Circle B Kitchen
What we have here is a basic template for some very scrumptious Asian noodles. The point of this "recipe" is that after you make it a couple of times, you can ditch the recipe altogether and throw this together in a jiff from ingredients you have on hand. I do recommend that you make our super easy Asian sauce and keep a jar of it on hand in the fridge. It makes a great sauce and/or marinade for grilled meats and chicken and doubles as an awesome dipping sauce for potstickers, dumplings and spring rolls. If you can't get your hands on rice noodles, fettuccine or spaghetti would be decent stand-ins.
The Ingredients...
Rice noodles - 8 oz feeds 4 peeps. I prefer Annie Chun's because they're not cut. The most common rice noodles in most stores are the Thai Kitchen variety but they're cut short and that bugs me.
Veg - 4-5 cups of cooked veggies will do for 4 peeps. No need to measure, just grab what you've got, steam or boil briefly to get them mostly cooked through. I like to use broccoli, snap peas, carrots, zucchini, snow peas, red peppers and the like. Leftover cooked veggies are awesome here.
Protein - You don't have to add a protein if you not inclined to do so. But shrimp, salmon, tofu, beef and chicken all work well here. 3/4 lb will do for 4, but add more or less as you please. Cut your chicken, salmon or tofu into 1-inch chunks. Medium shrimp are fine.
Sauce - I always keep a jar of my basic Asian Sauce in the fridge for these moments, It comes in handy for grilled meats and makes a great dipping sauce too. But you could also use a store-bought sauce if you prefer.
Condiments - I usually chop a couple of green onions and some cilantro and/or chopped peanuts to sprinkle over the top for serving. Again, quite optional.
The Method...
1. If you have the time, place your chicken, salmon or tofu in some of the Asian Sauce to marinate for a bit before you begin. It's totally fine if you skip this.
2. Fill a large bowl with very hot water and submerge your rice noodles in there. Soak them for 8 minutes, then drain and rinse them. Unlike regular pasta, they can sit in your strainer for 30 minutes without getting all sticky.
3. While your noodles soak, heat a 10 or 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat and add 2-3 tablespoons of veg oil (I use grapeseed oil) to the pan. Add your meat, if using, sprinkle well with salt and pepper if you didn't marinate it, and saute until cooked through. This usually only takes about 5-6 minutes and even less for shrimp. Once cooked, remove said meat from the pan, place in a bowl or plate and set aside.
4. Add another tablespoon or so of oil to the pan and quickly saute your veggies for a couple of minutes and then throw in your noodles and enough sauce to coat them nicely. Add your meat or tofu back in and mix everything together really well, adding a little more sauce if needed. Top with chopped cilantro, peanuts, and/or chopped scallions if you like.