Cooking with Coley

I give this recipe five stars.  Can I do that?  Rate my own recipes?  Either way, this is an all-time favorite.

I experimented with this dish last week, and it came out so good that I made it again just a few days later.  Whole wheat soba noodles are an ideal way to create a balanced meal that packs in carbs, veggies and protein.  Whether they’re in a soup, a stir fry or a salad, they add an incredible amount of heartiness.  Soba noodles cook in just about five minutes, and my favorite brand, Annie Chun’s Japanese Buckwheat Noodles, are 100% natural.  Add them to your grocery list this week.

What you’ll need (for 3 large servings):

For the dressing:

• Fresh grated ginger root (to taste)
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 clove fresh garlic, crushed or minced
• Chili sauce, sriracha or a chopped chili pepper (optional – add to taste)

For the noodles/veggies:

• Whole wheat soba noodles (approximately 3 servings)
• Chopped scallions (approximately 1 cup)
• Shredded carrots (approximately 1 cup)
• Shredded cabbage (approximately 1 cup)
• Edamame (deshelled)
• Handful of chopped cilantro

For the chicken:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp hoison sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Other ingredients:

• Chopped romaine and/or baby spinach (enough to cover a serving platter)
• Crushed peanuts (1/4 cup)

Procedure:

• Prepare the dressing and veggies while the noodles are cooking
• For the dressing, whisk together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and fresh ginger to taste (I use about 1/2 tbsp grated; also add fresh chilis or sriracha at this time to add some heat if you’d like)
• Mix the veggies together (scallions, carrots, cabbage, edamame, cilantro)
• Once noodles are cooked, pour dressing over noodles and chill for 5 minutes
• Then mix veggies into noodles and dressing (you don’t want to do this immediately because the warm noodles will wilt the cabbage as well as make the purple coloring of the cabbage run)
• Chill noodles/veggies
• Heat EVOO in a pan, add hoison and soy to pan and saute chicken on medium high; after searing each side, cover the chicken and cook on low until cooked through
• Once chicken is cooked, cool for 3-5 minutes and slice thinly
• Cover a serving plate with chopped lettuce/baby spinach; top with chilled noodles/veggies
• Layer chicken over noodles and top with peanuts to garnish

This dish is great for leftovers, but I should mention that the purple cabbage starts to turn everything purple as it sits.  While it may not look as appealing, it tastes just as good the next day.  If entertaining a group, plan to prepare shortly before serving.