Teriyaki Udon With Beef or Chicken Bowl

Have all ingredients chopped and ready prior to cooking. Also, try chopping the vegetables uniformly for an even cook. From Maureen Fraîche at wordpress.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 25 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1  lb chicken tenderloins or 1  lb  flank steak
• 1 1⁄3 cups  teriyaki sauce, divided
• 2  tablespoons  peanut oil or 2  tablespoons canola oil
• 2  carrots, sliced thin on the bias
• 1  cup  small broccoli floret
• 2  celery ribs, sliced on the bias
• 1  medium onion, sliced
• 1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
• 2  green onions, sliced on the bias
• 8  ounces  japanese udon noodles or 8  ounces  thin spaghetti

Directions

1. Combine chicken or steak with 2/3 cup teriyaki sauce and marinate for 3 hours in the refrigerator. If using flank steak, shallowly score one side with a knife to allow a bit more flavor to penetrate the meat.
2. Remove meat from the marinade and heat a grill pan or skillet with a medium-high flame. Once heated, add either the chicken or beef and grill/cook until cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees (for the chicken) or to desired level of doneness (for the beef). Once done, remove from the heat to a plate and then tent with foil. Set aside.
3. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet until the oil is shimmering. Add the carrots and broccoli and stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes. Add the celery and onion and stir-fry for another 2 minutes. Next, add the water chestnuts, garlic and ginger. Stir-fry until the veggies are crisp tender.
4. Meanwhile, put on a large pot of water to boil and cook the udon noodles according to the package’s instructions (al dente). Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water and then drain and rinse the udon under cold water to remove gumminess.
5. Add the noodles to the hot skillet along with the remaining 2/3 cup teriyaki sauce and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Reduce heat to medium and start tossing the udon, vegetables and sauce together.
6. Simmer for a minute. If you’re serving flank steak, take this moment to slice it thinly. You can either add the flank steak/chicken directly to the pan and toss or else dish up the udon and top with grilled steak or chicken. Serve in bowls and garnish with green onions.