Chicken & Vegetables Satay Noodles

This week has been incredibly hectic for me at work. For those who are small business owners in Australia will understand there were multiple Tax Office deadlines in May. When it comes to deadlines, we all know there are always the “last-minute offenders”, don’t we? Oh, did I mention I’m a number cruncher by day?

Since I have been overworking the logical side of my brain all week, I’m craving for a creative outlet, I miss blogging and photographing my dinner.

Feeling more motivated than ever the in the blogging department, I shall introduce you my Friday night dinner – chicken and vegetables satay noodles. I hope you don’t mind the makeshift version of my satay sauce – a concoction of Thai red curry paste with peanut butter! When I have a bit more time, I’ll try posting a proper satay sauce recipe. I promise.

Chicken & Vegetables Satay Noodles

(A Fuss Free Cooking Recipe)

Serves 2 people very generously (may be able to squeeze a third person)

Ingredients:

• About 400g / 14 oz Hokkein Noodles
• 350g /  12 oz mixed Asian stir fry vegetables
• 200g  /  7 oz  pre-sliced chicken breasts
• 2.5 tbsps Thai red curry paste
• 3 tbsps peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
• 1 tsp fish sauce or soy sauce or salt (adjust according to taste)
• 1 tsp brown sugar (preferred) or white sugar
• 1/3 cup of hot water
• Coriander to garnish (optional)

Methods:

• Marinate chicken with half of a tablespoon of red curry paste. Mix to combine and set aside.

• Get your vegetables and noodles ready (i.e. opening the packets).

• Add 2 tbsps of the red curry paste, 3 tbsps of peanut butter, fish sauce, sugar and hot water in a measuring jug or a bowl. Stir well and set aside. (Please note: the fish sauce and sugar need to be adjusted according to your taste and the brand of the curry paste you use. Some can be more salty than others and therefore the measurement serves as a guide only.)

• Add 2 tbsps of cooking oil into a wok (use less oil with a non-stick pan). When the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken. Cook the chicken on one side and turn to the other side over medium heat. As I’m using chicken breasts, I’m wary not to turn the chicken too often to avoid dry and stringy texture – the same principle as cooking a steak, I suppose.  (Also, be careful of a slight oil splatter due to the marinate.)

• Add in the vegetables and toss to combine.

• When the vegetables become slightly tender, add in the noodles. Loosen the noodles with your hands before putting them into the wok.

• Toss the noodles to mix with chicken and vegetables. Turn the heat to low and add in the sauce. Mix the sauce with the rest of the ingredients over low heat and increase the heat to medium to toss the noodles until well heated. (Please note that the noodles mixture will be a little difficult to toss after the sauce went in owing to the “creaminess” of peanut butter. So try to toss the noodles as long as you can – we want a very light charring on the noodles – but also want to make sure not to burn the bottom).

• Serve immediately with some torn coriander leaves.