Chicken and Noodle Stir-fry

INGREDIENTS

• 12 oz (350g) fresh Asian egg noodles or fresh fettuccine
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• ½ red, green, and yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 4 oz (115g) shiitake mushrooms, quartered
• 1 tbsp peeled and shredded fresh ginger
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• Few drops of Asian sesame oil
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds, for garnish

Special equipment:

• Wok or large frying pan

Directions

1. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles about 2 minutes, until barely tender. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Toss with 1 tbsp oil.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a wok over high heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add the peppers, mushrooms, and ginger to the wok and stir-fry for 3 minutes.
3. Mix together the chicken stock, ketchup, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Return the chicken to the wok, add the noodles, and pour in the stock mixture. Stir-fry for 3 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Just before serving, drizzle with the sesame oil and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
Variation: Vegetable and Noodle Stir-fry
Replace the peppers with 1 cup small broccoli florets, 1 sliced yellow squash, and 4 cherry tomatoes, halved. Add the broccoli and yellow squash with the ginger but add the tomatoes during the last minute of cook. Sliced onion, added with the broccoli, is also good.