Sesame Chicken Noodle Bowl

I made this dish a few weeks ago when The Nudge was traveling. I know he's not into Noodle Bowls so it was easy to portion this for one serving.

I thought the broth could have had more umph, maybe by using dried shiitake and adding the soaking liquid, or use all broth instead of half water but something was missing.

I would recommend using homemade chicken stock if possible but a good stock in a box (I like Wolfgang's roasted one) would work instead of canned broth, which can be very light on flavor. Although the broth looks dark it was just the soy sauce that helped with that.

Cooking Light magazine is one of my Go To magazines when I am planning my weekly menu, and I have made plenty of their recipes over the years, but every once in a while one gets by the test kitchen and just doesn't rise to the level I know they strive for.

I hate to admit this was one of them, I had such high hopes for my first noodle bowl.
Now, I like things highly spiced and herby, so maybe it's me, but I think that when the main ingredient is the broth, it should be the star and it should shine. The chicken and noodles were the best part and although I wasn't happy with it as a main entree, this was not a waste, I did use the all the leftovers (even the broth) to make a very nice Chicken Lo Mien a few days later.

I doubt I would not make this for dinner again, but it would make an excellent lunch.

It's light, not filling (unless you eat all the noodles) and will reheat well.



Sesame Chicken and Noodles in Mushroom Broth
Adapted from Cooking Light AUGUST 2012
Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients
* 4 shiitake mushrooms
* 1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
* 1 cup water
* 4 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce
* 2 teaspoons fish sauce
* 2 garlic cloves, crushed
* 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced
* 1 serrano chile, thinly sliced
* 2 cups uncooked fresh Chinese-style noodles
* 1 pound chicken cutlets
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds
* 2 teaspoons sesame oil
* 4 baby bok choy, cut in half lengthwise
* 1/2 cup (1/4-inch-thick) slices red bell pepper
* 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges
* Julienned carrot (optional)

Preparation
1. Remove mushroom stems. Thinly slice caps; set caps aside. Bring stems, broth, and next 6 ingredients to a boil in a saucepan. Remove pan from heat.
2. Bring 1 quart of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add noodles; cook 3 minutes or until done. Drain.
3. Sprinkle chicken with black pepper. Place seeds in a dish. Press seeds into both sides of chicken. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan. Add bok choy, cut sides down; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Add reserved mushroom slices and bell pepper. Strain broth mixture through a sieve into pan; cover and cook 2 minutes. Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon.
4. Thinly slice chicken. Place 1/2 cup noodles, about 1/4 cup vegetables, and 4 ounces chicken into 4 shallow bowls. Spoon 1/4 cup broth mixture over each. Garnish each with two lime wedges.

Nutritional Information per serving
Calories: 338
Fat: 9.2g
Saturated fat: 1.5g
Monounsaturated fat: 3.2g
Polyunsaturated fat: 3.6g
Protein: 34g
Carbohydrate: 29.5g
Fiber: 4.2g
Cholesterol: 71mg
Iron: 3.6mg
Sodium: 795mg
Calcium: 65mg