Spicy Baked Yam Fries

Fries hold a very special place in my heart. Right next to chips and instant noodles. Mmm unhealthy, salt-laden delights... And so my mission to create healthier alternatives continues! 

Yams are an excellent source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium and manganese, and in my opinion, best eaten along with a generous assortment of spices. Spices which are high in iron (cumin) and Vitamin A (paprika), also contribute to the nutritional value of these yam fries. This recipe is quick in prep-time and only takes 35min to bake. Serve hot out of the oven with ketchup, and try a few good shakes of Frank's hot sauce on the ketchup if you're looking for extra kick! 

Makes 2 sides

• 2 medium red skinned yams
• 1 tsp ground cumin*
• 1/2 tsp chili powder*
• 1/4 tsp seasoning salt*
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper*
• 1/4 tsp paprika*
• 1/4 tsp cajun*
• pinch chili pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp olive oil

*Spice generously! I use heaping portions for the above spice measurements. 

Preheat oven at 425°. 

Peel, then slice yams into long and skinny sticks. Place sliced yams into a plastic bag or large zip-lock.

Combine spices and olive oil in a small bowl. Mix well. Add spice paste to bag and toss, massaging bag to coat yams evenly. 

Arrange onto baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. 

Bake 35min. 

Yam fries cool quickly, so serve immediately out of the oven. Try a few good shakes of Frank's hot sauce on ketchup if you're looking for extra kick in the dippin!

Oven Roasted Cauliflower with Sumac & Tarragon

Cauliflower never got much love in this home, mainly because a whole head always seemed way too big for just the two of us. But knowing how extremely high in fibre, vitamin C, and anti-oxidants, among other nutrients this bulky bland looking vegetable is, I decided to give it a whirl about a week ago (also, it was ridiculously on sale). I chopped the head up into florets and tossed it into the grill basket with some seasoning salt, paprika and chili powder, and 30min later, I was amazed by the amount of smoky flavor these perfectly crisp on the outside, yet soft in the middle, spice sponges had soaked up! I could eat these things like they were chips (me and chips go waaaaay back)!


And so, my love affair with cauliflower continues! Since my parents just bought me a new baking pan, oven-roasting  cauliflower seemed the next logical experiment! Our patio potted limequats (cross between key lime and kumquat) also bore two tiny yellow fruits that were ripe for the picking, so these were plucked for flavoring. It makes sense that most of you will not have a pot of limequats conveniently at hand, so a wedge of lemon will also do the trick!

Serves 4

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 large carrot
• 1 lemon wedge (or 2 limequats!)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 tsp tarragon
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp sumac

Preheat oven to 385.

Wash and pat cauliflower dry. Trim leaves then slice into bite-size florets. Set aside in large bowl/pot. 

Peel carrot and chop into bite-size wedges. Place in large bowl/pot with cauliflower. 

Slice and de-seed the lemon/limequats. Squeeze juice over cauliflower and carrots. 

Measure out olive oil and drizzle over veg. Toss to coat. 

Add all seasonings and toss again to evenly distribute. 

Arrange so that everything sits in one layer directly on baking pan (tin foil and/or cooking spray are not required). Bake for 30min and serve immediately as a simple, nutritious and delicious side dish!

Slow Cooker Chicken & Spicy Sausage Chili

The thick clouds and their misty mirrored reflection on the lagoon this morning seemed to signify the beginning of autumn, and the perfect time to dig the slow cooker out from the back of the kitchen cupboards. Even through the grey, you could tell the sun was struggling to break through, and it's not quite time yet for a hearty winter beef recipe, so I decided to attempt my first ever chicken chili. 

Meet Deuce. How Brian came to name our slow cooker really isn't the kind of story that's appropriate for a recipe post, so I'll refrain.. but I'm sure you can put two and two together! (pun intended;)

Serves 4-6

• 2 Saag's 'Atomic Hot' naturally smoked extra spicy sausage (170gr total) - feel free to substitute with any other smoked sausage!
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 red jalapeño
• 1 serrano pepper
• 1 onion
• 1/2 bell pepper 
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 (14.5oz) can diced tomato
• 1 (15oz) can dark red kidney beans
• 1 (15oz) can white beans
• enough medium roasted tomato salsa to fill 3/4 of a 15oz can
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 cup coke zero
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

Quarter sausage lengthwise, then slice roughly into 1cm pieces. Set aside in non-stick pan. 

Peel and mince garlic, then add to non-stick pan. 

Mince jalapeño and serrano peppers together (remove seeds if you're not a fan of heat - I kept the seeds for extra kick). Add to non-stick pan.

Roughly chop onion and add to non-stick pan. Stir to combine, and without adding any oil, cook for 5min over med-high heat. 

In the meantime, clean and seed bell pepper. Chop about half (or more if you like), then place in slow cooker. 

Add frozen corn and canned tomatoes (liquid included) to slow cooker.  

Drain and rinse both cans of beans, then add to slow cooker. 

Fill one of the emptied cans 3/4 full with medium roasted tomato salsa. Add to slow cooker. 

After cooking sausage mixture and softening the onion for 5min, remove from heat and add to slow cooker. 

Add all seasonings to slow-cooker, along with 1/2 cup of coke zero. Stir to combine chili ingredients. 

shredded chicken breast

Trim any fat off chicken breast, then place on top of chili mixture. 

Cover and set on low for for 8hrs. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the warm, spicy smells wafting in from the kitchen til the 7-1/2hr mark, then shred the chicken breast with 2 forks and stir into chili before covering with lid again for the remaining half hour. 

Serve all on its own or with some crusty bread.

Asian Quinoa Salad (2) with Savoury Grilled Chicken

My second attempt at quinoa salad with an Asian vibe! First recipe included mango so it tasted a bit sweeter than I normally prefer. This time around, the salad is mango-less, but has the added crunch of water chestnuts and the more subtle sweetness of corn! 

Yield:  2 dinners with chicken and 2 meatless lunches

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• Chicken marinade: 



• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp bombay curry powder
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper 
• 1/4 tsp garlic parsley salt
• 1.5 cups quinoa (3 cups, less 2 tbsp, water)

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 inch section fresh ginger
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 cup frozen corn 
• 25 snow peas
• top half of a bunch of green onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 can whole water chestnuts (net wt 8oz, dr wt 5oz)
• 1/3 cup Litehouse toasted sesame ginger dressing (fat-free)

((I prefer to marinade the chicken and cook the quinoa well in advance to allow the flavor to soak into the chicken, and the quinoa to cool))

Trim any fat off chicken breast and slice lengthwise to create 2 chicken breast halves. Marinade with seasoning, and set aside in fridge. 

Bring water, quinoa, soy sauce, ground coriander, salt and bay leaf to a boil in a medium pot over high heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce to low and cover for 15min. Remove from heat, let stand 5 min, fluff, and let cool to room temp. Place quinoa in large salad bowl with plastic wrap to keep fresh. 

stripped snow peas

Closer to mealtime, wash and prepare the remaining ingredients. Start by mincing the garlic and fresh ginger. Add to salad bowl. 

Heat a small non-stick pan at high. Add sesame seeds (no oil) and let toast, tossing or stirring occasionally, for 1-2min or until they start to pop. Add to salad bowl. 

Squeeze 1/2-1 lime (need 2 tbsp). Add to salad bowl and toss with quinoa, garlic, ginger and toasted sesame.

Measure out 1 cup of frozen corn and set aside to thaw. 

With the snow peas, this next step has been firmly ingrained in me thanks to years of helping my mom out in the kitchen... (feel free to skip this step if you don't mind a bit of chewy toughness in your snow peas). Instead of just trimming the ends, she taught me to take each of the ends and strip them down so the tough stringy parts on each side of the peas are removed. Slice each snow pea into 4 pieces and add to salad bowl.

Dice the green half of a bunch of green onion and add to salad bowl. 

Peel then shred carrot, using a medium grater slot. Add to salad bowl. 

Drain liquid from the can of whole water chestnuts. Dice each whole water chestnut into 4-6 pieces (about the size of the frozen corn kernels). Add to salad bowl. 

Add corn to salad bowl. Toss everything with salad dressing. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving. 

To cook the chicken, I use a 2-sided grill (like a George Foreman). Once the grill is warmed up, place chicken breast in the centre and set timer for 8min. Slice and arrange over salad. 

Chicken Tikka Masala & Vegetable Korma

With the summer season coming to a close and the busy visitor schedule slowing down, it's finally time to get some more recipes posted!

I describe this dish as an Indian yin-yang. Brian, perhaps more vividly described this dish tonight as a punch to the face, followed by a rub on the back - the punch being the spicy chicken tikka masala, and the back rub being the mild, almost sweet vegetable korma. 

(This will look similar to my tikka masala and spicy yellow squash curry combo a few months back... but this time around, I've updated the tikka with peas in lieu of green pepper, and subbed out the second spicy veg curry for one with a more manageable heat level. No, I haven't lost my love for spice... I've just come to realize that sometimes it's a bit nicer not to sweat profusely and unattractively through an entire dinner!)

Serves 4


Vegetable Korma

• 1 1/2 cup basmati rice (3 cups water)  
• 1 small onion
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 inch section fresh ginger
• 1 carrot
• 1 medium potato
• 1/2 large head of cauliflower
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin 
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp sweet madras curry
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 can (400ml) coconut milk
• 1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
• fresh cilantro, garnish

Cook rice per package instructions. 

Quarter the onion, then slice thinly. Set aside.

Mince garlic and ginger together. Set aside. 

Peel the carrot and potato. Slice carrot approximately into 1cm thick coins. Cut the potato into bite-size chunks. Set aside. 

Cut cauliflower into small florets. 

Heat small amount of olive oil over medium-high in a frying pan with a lid. Add sliced onion and stir occasionally for 3min. 

Reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic and ginger, stirring for another 2min. 

Add spices, from cumin to bay leaves to the frying pan. Stir for another minute til fragrant. 

Add carrot, potato, cauliflower, coconut milk and shredded coconut. Mix well to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover with lid, and let simmer for 25min, stirring occasionally as needed. 

Serve over rice with fresh chopped cilantro. I arrange the plate so that the half of the rice is topped with korma, and the other half is topped with tikka masala. 

marinated chicken

Chicken Tikka Masala

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• Chicken marinade:
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1-2 inch section fresh ginger
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 1 small onion
• 2 heaping tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1 (6oz or 170gr) small can tomato paste
• skim milk (enough to fill the emptied can of tomato paste twice)
• 1 cup frozen peas, heaping
• fresh cilantro, garnish

minced garlic, ginger & jalapeno

Trim any fat off chicken breast and cut into small chunks. Add marinade ingredients, mix and set aside.

Mince garlic, ginger and jalapeno together.  

Dice onion and chop green pepper. 

Heat small amount of olive oil in frying pan with lid over med-high. Add garlic, ginger and jalapeno. Cook for a few minutes, stirring, til fragrant and edges of garlic turn golden brown. Add diced onion, garam masala, cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne, and continue stirring for a few minutes. 

Sweep the garlic-onion-spices mix to one side of the frying pan. To the empty side of the frying pan, add a small amount of olive oil, then the marinated chicken. Stir just til chicken is no longer pink. 

Add tomato paste and enough skim milk to fill the emptied can of tomato paste twice to the same frying pan. Add peas. Stir well to combine. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 20min. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking to the bottom. Add more skim milk or water to achieve desired consistency. 

Serve over rice with fresh chopped cilantro. Alternatively, try wrapping the rice, tikka masala and cilantro in a whole wheat tortilla. 

Chicken Tikka Masala

Greens & Yellows Summer Salad with Smoky Grilled Chicken

Another salad idea that packs a protein punch and a sweet summer kick! It's also a pretty assortment of bright greens and yellows that sets off the dark red-browns of the grilled chicken, if presentation matters to you! 

The health benefits of legumes are always so highly praised, and edamame is no different, being high in protein, dietary fibre, folate and Vitamin K. Spinach, of course, is a dark, leafy green, full of iron and Vitamins A, C, and B. Nectarines are a great source of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and give this salad some juicy sweetness. Chicken breast is an excellent lean protein, but the chili powder seasoning is also rich in Vitamin A and minerals like potassium and phosphorus. Avocado acts as a nutrient booster, helping your body to better absorb the goodness in all of these ingredients! 

To cook the chicken, you will need a two-sided grill or a BBQ. 

Makes 2 dinner sized salads

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tsp white vinegar
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• enough chili powder to coat chicken breast (approx 1 1/2 tbsp)
• 3/4 cup frozen edamame beans
• 3/4 cup frozen corn
• 3 cups baby spinach
• cucumber
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 nectarine
• Dressing: 
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp tarragon

A couple hours in advance, trim any fat off chicken breasts, then sprinkle seasoning, covering all sides of the chicken. Set aside in fridge, allowing marinade to soak in. 

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small pot over high heat. Add frozen edamame and corn. Boil for 3min, strain in colander, and let cool completely. 

To cook the chicken, I use a 2-sided grill (like a George Foreman). Warm up the grill, then place chicken breasts in center and set timer for 8-10min, depending on thickness of chicken. 

Meanwhile, wash and dry baby spinach, and divide evenly over two plates. 

Very thinly slice as much cucumber as you want in your salad. The more cuke, the more crunch! I slice into paper thin coins. Arrange over half of the spinach bed on both plates. 

