Fried Rice Cake Noodles

The napa cabbage started this. I need to cook it before another one comes in my box next week! Napa cabbage is one of those staples our family had when I was growing up. My mom always cooked it - in many many many many (I can type that about 15+ more times)...many different ways - all ways in which I probably will never be able to replicate, because my mom pretty much rocks. One of the dishes she seldom made was a stir fry of the cabbage with chicken, shitake mushrooms, and what I called "Chewy Fun", like "Chow fun/mein..." but it was thick, chewy, and shaped like oval discs.


Chewy fun, a.k.a. rice cake noodles, are like flattened udon noodles, but made with sticky rice flour. It can be purchased at most Asian food markets. As a kid, and still now, I get overly excited about eating it because it's probably one of my favorite noodles due to the fun, chewy texture. My mom hasn't made it in a long while, and I have never cooked it myself - so, thank you, napa cabbage, for taking me back to my childhood. Although I know I will never make it how my mom made it, this, at least, is my rendition of what I remember it to be.


INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 lb Rice Cake Noodles (usually 1 bag)
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 white onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, julienned
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
6 dried shitake mushroom, rehydrated and sliced
1/2 napa cabbage
1 Tbs soy sauce
Salt & WHITE pepper

Rinse and soak the noodles in cold water, making sure to separate the ones that are stuck together. Meanwhile, in a large non-stick frying pan saute the onion, garlic and ginger in the oil for 1-2 minutes. Slice chicken into 1/2 inch pieces and season with a pinch of salt and white pepper. Add into pan until cooked through, but yet not browned. Add shitake mushrooms and cook for another minute.

As the chicken and mushrooms are browning, slice the napa cabbage into 1/2 inch pieces. Rinse thoroughly and add to the pan. When the cabbage begins to wilt, drain the rice cake noodles and add to the pan. Continue to mix and flip all the contents in the pan. Add soy sauce and season with salt and white pepper to taste. Cook until the noodles are soft.