So I hope that this resolution will stick. I have been sick as a dog and stuck in bed, so I was able to get a jump start on this resolution by perusing some old issues of Cooks Illustrated as well as log many hours of Food Network time. So, here it is below. I must say that not only does it sound great, but when I went to the grocery store this afternoon, my bill was just over $50. Now, $50 for me, is amazing! Generally I can’t walk into a grocery store without leaving with at least $100 of loot, so this just might be an economical resolution as well…Bravern here I come! For those of you not in the Seattle area, the Bravern is an amazing new shopping establishment complete with a Neiman Marcus, Sur La Table, Louis Vuitton and Anthropologie.

OK, so enough with the rambling, here is the weeks menu:

Tuesday, December 29th: Sesame Noodles with Shredded Chicken
Wednesday, December 30th: Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Red Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
Thursday, December 31st: HAPPY NEW YEAR! We are partying with friends tonight!
Friday, January 1st: Black Bean and Chorizo Enfrijoladas
Saturday, January 2nd: Prawn Gratin with Angel Hair Pasta
Sunday, January 3rd: Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Orzo and Green Beans

So, last night I made the Sesame Noodles with Shredded Chicken. It was good, however in my case I used fresh, Chinese noodles I found in my produce section and the texture was mushy. Next time I will stick with regular spaghetti noodles as I think they will hold their shape better. Other than that, I would definitely make this again. It is an easy one dish meal, very easy to prepare and has a decent amount of vegetables.

Sesame Noodles with Shredded Chicken
(Please note that this recipe is made to be enough for two people. If you want to make it for more, I would double it.)

Ingredients

Sauce
2 ½ T. soy sauce
1 t. sesame seeds
2 T. peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
1 T. rice wine vinegar
1 T. light brown sugar
1 ½ t. grated, fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
½ t. hot sauce
Hot water

Noodles
1 8 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1/3 lb. dried spaghetti
1 T. toasted sesame oil
½ red bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced into thin strips
1 carrot, grated
2 scallions, sliced thin
1 T. chopped, fresh cilantro

1. Blend all Sauce ingredients until smooth. Add hot water 1 T. at a time until the sauce has the consistence of heavy cream. (I used 2 T. of water for this.)
2. Cook noodles according to package directions
3. When noodles are cooked, transfer to a bowl and toss with sesame oil.
4. Add bell pepper, carrot, scallions, chicken and sauce to the pasta and toss.
5. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Enjoy!