Spicy Sesame Noodles with Chicken

Adapted from For the Love of Cooking
Spicy Sesame Noodles with Chicken
Makes 4 Servings

3 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
½ tbsp of Sriracha chili sauce
½ tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
8 oz. of spaghetti, cooked per instructions
16 oz. chicken, diced and cooked on nonstick spray with ½ tbsp soy sauce and ½ tsp minced garlic
1 cup red bell pepper, sliced
3-4 green onions, sliced
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
6-7 fresh basil leaves, cut in ribbons
sesame seeds, for garnish

Combine vinegar, soy sauce, canola oil, sesame oil, Sriracha sauce, garlic and ginger. Mix well and set aside for 30 minutes to allow flavors to mingle. Cook spaghetti per instructions. Cook chicken per instructions above until no longer pink. Drain noodles and return to pan along with now-cooked chicken, bell peppers, green onions and the sauce; toss until noodles, chicken and vegetables are evenly coated with sauce. Remove from stove then add the basil and cilantro and toss to combine. Serve immediately with sesame seeds for garnish.

Nutritional Information: 462 calories, 46 carbs, 14 fat grams and 38 protein grams.

Review: AMAZING. Loved the flavor, loved the bell pepper crunch, great spicy overall but not too overpowering - LOVED. It reheated well too, retaining it's flavor and not drying out the noodles. Everyone at work was like WOW - that smells amazing! :) Thanks, Pam, for another great recipe! You never fail me! :)

Lemon Chicken with Cilantro Rice

Adapted from Closet Cooking

Lemon Chicken with Cilantro Rice

Makes 4 Servings

3 tsp bottled lemon juice
2 tablespoon chicken broth
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tsp light brown sugar
2 tsp honey

1 tsp sriracha chili sauce
16 oz. chicken (cut into bite sized pieces)

1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoon ginger (minced)

1 clove garlic (minced)
4 green onions (chopped)
2 handfuls cilantro (chopped)

1 tablespoon sesame seeds (toasted)

Mix the first six ingredients in a bowl. Place the chicken into mixture and marinate for 10 minutes. Heat the oil in a pan. Add ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute. Add the chicken reserving the marinade (use a slotted spoon). Saute chicken until cooked, about 3-5 minutes. Add the reserved marinade and simmer until the sauce has reduced and thickened, about 7-10 minutes. Add the green onion and cilantro, stir for 1 minute and remove from heat. Serve on rice, and top with sesame seeds. I served it over Aggie's Kitchen Cilantro Rice – a recipe of hers I’ve been wanting to make! Recipe below makes 4 servings.

1 cup Basmati rice, uncooked
2 cups cold water
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp olive oil
large handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
2-3 green onions, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Combine rice and water in a large microwavable covered dish. Add a small drizzle of olive oil and garlic to rice. Place in microwave and cook for 18 minutes. Do not take off lid during cooking process. Once it is cooked, fluff rice with a fork and taste for doneness. (If at this time it's not cooked well enough - it should be - just add a small amount of water and cook for a few more minutes) Toss in chopped cilantro, green onions, salt and pepper. Stir.

Nutritional Information: 359 calories, 6 fat grams, 44 carbs and 30 protein grams.

Review: SUCH a delicious meal! Very light but super flavorful. Next time I may make more chicken, or serve it with a soup or something (just to get the calories up closer to 400 or 450).