Build your own noodle bowl

When I go grocery shopping, I try to have a plan. But sometimes I come up short, and come home with a seemingly random mix of food items, and it's hard to put together a meal. After searching for the perfect recipe for chicken, bean sprouts, Thai basil, and cucumbers, I decided to go rogue and do a twist on a chicken vermicelli bowl, or Bun Ga Nuong.  Usually, you use shallots, lemongrass, peanuts, mint, and iceberg lettuce.  But I swapped those items for red onion, Thai basil, and fancy lettuce mix. And we just went without the peanuts and lemongrass, but it was still very tasty. My favorite part of this meal is putting assembling the bowl!

Platter of goodies

 "Make your own noodle bowl"

Chicken:

• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, plus 1 extra for pan (I used sunflower)
• Juice of 2 limes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 fresh red Thai chili pepper, minced (not seeded)
• 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders
• 1/2 onion, chopped 

Dressing:

• 4 ounces water
• Handful of shredded carrot
• 1 ounce lime juice 
• 2 ounces fish sauce 
• 1 ounce sugar 
• 1 teaspoon crushed garlic 
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (don't use olive oil or the taste will overpower the dressing)

Other ingredients:

• Cooked vermicelli (rice stick) noodles (8 oz or so)
• 1 cucumber chopped and seeded
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 bunch Thai basil or mint
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 carrot, julienned
• Thai chili pepper, chopped (if you like spicy food)
• Crushed peanuts
• Lime wedges
• 2 cups of leaf lettuce

Directions:

1. Mix first six chicken ingredients together, and pour over chicken in a non-reactive bowl. Marinade preferably for at least an hour.
2. Mix ingredients for dressing together, and set aside.
3. Prepare the vermicelli noodles, if desired.

4. Heat a grill pan or large frying pan over medium-high heat, and add 1 tablespoon of oil.
5. Saute the onions until soft, then add the chicken and discard the marinade.
6. Grill/fry until the chicken is cooked through.
7. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
7.  Assemble the bowls: add lettuce, vermicelli, chicken, and other ingredients together. Then add the dressing.

Notes: I recommend marinating the chicken as long as possible. I made the dish without any marinade time, but I guarantee it will be even better if you do.