Wok-less Roast Chicken Leftovers Chinese Noodles

Tweet

Dad is the master of the wok in our house, but I never seem to get it right and so just don't bother.  Instead I cooked this in a lidded frying pan for the kids before he got home.  It is loosely based on Dan Dan Mien, a spicy Szechuan noodle dish.  I dumbed it down for the children, and perked ours up with chilli and Szechuan pepper later.

This is a great recipe for making a little (meat and veg) go a long way.  And the children's love of noodles seem to blind them to the vegetables staring them in the face!

Serves 2 adults or 3 children
2 layers Sharwood medium egg noodles
1 handful leftover roast chicken (or beef, pork, lamb)
1 clove of garlic, grated
1 tsp grated ginger
1/4 of a small cabbage, finely sliced
1 medium carrot, grated
1 tbsp sunflower oil

Sauce:
125ml chicken stock or water (I used the noodle water)
2 tbsp white wine
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter

1 tbsp  balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2-1 tsp hot chilli flakes (optional)
1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns, crushed (optional)

Cook the noodles according to the packet's instructions.  Rinse with cold water to stop them cooking, then drain.  Rinsing with cold water also stops them sticking together, but you can also toss them in a little sesame oil if you have no faith.

Whilst all the noodles are cooking, gently fry the garlic and ginger in a frying pan.  Add the cabbage and carrot and fry for a few minutes.  Add the sauce ingredients and chicken and leave to soften for a few minutes simmering gently while the noodles finish cooking.  Add the cooked noodles and toss into the sauce so as to coat thoroughly.  I often cut the noodles with scissors whilst sitting in the colander to make it easier for the kids to eat with a fork or spoon.  It also making mixing easier.