Friday, March 27, 2009

Rice Noodles with Chicken & Bok Choy

I decided to try another take on the rice noodles with tofu & bok choy that I made a few months ago. This time I used cooked chicken instead of tofu & my husband & I liked the dish much better - the flavor was more intense.

Ingredients:
1 (6 oz) package rice noodles
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsps rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dark sesame oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
Cooking spray
2 cups (1/4-inch) red bell pepper strips
5 cups sliced bok choy
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
3 Tbsps chopped fresh cilantro*

Cook chicken breasts; set aside
Cook noodles in boiling water 6 minutes; drain
Combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, oil, & crushed red pepper, stirring well with a whisk
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat
Add bell pepper strips; sauté 2 minutes
Add bok choy; sauté 1 minute
Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes
Add noodles, chicken & soy sauce mixture; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, tossing well to coat
Sprinkle with green onions and cilantro*

*I don't add cilantro to this dish & it is still delicious

Monday, March 9, 2009

Quick Cook Peas, Prosciutto, & Fresh Herbs

Recipe found in my favorite pasta cookbook aptly titled, "Pasta" by Eric Treuille & Anna Del Conte

Ingredients:
2 cups tiny frozen peas, defrosted
6 Tbsps butter
4 oz prosciutto slices, cut into short, fine strips, about 1 inch long & 1/4 inch wide
1 lb dried pasta (medium to wide ribbons)
6 Tbsps freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp fine chopped basil
Salt & pepper
additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese to serve

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water, until firm to the bite
While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a skillet
Add peas & prosciutto & cook, stirring constantly over medium heat until hot through, 2 mins
Add salt & pepper to taste
Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water
Add pasta with Parmesan cheese & basil, to the hot sauce
Toss well to coat, adding reserved water as needed
Serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese