Healthy Chicken Noodle Bowl with Peanut Sauce
The beginnings of this week’s dish can be traced to a recipe called Healthy Veggie Noodle Bowl with Peanut Sauce. The ingredient list for the peanut sauce made my mouth water, but I knew the Man of Steel wouldn’t go for the tofu, so I used chicken instead. Also, I couldn’t find edamame and used pea pods. Then, when I went to get the broccoli from the crisper there was none (a side effect of being 59), so kale went into the dish instead.
The end product was delicious, though as the Man of Steel said, the strong flavors mean it should only be served now and then to avoid getting tired of it. So that’s what we’ll do, which should give me time to locate a produce department with edamame and to forget whether or not there’s any broccoli in the vegetable crisper .
Healthy Chicken Noodle Bowl with Peanut Sauce
Sauce Ingredients:
1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter stirred well (not stabilized peanut butter with additives)
2 – 2 1/2 tablespoons tamarii
2 1/2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 – 3 tablespoons water
2 medium garlic cloves, smashed
veggie bowl Ingredients:
1 pound chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
8 oz box pad Thai brown rice noodles noodles, prepared according to package directions
1 cup pea pods, washed and cut into thirds
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 large bell pepper cut into bite-sized pieces
2 carrots, julienned
2 cups broccoli florets or 1 bunch kale, veined and torn into pieces
1/2 cups raw peanuts
- Combine all dressing ingredients (except the garlic) in a jar or gravy shaker. Seal and shake until mixed. Add the smashed garlic, stir gently and set aside for at least 10 minutes. Remove garlic after it sits. The dressing thickens as it sits. Add more water and/or lime juice to thin it out if needed.
- Heat a large frying pan with 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Add the raw peanuts and cook until they begin to brown. Remove with slotted spoon and place on paper toweling.
- Add chicken to frying pan and cook until it’s cooked through and slightly browned. Place on a plate.
- Add remaining tablespoon of coconut oil. Add broccoli or kale and cook for 7-10 minutes for broccoli, 5-5 minutes for kale. Stir frequently until it is lightly brown. Add the peppers and pea pods. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Shake the dressing and add more water/lime juice if needed.
- Add chicken to the pan and toss with a few tablespoons of the dressing.
- Toss the noodles with about half of the dressing to coat well and then add to vegetables and chicken. Add the carrots and toss well to combine all ingredients and cook until heated through. Add more dressing as needed.
- Serve hot and top with peanuts.
