamy peanut butter (2/3 cup)
• 125ml of low sodium soy sauce (1/2 cup)
• 6 TBS rice wine vinegar
• 4 TBS packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp powdered ginger
• 1/2 tsp Gourmet Garden crushed red chilies (or to taste)
• 2 tsp peanut oil
• 1 1/2 pound of boneless skinless chicken breast meat, cut into half inch cubes
• (I like to do this when it's semi frozen)
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 6 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 2 TBS finely chopped red pepper
• Cook
• the spaghetti in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until al

dente, following the package directions. Drain well, rinse and drain

again. Place in a large bowl and toss with 1 TBS of the sesame oil.

Place

the garlic, remaining sesame oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar,

brown sugar, ginger, red chilies and a pinch of salt into the bowl of a

food processor. (I prefer to err on the side of caution with the chilies

as I don't like things overly spicy.) Blitz until smooth. Taste and

adjust seasoning as necessary. Set aside.

Heat the peanut oil in

a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the sliced chicken, in

batches if necessary, and brown it on both sides just until cooked

through, without over cooking. Don't move it about too much. Over

playing with it will cause it to release it's juices and it won't

brown. Toss the chicken in with the noodles. Add as much of the

dressing as you need to use in order to give the noodles a good coating

and nice flavour. Toss with the onions and red pepper and a good

grinding of black pepper. Serve immediately.

Take a bow.

Coming up next . . . some tasty cookbooks and an old favorite of mine . . . plus I announce the giveaway winner!