spicy noods

hi friends, lovers + people probably related to me -

at 17 i was applying to colleges and thought i wanted to be a high school english teacher - now we’re here

this week i only ate trail mix for breakfast (almonds, craisins + dark chocolate chips) it was nice but made me miss hiking

the first time i had pad kee mao (drunken noodles) i was wearing an oversized cream turtleneck sweater and i had a cold

these spicy noods are kind of like a pad kee mao meets stir fry situation so a little bit of a mashup and a lot of fun like when “punk” bands cover pop songs - it’s spicy, deeply saucy - full of chicken + still crunchy veggies

so there’s going to be some steps + lots of chopping - so make sure you’re in comfy clothes + pour yourself a glass of wine ( i like a dry maybe fizzy white, something really crisp)

ingredients

boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut them into nugget sized pieces)
wide rice noodles (okay the package i got serves 9 people! so you probably only need to use half a package or so of noodles)
sambal olek
low sodium soy sauce
rice vinegar (apple cider vin will also work in a pinch)
fish sauce
brown sugar
carrots
bell peppers (yellow + red)
broccoli
red onion
scallions
basil (thai basil is sometimes tricky to find, so regular basil totally works)
pepper
olive oil
garlic (4 large cloves)
ginger (1 medium to large piece)
cornstarch

steps

1st make your sauce (you’re going to make a lot since we are going to be marinating the chicken in it as well) - you’ll need about a 1-1.5 cups of soy sauce, a couple splashes of rice vinegar, a couple splashes of olive oil, a dash of fish sauce or two, 4 cloves of garlic grated, 1 medium to large piece of ginger peeled + grated, several spoonfuls of sambal olek, 2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of cornstarch and a crack of black pepper (taste to see if it needs anything to be spicier, to balance it a bit, etc). In a large bowl put your cut up chicken thighs and pour about half the sauce over it and mix together then set aside.

2nd slice your peppers, onions, + carrots (not thinly - you want them to retain their crunchiness) toss with olive oil and place in a large skillet (don’t start cooking these ones until your chicken is about halfway done). chop up your broccoli + a toss with olive oil - then roast them in the oven so they get charred + crispy on top. put your chicken in another skillet and cook through.

3rd while your veggies + chicken are cooking - slice the basil + scallions then set aside - clean up your station, dump your trash bowl, drink some more wine, etc. so when cooking rice noodles - you’re going to want to follow the directions on the package - mine said to soak for 20 minutes in water before adding to the stir fry situation so that’s what i did.

4th once your chicken is cooked through and the veggies are looking good - combine them into one skillet, add the noodles and pour the remaining sauce over it - using tongs to mix everything together make sure it’s all coated - cooking till the noodles are tender but still have a slight chew - no one likes mushy noodles, top with the basil & scallions for some freshness + flavor - then toss again

5th if you start to eat it right out of the skillet i won’t tell anyone

ft. the always pan which was a v, nice early christmas gift to myself

particularly good things i consumed this week

the store was out of fusilli but vodka sauce is just as good on mezze rigatoni maybe (gasp) even better if you crisp up some hot italian sausage and top with an obnoxious amount of parm + fresh basil

the park district sandwich at bungalow (which is like a club sandwich but much better) plus how happy i was when i found out it came with chips & they had salt + vin

the nostalgia of a homemade rice krispie treat

the wholesome & fun virtual marketing gingerbread house making party/secret santa + the spinach artichoke dip i made afterwards for dinner

the flight attendant - wasn’t sure i was going to like it, but could not stop watching with the roomies last night

currently consuming

this ridiculous amazing gift guide , sort of contemplating this for winter activities which would honestly go v. well with this small portable bonfire - which might be a thing that brings me some small v. pure joy but tbd on all of that

as always,

mk