Kung Pao Style Ramen Noodles

Who love Ramen Noodles?  I know I do!  I use to eat it everyday after school when I was younger, it was soo good.  But, now I never allow to eat it, unless I'm sick, and then I have an excuse! :)  I know some of ya'll are thinking, "How discusting!"  Right?  Well, that's fine, it might be.  So, when I found this recipe that used the actual noodles from Ramen Noodles, I thought I'd give it a try!  It's Kicked Up Ramen Noodles-Kung Pao Style!  It actually took a little longer than I was expecting, but really what was I expecting, 5 minutes like normal Ramen?  It probably took about 30 minutes from start to finish, and that's w/ me chopping, frying and stirring constantly.  It was actually pretty good!  It had a kick to it, which I appreciated.  One thing I did not like was that the noodles got soggy, but that's my husbands fault, he got home from work late so I let it sit on the stove for an extra 30 minutes warming.  I rate this dish a 3.5!

Looks pretty dang good huh?

All the ingredients.

Salt and pepper cubed chicken and saute.

Saute red peppers and peanuts.

Then finally saute red pepper flakes and garlic.

Add in chicken broth and Ramen noodles.

Mix in hoisin sauce, rice vinigar and sesame oil.  Don't be scared of these ingredients, if you don't have them.  They last forever and you will be asked them again in several other Asian recipes.  Don't ever be scared away from recipes b/c of ingredients you don't have, buy them and find other recipes to use them in!

Finally mix in the previous ingredients and warm.  Let thicken and serve.

Top off w/ scallions (chopped green onions).  I served w/ a side of egg rolls.  Yum!

Kung Pao Style Ramen Noodles

Note: The sauce in this dish may seem a bit brothy when finished, but the liquid will be quickly absorbed by the noodles when serving.

*Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2-3), cubed
1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced thin
1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (I used 1 t. dried ginger)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (add more if you want more heat)
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 (3-ounce) package Ramon noodles, discard seasoning packets
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
4 scallions (green onions), sliced thin

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil over medium to medium-high heat until it is hot and rippling. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Add the cubed chicken to the pan in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Remove the chicken to a medium bowl.

Add the last tablespoon of oil to the skillet and heat until hot and rippling. Add the red bell pepper and the peanuts and cook until the pepper is softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the mixture into the bowl with the chicken, trying to leave as much oil as possible behind in the skillet.

Add the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes to the remaining oil in the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds to 1 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth. Break the bricks of ramen into small chunks and add them to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, tossing the ramen constantly with tongs to separate, until ramen is just tender but there is still a bit of liquid in the pan, about 2-4 minutes.

Stir in the hoisin sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil and continue to simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken, peppers and peanuts. Sprinkle with green onions before serving.  Enjoy!