Fiery Thai Noodle Bowl with Crispy Chicken Thighs

I think this would better be called Boring Noodles and Chicken Bowl.  Nothing fiery about it.  And if you don't have a butcher in your grocery store, good luck finding boneless chicken thighs with skin.

Basically this was food to eat after a run.  It was bland. It was disappointing.  It is something we won't be having again.

Fiery Thai Noodle Bowl with Crispy Chicken Thighs

Using the cilantro stems for the base of the sauce (instead of throwing them in the trash) is a flavorful way to stretch a buck or two. If you can't find skin-on boneless chicken thighs, purchase bone-in and bone them yourself or have the butcher do so.
Yield: Serves 4
Hands-on:30 Minutes
Total:30 Minutes

Ingredients
4 (4-ounce) skin-on, boneless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 ounces uncooked rice vermicelli
1 1/2 cups cilantro stems (about 1 bunch)
1/4 cup no-salt-added chicken stock (such as Swanson)
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves
2 fresh Thai chiles
1 1/4 cups chopped yellow squash (about 1 medium)
6 ounces baby bok choy, halved and sliced
1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce
8 lime wedges

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Heat a large stainless steel skillet over high heat. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken, skin side down; cook 3 minutes or until skin begins to brown. Remove chicken from pan. Pour oil into a small bowl; reserve oil. Return chicken to pan, skin side down. Place pan in oven; bake chicken at 425° for 4 minutes. Turn chicken over, skin side up, and bake an additional 2 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan; place on a cutting board. Let chicken stand, skin side up, 10 minutes. Cut chicken into slices; keep warm.

3. Cook the noodles according to package directions, and drain. Sprinkle noodles with 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss well to combine.

4. Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, cilantro, and next 5 ingredients (through chiles) in a food processor, and process until well blended.

5. Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add reserved oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add squash, bok choy, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; sauté for 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Stir in soy sauce. Divide noodle mixture evenly among 4 bowls. Top each serving with 1/2 cup squash mixture, 1 chicken thigh, and 2 lime wedges. Drizzle the sauce evenly over servings.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 320; Fat: 13.5g; Saturated fat: 3g; Monounsaturated fat: 6.1g; Polyunsaturated fat: 3.2g; Protein: 19.9g; Carbohydrate: 28.8g; Fiber: 2g; Cholesterol: 59mg; Iron: 2.7mg; Sodium: 669mg; Calcium: 81mg

Cooking Light SEPTEMBER 2012