Nutty Asian Chicken Over Noodles

This dish is VERY fast to put together if you have cooked chicken on hand (see my previous post for Plum-Marinated Chicken). This is the first time I have had cellophane noodles, and they have a quite different texture from angel-hair pasta. I’m sure angel-hair pasta would be a fine substitute if you prefer a “normal” pasta texture. We really enjoyed this dish!

8 ounces cellophane noodles (also called bean thread or glass noodles)
1 cup frozen green peas
1 ½ cups chicken broth
1/3 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons ponzu sauce (a citrus-soy sauce blend) or soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
4 reserved cooked chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips (or 4 cups cooked chicken pieces or strips)
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup roasted cashews, whole or chopped
1/3 cup roasted macadamia nuts, chopped

Soak the cellophane noodles and green peas in enough hot water to cover for 10 minutes, until the noodles soften and become transparent and the peas have thawed. Drain, transfer both to a large bowl, and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, whisk together the chicken broth, peanut butter, ponzu sauce, and sesame oil. Set the pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to heat through.

Remove from the heat, pour the mixture over the noodles and peas and toss to combine. Top the noodles with the cilantro, cashews, and macadamia nuts just before serving.

Serves 4.