Peanut Chicken Udon

• servings: 3 people
• active time: 30 minutes
• total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

22 oz Chicken Breast Strips

1 lb Udon Noodles

1 Tbsp Sesame Oil

1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek

1 tsp Furikake

2 Scallions

2 Tbsps Peanut Butter

1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar

3 Tbsps Roasted Peanuts

15 oz Baby Bok Choy

3 Tbsps Soy Glaze

2 Bell Peppers

Directions

Remove the noodles from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut off and discard the stems of the peppers. Halve lengthwise; remove the ribs and seeds, then thinly slice crosswise. Cut off and discard the root ends of the bok choy, then roughly chop. Thinly slice the scallions, separating the white bottoms and hollow green tops. In a bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, peanut butter spread, soy glaze, vinegar, 2 tablespoons of water, and as much of the sambal oelek as you'd like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned chicken in an even layer. Cook, without stirring, 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a plate.

In the pan of reserved fond, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the sliced peppers, chopped bok choy, and sliced white bottoms of the scallions in an even layer. Cook, without stirring, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly softened. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened.

Using your hands, carefully separate the noodles. To the pan, add the noodles, cooked chicken, and sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thoroughly coated and the noodles are heated through. Turn off the heat. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the finished noodles topped with the furikake, peanuts, and sliced green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!

Notes

Soy Glaze:

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup mirin

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons brown rice vinegar (or more if using a less intensely flavored vinegar, such as rice wine vinegar)

1 tablespoon water

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Bring everything except water and cornstarch to a simmer for 2-3 minutes, than mix with the cornstarch and water and add to the mix. Simmer for 5 more minutes.