NEET Eats 2!

 So, I decided I'd do another one of these. Okay, not really, I was just cooking today and thinking "What should I make a post about?" and then realized that there was material (shitty material) to make a post on right under my nose as I was cooking the chicken in my pan.

Making one blog post sometimes opens the door for me to make more, and since I've been so focused on my studies (Japanese and studies for the upcoming midterm...and 2 other tests) that I've just been popping in to check up on some blogs and then getting off.

So, I the dish I'm showing off today is something I often make, provided I can wait long enough for some chicken to defrost. Spicy instant noodles with chicken!

Of course, it's nothing too spectacular, but that doesn't matter! What matters is if it's cheap, quick to make, and adds some spice to an otherwise boring meal! Like last time, I won't give measurements, just put the amount you think you'll enjoy, and experiment a little. After all, most of this stuff I just make from experimentation, without looking up recipes. In preparation for this, all you'll need is:

1. Some chicken breasts
2. Some instant noodles (I use Maruchan chicken noodles for this dish)
3. Canola oil or vegetable oil
4. Hot sauce
5. Whatever extras you think may be good, usually some veggies. In mine I have carrots, peas, and corn.

So, simple enough, right? Only real hassle is the chicken, having to wait for it to defrost. But if you're patient enough to wait 30 minutes while it rests in a bowl of water to defrost, then it'll pay off with a meal that cooks in about 10 minutes or so.

What you'll want to do is cut the chicken into pieces while the water boils your instant noodles. You'll want to keep the seasoning packet until after, if you want to keep that flavor, as most of it will go away when you drain the broth from the noodles later. If you have extra ingredients, it's nice to prepare them at this stage as well. By the time you finish everything, the noodles should be close to completion. At this time you can heat up a skillet or wok, and place enough oil on it to leave a very light layer on the surface. It doesn't matter if there are a few dry spots here and there, so long as it's mostly covered in oil. I normally use canola oil, but vegetable oil is probably more common in most households, and works fine as well.

Throw in the chicken pieces and extra ingredients to start cooking over a medium-high flame. Make sure to stir it around a little so that the chicken whitens on all sides. Keep an eye on your noodles so they don't get soggy. You'll want to take them out when they're done and drain the water from it before the noodles absorb too much of the water. Unless you're into soft noodles, that's fine then, but if you want them to be crispy or crunchy then you'll want to get them before they reach that soft point. If your chicken is white on all sides, then it's fine to just toss the drained noodles into the pan along with them. You'll want to constantly stir from this point on, or flip if you're experienced enough to do so (it's fun with a wok). From here you add some hot sauce and seasonings on top. Usually the seasoning packet that comes with the noodles is enough, but if you find the flavor too concentrated you can experiment a bit with other seasonings you'll like. For some ideas, I sometimes use soy sauce with a tad bit of sugar, and sometimes I use some Adobo all purpose seasoning (this thing works on everything, seriously). 

Your seasonings should naturally mix in as you're cooking, since you're stirring the noodles constantly anyway. I usually like my noodles crispy and cook the chicken until it's a bit more brown, but today I made them a bit soft for a change of pace. And with that, you're done. It's relatively cheap, using maybe one slice of chicken breast per noodle packet (or one and a half if you really like your meat), and instant noodles are a STAPLE in a penny pincher's diet!

Enjoy! 

(Or not, people tell me my dishes are strange, but this one is one of the more normal of the bunch)

~ Kirari ミ★