Slice avocado in half and remove the seed. Slice each half in half, then carefully remove the skin from the flesh. Place avocado flesh in a bowl of cold water for a minute (the cold water bath will ensure the avocado doesn't turn brown). Remove from water, and slice each quarter into 4, then arrange over the other half of the spinach bed on both plates. 

Slice nectarine into slim wedges around the pit (may take some patience!). Arrange over salad. 

Sprinkle the cooled edamame and corn over salad. 

Mix all dressing ingredients together and drizzle over salad. 

Slice grilled chili chicken and serve along with salad. 

Asian Quinoa Salad with Mango & Snow Peas

Summertime! 'Tis the season for dreaming up new creations so the salad rotation doesn't get dull. I like my salads filling enough to be a main dish, so quinoa usually works its way into the mix. Today's inspiration? Asian! Because mangoes are on sale, and my boyfriend can't get enough of snow peas. 


I feel extremely guilty though for using store-bought salad dressing in this recipe... I always make my own dressing, but there's a bottle of Litehouse Toasted Sesame in the fridge that needs using. As guilty as I feel, thank goodness the dressing is guilt-free, meaning zero grams of fat! Whew. 

Serves 4

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• Chicken marinade: 

• 1/2 tsp bombay curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne
• 1.5 cups quinoa (3 cups water)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 25 snow peas
• top half of a bunch of green onion
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 carrot
• 1 large, ripe mango
• juice 1/4 of a lemon
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1/3 cup Litehouse toasted sesame ginger dressing (fat-free)

Trim any fat off chicken breast and dice roughly into 1cm cubes. Marinade with seasoning, and set aside in fridge (can be done the night before, or just an hour prior to cooking, so flavor sets in). 

Bring water, quinoa, salt and ground coriander to a boil in a medium pot over high heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce to low and cover for 15min. 

stripped snow peas

Meanwhile, wash and prepare all your fruit and veg. With the snow peas, this next step has been firmly ingrained in me thanks to years of helping my mom out in the kitchen... Feel free to skip this step if you don't mind a bit of chewy toughness in your snow peas. Instead of just trimming the ends, she taught me to take each of the ends and strip them down so the tough stringy parts on each side of the peas are removed. Slice each snow pea into 3-4 bite size pieces. Set aside.

Dice the green half of a bunch of green onion and place into large salad bowl. 

Roughly chop enough fresh cilantro to fill 1/4 cup and add to large salad bowl. 

Peel then shred carrot, using a medium grater slot. Add to large salad bowl. 

diced mango

By now, the quinoa should have finished cooking. Remove from heat, fluff, then add sliced snow peas to the quinoa, allowing the heat from the quinoa to lightly steam the snow peas. Fluff again, then let cool completely. 

Remove skin from mango, using a peeler or sharp knife. Dice, then add to large salad bowl. Toss all ingredients in the salad bowl so far with the juice of a quarter of a lemon. 

Sesame sprinkles on chicken.
Golden brown chicken.

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a small pan over high heat. Add cubed chicken to the pan and sprinkle sesame seeds over chicken. Cook for 10-15min, turning chicken pieces so that all sides are golden brown. Remove from heat and cool completely before adding to salad bowl. 

Once chicken, quinoa and snow peas have cooled, add to salad bowl and toss with salad dressing. Enjoy! 

Fourth of July Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

Time to get festive and turn my usual chewy chocolate chip/raisin oatmeal cookies into Fourth of July cookies! 

Yields 12 large cookies, or up to 20 smaller cookies

• 1 cup whole wheat flour 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 1/3 cups rolled oats (not instant)
• Red, white & blue M&Ms**
• Optional:  1/2 cup almonds, chopped.  

 ** Normally made with either 1/2 heaping cup raisins or 1/2 heaping cup chocolate chips mixed into the batter. 

Preheat oven to 375°C. 

Line 2 cookie sheets with tin foil. 

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In another large bowl, beat canola oil and white sugar with a hand held mixer until smooth (about 45sec). 

Using a plastic spatula, mix brown sugar, egg and applesauce in with the oil and sugar. 

Stir in the dry ingredients, then the oats (** at this time, mix in raisins/chocolate chips if using instead of M&Ms).

Drop the batter by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Decorate with as many red, white & blue M&Ms as you like!

Bake for 11min (they should look dull on the surface). Slightly under-baked for moist and chewy cookies! 

