Brocolette Shanghai Noodles with Salt and Pepper Chicken
12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS.
IT CAN BE LESS PERFECT.
I have to be totally honest with you friends, I’m EXHAUSTED. It’s almost Christmas, and here I am with a mountain of tasks I’ve generously given myself to complete. I set a few goals that I’m not even sure I can reach. Have you ever felt like you’re simply ‘done’? Isn’t a Christmas break supposed to be time to reflect, recharge, refocus, and reboot?
Guys, this post will be super short. Why? Well, didn’t you hear? I’m exhausted 🙂 And believe me it takes a lot to get me tired. I’m sure by now you have rolled your eyes at least a couple of times and probably mumbled, “Stop whining Fedra.”
This dish I’m writing about is for one of those less perfect days. It’s uncomplicated, comforting, and totally healthy, so by the end of the day you can find yourself in a better place (read: mood.) Friends, meet my imperfect Brocolette Shanghai Noodles with Salt and Pepper Chicken. Yes, when you see the directions there are layers of cooking. That’s what makes this dish special. I use all chicken breast here, but if you want to replace it with thigh meat, go for it. I sometimes like to just ‘bake’ a big batch of chicken breasts that I can use for my lazy (or super busy) week’s salad, fried rice, or pasta meals. Very versatile 🙂 However, this dish is also accompanied by awesome produce. So, considering it’s low in fat and high in fiber & protein, I’d say this should be a nice Christmas week meal and may warrant as a pick me up dish.
The holiday season can be so crazy. I know you and I can get so overwhelmed with ‘the list’ (wait, I don’t really have an actual/physical list — but somewhat have it in my head though, which is worse…) of projects, people to visit, or events to volunteer. If you’re like me, tired and overwhelmed, let’s head to the kitchen and maybe put this meal together. To breathe and be gentle to ourselves. It’s okay to know that you only have so much energy left to the end of the year. It’s truly okay to make something much less perfect than your ideal dinner idea. It’s okay to sometimes feel below-par and to experience imperfections. That just means you live. And being alive is pretty awesome, don’t you agree?
- For Salt Pepper Chicken
- 1 tablespoon grape seed oil
- 5 boneless, skinless chicken breast, butterflied
- 1 tablespoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- For Broccolette Noodles
- 1 pound dried Chinese egg noodles
- 1 tablespoon Asian dark sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 pound broccolette, trimmed and cut into approximately 2” pieces
- 1 red bell pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1½ tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
- A good pinch of red pepper flakes
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- Salt Pepper Chicken
- Preheat oven to 400ºF
- Add oil to a rimmed baking sheet. Place chicken and sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Cut chicken into thin strips.
- Shanghai Noodles
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add noodles; cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 4-5 minutes. Drain and rinse noodles according to your noodle package instruction. Toss the noodles with the sesame oil and set aside.
- Vegetables
- In a skillet over medium high heat, warm oil. Add onion, and cook until soft and fragrant. Stir in broccolette and bell pepper, and stir-fry the vegetables until soft, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and red paper flakes, cook for another 3 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir together chicken stock and oyster sauce and set aside.
- Together
- Add chicken, noodles and chicken stock mixture to the wok and toss to combine. Cook, stirring often, until the noodles and chicken are heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
Looks perfect to me! I agree with sister Nancy. Time to rest, Fedra!