A quick, inexpensive, and nutritious recipe with leftover chicken noodles and sweet and sour ginger
I'm now working on four crucial chapters for my dissertation, which must be finished within the next six months. This leaves little time for exploration and cooking.
When was the last time I tasted a brand-new dish? But for the past few weeks, I have consistently created the same dish: a chicken noodle dish with sweet and sour ginger. I feel like I've nailed this recipe, with a few little adjustments here and there. It took me 30 minutes to make, giving me a much-needed respite from all the reading and writing.
I prepared this meal in three phases during this 30-minute break. In this post, I'll explain how I prepared it as well as some culinary advice. It is by no means groundbreaking or healthful, but it is very quick and simple to make—not to mention quite inexpensive!
I'll be making this meal in these three simple stages, so please follow along.
Ingredients/Recipe
I'm confident you can get the basic, affordable ingredients I used in this recipe in any grocery shop. I used the following primary ingredients:
leftover chicken, two-minute noodles, ginger, onion, zucchini, green pepper, broccoli, and broccoli stem.
For the quick and simple sauce, I used:
Vinegar, soy sauce, lemon juice, and two tablespoons of sugar.
The Three-Step Method
The recipe just calls for three simple steps, as stated. I cook the noodles, combine the sauce, and then finish cooking the entire meal.
Make the sauce in the first step.
The sauce is quite straightforward and may serve as a simple foundation for other, more sophisticated sauces.
I combine two tablespoons of sugar with vinegar, soy sauce, and lemon juice. In order for the sugar to dissolve, I placed it aside.
Prepare the Noodles
For more than 15 years, I have been making two-minute noodles in the same manner. I believe I began when I was 10 or 11 years old. I believe I have mastered the technique of making two-minute noodles to my preferences. This does not imply that this is the best or only method for cooking noodles for everyone. In no way. Simply said, this is how I prepare them and how I fell in love with them.
I begin by covering the broken-up noodles in a microwave-safe dish with just enough boiling water to cover them.
Depending on your microwave, I microwave the noodles for roughly 2 minutes while giving them a fast toss. I reheat them in the microwave for a further 30 seconds. I should have termed it "three-minute noodles," it's funny!
They are flawless! That's my opinion, at least. The edges are somewhat browned, the sauce is rich, and they are sticky.
Cook the dish in the third step.
We may start cooking the meal now that the noodles and sauce have been prepared!
I start chopping the veggies. I made quasi-julienne strips out of them. With the noodles, this results in the ideal form. I've tried using cubes and smaller bits, but those efforts failed. I make an effort to make each item the same size. The secret will be to cook the veggies just long enough for them to sear in the hot oil without becoming overdone and mushy. I favor and enjoy crisp, scorched veggies.
They go into a wok with very hot oil while I do this. Some of the vegetables might potentially "burn" due to the pan's early heat. I simply add the onion, ginger, broccoli stem, and green pepper at this point.
I add the zucchini and broccoli once these vegetables have begun to brown. This is cooked for less a minute.
The cooked noodles are then added. Be careful since they frequently adhere to the hot pan's bottom.
I add the sauce to the meal to complete it. To allow the sauce to somewhat caramelize as well, the pan should still be kept at a high temperature. When using non-stick pans, utilize caution. Cleaning up sugar that has burned to the pan is a nightmare.
Eat and Be Merry!
The meal is finished! Making this meal is really simple and quick. Furthermore, it tastes fantastic! But delicious does not always mean healthy. However, it doesn't have to be pricey to be delicious. Making this meal is quite affordable.
And if I could quickly calculate the cost of production, it would be less than $1.5 dollars. Nearly R20 is equal to one USD in my currency. The remaining chicken will be the most costly, but because I used so little of it, it won't cost more than R10. The noodles, veggies, sauces, and sugar are all less than R5 because we purchase them in bulk. It will cost between $0.5-0.8 per serving if you additionally account for the fact that it yields two servings, which is in my opinion very reasonable.
However, this cuisine is not the healthiest ever. More veggies might be used in place of the noodles. There was no need to add the noodles; I could have substituted some carrots and even some pineapple. This can also be made vegan, vegetarian, or plant-based. Overall, I find that this is a lovely, simple dish that may be artistically embellished to make it more intriguing. Consider a coconut foundation with fennel bulb, pineapple, or even simply lemon grass in it! The options are truly limitless. So please play with me and make this dish your own! In the end, cooking is all about trying new things.
I sincerely hope you liked the recipe. Have you carried out similar actions? Enjoy your cooking and remain healthy!
The recipe in this post is one I came up with on my own; it essentially combines various things I've done over the years. I also took each of the images used using my iPhone.
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