Valentine's Day Dinner...

I think that people forget that Valentine's Day doesn't have to be about expensive gifts.  It's a Hallmark holiday.  The most important thing is that you show your loved ones that you LOVE them.  What better way to show someone you love them than through their stomach?  So tonight's dinner?  Pan-fried noodles with stir-fried chicken and peppers.  The amazing thing about this meal is... it was done in a half hour-with all prep work included.  Want to know how I did it?  Lehgggooooo!!!!


Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, cut into small strips
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1 green pepper, cut into strips
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
2 celery stalks, chopped at an angle
1 cup of frozen peas
1 medium onion, sliced
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp. of low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. of sesame oil
2 tbsp. of olive oil
1 tsp of cornstarch mixed with one cup of cold water
salt and pepper to taste
1 package of capellini (or angel hair pasta) if that's what you have.
3 scallion stalks, chopped on an angle

Soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, and pepper

Capellini

Chicken, peas, peppers, onions, garlic, scallions, celery

Heat olive oil on high in a large pan on high.  Add chicken and brown (about 2 minutes).  Once browned, add in your onions, peppers, celery and garlic.  Add in your salt, pepper, soy sauce and sesame oil for flavor.  Then add your frozen peas.  Once your veggies have had an chance to cook, pull the mixture off the heat and add in the cornstarch/water mixture.  Place the mixture back on the heat, and bring to a simmer.  Allow sauce to thicken.

Browning Chicken

Adding peppers, celery, onions and garlic

The Finished Stirfry

While you are doing this, cook your capellini just shy of the package directions.  Drain.  Heat a non-stick pan on high heat.  Take your cooked capellini and put into hot pan.  What you are looking for here is browning on one side.  This usually takes about 4-5 minutes.

Browning the noodles

Here's the tricky part.  You want to flip this noodle "cake" so it can brown on the other side.  Here's another trick I learned via Food Network.  Cover the pan with a plate.  Flip the noodles onto the plate and then slide the noodles back into the pan, the non-browned side down in the pan.  Allow to cook for another 5 minutes, until browned.

The Flip!

Put the pan-fried noodles on a large serving platter.  Top with your stirfry... and top the stirfry with the chopped scallions...  and BAM!  Pan-Fried Noodles! 

The Finished Product

The great thing about this dish is that it's so flavorful, with a variety of tastes and textures.  You have the crunch from the veggies, the velvet sauce that is created from the cornstarch mixture, the light crunch of the pan-fried noodles.  I hate to say it, but it's like a party in your mouth!  And... it happens so quickly... it really does.  You'd be surprised.

E ready to DIG IN!

Happy Valentine's Day, all... enjoy it.  Hug and Kiss your loved ones.

Onward and Upward,

-Vince

P.S.  Have you guys noticed that this is the first thing that is remotely Asian that I've made so far?  Trust me... there will be more... I am the Filipino Foodie afterall.