I can't tell you how much I love this recipe. The glazed chicken, rice noodles, crunchy veggies, and peanuts make it better than any take out I've ever had. We've made this often in the summer as a light dinner, slurping bowls of it down with cold drinks. Make sure not to overcrowd your pan with the chicken, it needs to be hot for the marinade to thicken up and glaze the pieces of chicken.
Adapted from Every Day Food May 2008
Marinade:
4 scallion whites, thinly sliced (keep the greens for later)
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup soy sauce (low salt)
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes (or a few dashes of hot sauce)
Combine all in a bowl. Use 1/2 of it to marinate 1 1/4 lbs of sliced boneless, skinless, chicken breast. Reserve the other half. (you can sub pork or beef for the chicken)
Noodles:
3 1/2 ounces rice vermicelli
2 carrots, sliced into ribbons with veggie peeler
1/2 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1/4 cup fresh torn basil
1/2 sweet red pepper, thinly sliced
optional toppings:
chopped peanuts
scallion greens
red pepper flakes
In a large fry pan, saute the marinated chicken in a small amount of oil until cooked through. Don't crowd the pan, the marinade will thicken and become a nice glaze. Transfer to a plate.
In a large pot of boiling water, cook the noodles until tender (according to the package). Drain and rinse. Divide among the plates. Top with pieces of chicken, carrot, cucumber, basil, red pepper, and other optional ingredients. Drizzle with reserved marinade.
