Hoisin Rice Noodles

I have recently been introduced to rice noodles and I feel sad that I've been missing out on these all my life.  They are super easy and quick to make and they don't have quite as heavy a feeling as traditional pasta.  They're great with Asian-type sauces and good in soups too.  The flavor isn't super strong so if you're a little hesitant about trying something new, don't be afraid to give these a shot.  Also, this recipe is great for a quick meal.  You can chop all the toppings and mix up the sauce in advance--then at mealtime you just have to cook the chicken and noodles, and toss it all together.

Hoisin Rice Noodles

Number of Servings: 6
Time to Prepare: 25 minutes

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 Tbsp sesame oil
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 3 Tbsp peanut butter
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken, cubed
• salt
• pepper
• 12 oz  rice noodles (you want to get maifun--they're like angel hair)
• grated carrot
• chopped green onion
• chopped peanuts
• chopped cilantro
• chopped red bell pepper

Prepare the rice noodles according to package directions by soaking in hot water.

For the sauce, whisk together the soy sauce, water, sesame oil, honey, vinegar, lime juice, garlic, ginger, hoisin and peanut butter. Set aside.

Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pat the chicken dry and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken with about 1/3 cup of the sauce until cooked through, flipping once or twice. Scoop the chicken and sauce onto a plate and set aside.
   
Drain the noodles and add them to the hot skillet with the remaining 2/3 of the sauce. Cook over medium heat, tossing the noodles with the sauce, about 3-4 minutes until the noodles have soaked up a lot of the sauce and become even more tender.

Add the chicken and heat through.

Serve the noodles and chicken with the grated carrots, chopped green onions, chopped peanuts, chopped cilantro, and chopped red pepper.

Source: slightly adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Produce Used: Lime, garlic, ginger, carrot, green onion, cilantro, red bell pepper