Chicken and Noodles

This is a plan ahead recipe. You could very well poach chicken breasts in fat free chicken broth, however the gelatine obtained from boiling a whole chicken adds considerably to the lush mouth feel of the dish.

The night before...

Chicken and Stock

1 whole chicken
Water
2 Tablespoons Salt
1 tsp black pepper

Place chicken in a large dutch oven or stock pot. Add the salt and pepper and enough water to fully cover. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for about an hour to an hour and a half until chicken cooked through. Carefully remove the chicken to a colander placed over a large bowl. Allow to drain for 10-15 minutes. Add the drained stock back to the dutch oven. Place the chicken and the stock (separately) in the refrigerator to cool overnight.

The next day...

Whole Wheat and Spinach Egg Noodles

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour for dusting rolling pin and work surface
8 oz of baby spinach "sauteed" in 1/4 cup of boiling water until wilted, cooled
3 egg whites
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons salt

Place the flour in the bowl of a kitchen aid mixer add the salt and mix to combine. Place the egg whites and spinach in the bowl and mix with the dough hook on speed 2 until combined. Check the consistency if too dry add water a tablespoon at a time until dough forms itself into a ball. Mix on speed 2 for ten minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl cover it and allow it to rest for 10-20 minutes.

In the meantime, remove broth from fridge and skim off all of the fat. Remove the breast meat from the chicken and add it to the broth. Bring this to a simmer and go roll out your egg noodles.

Divide the noodle dough into 3 pieces. Dust your work surface lightly with flour, roll out the dough to desired thickness and set aside on a cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining two balls of dough. This is stickier than regular egg noodle dough. You don't want to make the dough too tall in proportion to it's width because instead of rolling the dough over itself you will fold it in half and cut into noodles. Repeat with all three dough sheets. Immediatley unfold the noodles and drop into the simmering broth. Turn up heat and bring to a boil boil for 5 minutes stirring occasionaly. Turn down heat and simmer a further 14 minutes.

Serves-8
Points-6

Thai me up and eat me!

I'm in a hurry but I'll at least get the basics.

Thai Beef Skewer
1 lb top round cut into thin strips
2 cloves of garlic finely minced
2 Tablespoons of cilantro finely minced
1 inch piece of fresh ginger grated
zest of half a lime
3 jalapeno rings finely minced
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce (wimps can use soy)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
couple shots jalapeno pepper sauce (optional if unavailable)
1/2 cup oil.

Mix everything together except the meat. Pour into a zippy bag and add the meat. marinate 15 minutes then thread on skewers. Broil or grill until done.

Honey, Lime and Cilantro Slaw
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 mayo
zest from half a lime
2 Tablespoons cilantro finely chopped
12 oz package coleslaw mix

In a large bowl mix first five ingredients until well blended add coleslaw mix and stir to coat.

Peanut Sauce (for Peanut Noodles)
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup fish sauce (or use the wimpy stuff)
2 Tablespoons honey
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1 inch piece of fresh ginger finely grated
3 pickled jalapeno rings finely minced
2 Tablespoons chopped peanuts

Mix it all together and do with it what you will.

We mixed it with 8oz of freshly cooked noodles that we drained over 4 oz of bean sprouts (Lightly cooks the bean sprouts thataway) and garnished with chopped peanuts, grated carrots and chopped green onion.