Peanut-chicken stir -fry

I am always looking for something new and different and this recipe from the latest issue of Cooks Illustrated fits the bill. My kids really liked this meal, a peanut chicken stir-fry served over fried noodles. My son told me over and over again how good it was. Even my two younger ones ate more than usual. They were a little suspicious of the noodle cake, but loved the stir fry.

 I thought it was the perfect combination of crunchiness and nice flavors. I made the stir fry more kid friendly by eliminating the 2 Serrano chilies the original recipe called for, and substituted with mild red bell pepper instead. I cut down slightly on the garlic and finely chopped the ginger to make it less noticeable. I would say it was a success. This stir-fry would be great over any kind of rice too, but I highly recommend trying the noodle cake. It is just a more unique way of serving a stir- fry.

Peanut-chicken stir-fry
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 boneless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds),

cut into 1/4 inch slices

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons Chinese rice cooking wine

3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 small piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, sliced thin

1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped

2 scallions (green onions), sliced thin

Toss chicken with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 tablespoon rice wine and marinate for ten minutes.
Whisk remaining soy sauce and rice wine, broth, and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet over high heat. Cook half of chicken until lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with a little more oil and remaining chicken. Transfer to your bowl. Keep warm. Add remaining oil, peppers, ginger, garlic and peanuts to skillet and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Return chicken and any reserved juices to skillet. Stir in sauce mixture and cook until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes.Sprinkle with scallions