Transfer the cookies from baking sheets to cooling rack and cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temp.

chocolate chip version

Kung Pao Chicken Chow

One of Brian's favorite meals to order at Earls is the Chicken Hunan Kung Pao. I've only had a few nibbles off his plate, but quickly concluded it's silly to be paying $17.75 for one serving of Asian food made in a non-Asian restaurant, so I set out to make my own version! The greasiness of the restaurant dish is what disturbed me most. Nobody likes to go home feeling like there's slimy cooking oil sloshing around in your belly. My recipe uses barely any oil at all - in fact, the only oil used is for cooking the ginger, garlic and chili peppers. The vegetables are steam-fried, a method I learned from watching my mom (no wonder she's such a skinny mini!), and the chow mein noodles are not fried in oil, but heated up in an oil-free sauce. Hope you enjoy the non-greasy version as much as I do! 


At the restaurant, they allow you to customize spice by adding 1-6 hunan peppers. My first attempt at this dish was so spicy, Brian raised the white flag after about 4 mouthfuls. Despite having a solid laugh over his spice-induced sweaty looks of panic, I felt terrible he went hungry that night, and it took some time before we were ready for me to give it another go. A few trials later, I've settled on 3.5 to be our magic number - 3.5 dried red chili peppers is what goes into this recipe, but feel free to adjust up or down to your taste! 

Serves 4 
You will need two frying pans - one with a lid, and one without. 

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Chicken Marinade: 
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp vinegar
• 1 tsp dried red chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 pkg (450gr) of soft chow mein egg noodles (you can use fresh noodles, or dried noodles - if dried, use 7-8 bundles)
• 1 carrot
• 1 small red bell pepper
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 large handful of snow peas (approx 25-30)
• 4 green onions
• 6 cloves garlic 
• 2 inch section fresh ginger
• 3.5 small dried chili peppers (more or less to taste)
• 1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
• Sauce (make 2 sets - one for noodles, one for chicken & veg - of the following): 
• 2 tsp corn starch
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp sriracha
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tsp hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• garnish: fresh cilantro or sesame seeds

Trim any fat off chicken breasts and slice into bite-size strips. Add marinade ingredients to chicken, mix and set aside in fridge. Can be marinated hours or a day in advance. 

Bring water to a boil in a large pot (enough to cook noodles). Start on the vegetables while the water is heating up. 


Wash and prepare all vegetables (carrot, red pepper, zucchini, zucchini, snow peas & green onion), peeling, trimming ends, removing stems and seeds where necessary. We want the vegetables to be julienned or sliced matchstick-style. Start by slicing the whole vegetable into quarters, so you have four approx 2-inch sections to work with, then slice into even strips, resembling matchsticks.  Set aside. 


Once pot of water has reached boiling, cook noodles according to package instructions. Strain and set aside. 


Keep a large bowl or plate near the stove as you will be cooking ingredients separately, then setting them aside in this bowl until everything is ready to be combined.


Mince together the garlic, ginger and dried chili peppers. Heat a small amount of oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add minced garlic, ginger and chilis. Cook for a few minutes, stirring, til fragrant and edges of garlic turn golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside in the bowl as mentioned. 


Using the same large frying pan, toast peanuts for a few minutes over medium heat. Do not add oil to pan when toasting. Once toasted, remove from pan and set aside in bowl. 

Again, using the same frying pan, and without adding oil, add marinated chicken over high heat. The moisture from the marinade will keep the chicken from sticking to the pan. Stir for a few minutes until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside in bowl. 

In separate bowls or containers, make 2 sets of the sauce by combining all sauce ingredients and mixing well. Set both sets of sauce aside. 

Now it's time to cook the matchstick veggies. Heat the frying pan with a lid over med-high heat (do not add oil). Starting with the carrots as they take the longest to cook, add them to the pan along with half a cup of water, cover with lid and let steam-fry for 1min. Add all remaining matchstick veggies, add more water if the pan is dry, and cover with lid and let steam-fry for another minute. Remove from heat and using the lid to hold veggies in place, strain any excess water. 

Stir up one set of sauce to mix pour into pan with cooked veggies. Add the garlic, ginger, peanuts, and chicken reserved and set aside in bowl to the veggies. Cook over medium heat for a 3-4min, stirring so that all ingredients are coated in sauce. Remove from heat, cover with lid and set aside until noodles are ready. 

Stir up the second set of sauce, then heat up in a second pan over med-high. Add noodles and stir until coated (I find it is easiest to separate the noodles and coat evenly by using wooden chopsticks at this point). Add more water and/or soy sauce if the noodles look dry. Keep noodles over heat for 4-5 min or until hot. 

Serve Kung Pao chicken and veg over noodles. 

Option: garnish with fresh chopped cilantro or sesame seeds. And keep a bottle of sriracha handy for those who don't find this hot enough!