A few years ago McDonald’s had some delicious signature wraps on their menu. Tim and I loved the Sweet Chili Chicken Wraps. Sadly, at least in our neck of the woods these are no longer available. Sweet Chili Sauce came from the hope of replicating that recipe.
Sweet Chili Sauce turned out perfect! Just the right amount of sweet vs. heat. Confession….I have not tried the wrap…..yet. Long story short, my attention was diverted to pizza…….and well, that’s in the next post, stay tuned!!
Living in as I commonly call it “Hooterville” (if you are of certain age you will understand the reference), but sometimes it’s hard to find certain items in the cooking realm. Hence my skill at improvising. Red pepper flakes were a perfect substitute for Tai Chili Peppers.
I know, I know…Amazon, but again living in Hooterville, same day delivery….LOL. And I wanted to make this recipe right now!!!
Red pepper flakes, spicy….check…….how about sweet??? Honey of course, syrupy, and sweet, plus better for you than sugar. Rice wine vinegar for an acid, garlic, and the surprise ingredient….ketchup.
Wanting the sauce to be a bit more red in color than traditional Sweet Chili Sauce, a touch of ketchup did the trick, plus it added a something in the background taste that will leave them wondering.
A slurry of cornstarch and water to thicken and you have a delicious sauce to dip any finger food in. Pour it over chicken or seafood and cook for a sweet, spicy sauce, for use as a marinade.
Anyway you chose Sweet Chili Sauce is your new go too sauce…….I better get to creating those wraps….future post!!???
It’s the weekend…..oh hum……a rainy weekend at that……..lets cook!! Asian Veggie Noodle Bowl is good today, and tomorrow, and the day after that!
I adapted this recipe from Southern Living, it looked so good I had to try it. Plus, noodle bowls are all the rage and we just stay current!!
Good warm, room temp, or cold, this is really an awesome dish. You can eat it today…..and by the way, I couldn’t quit eating it, so I had to put it away…..no self control!
I did put some in a container for work on Monday. Now, contrary to popular belief, I think our school lunches are awesome, but they are geared for kids, so I pack a lunch sometimes.
This is one of those times. I love, love, love asian food. This noodle bowl is the perfect blend of all of my favorite things.
Rice noodles are fool proof, just cover them with boiling water and let them set……what could be easier?
The sauce is a mixture of soy, rice wine vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and sweet chili sauce. It is slightly spicy and the sesame oil with it’s rich amber color and distinctive nutty flavor, gives the noodle bowl that Asian flavor I love so much. The black sesame seeds give it a hint of color, but if you cannot find them toasted sesame seeds will work just as well.
All the veggies give a crispy freshness to the bowl, and make it a pretty bowl and make its pretty healthy. Vegetarian if you will……
Need a dish today and lunch tomorrow? Try Asian Veggie Noodle Bowl …….and sing the Asian Veggie Noodle Bowl praises !
1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and drained
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup sugar snap peas. sliced
1/3 cup finely chopped green onions
Black sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
Whisk together first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl; set aside.
Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and place in a large bowl.
Pour vinegar mixture over hot cooked noodles. Toss to combine. Add vegetables, toss to combine. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired. Serve hot or cold.
