Lemongrass Chicken Udon

Lemongrass Chicken Udon

Tonights tasty delight is a continuation from my visit to the Asian market. I couldn't resist the wonderful udon noodles and decided to try a new spice - lemongrass. Lemongrass originates from Asia and Southeast Asia and is a very common ingredient in Thai cooking. It is a long bamboo like stalk which you peel away the outer layers to unveil a pinkish, white interior that you finely chop and add to many different dishes. It has a very mellow lemon flavor that is much more subtle than lemon juice. Udon noodles are native to Japanese cooking. Very rustic, fat, squiggly noodles made from wheat flour and water. They are commonly served in a soup like dish with vegetables, chicken, shrimp etc. I combined both of these ingredients to create a stir-fry like dish with tons of fresh vegetables including carrots, bok choy, scallions, broccoli, and mushrooms. Cilantro is also common in Thai cooking, so I combined it with the lemongrass and ginger to create a really fresh taste. Feel free to use pork, beef or tofu in place of the chicken.

origin - lisa lou
difficulty - easy
health meter - high due to low fat, high vitamins/minerals, and relatively low calories
*low is unhealthy, high is healthy!

marinade/sauce
1 stalk lemongrass finely chopped and smashed with a mortar/pestle or food processor
1 large handful chopped cilantro
1 large shallot finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh ginger grated
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
dash of red pepper flakes
3-4 chicken breasts sliced
1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp corn starch
fresh udon noodles - find at Asian market (you could substitute other types of noodles, but won't get the same 'effect')

vegetables *use any combination and amount based on your preference
bok choy sliced
mushrooms thinly sliced
scallions sliced on the diagonal
carrots julienned
broccoli cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Combine first 8 ingredients and use 1/3 of it to marinate the sliced chicken in for 1-2 hours and reserve the remaining for the sauce. Boil a large pot of water and par cook the broccoli and carrots for 3 minutes and remove. Using the same water, boil the udon noodles for approximately 5 minutes and drain. In a heavy skillet, heat oil over medium high heat and stir fry the chicken until cooked through, adding the mushrooms at the last few minutes of cooking. Next add bok choy and scallions and cook for 2-3 minutes until the bok choy begins to wilt. Stir in the broccoli and carrots. In a separate bowl combine the chicken broth and corn starch. Add the reserved marinade to the chicken mixture and stir. Lastly add the chicken broth/corn starch mixture to slightly thicken the sauce. Garnish with additional chopped cilantro and serve. I also like to add chopped cashews at the end!