I just got off the phone with Matt, encouraging him to leave work and, "get home, already!" because dinner is ready. All I had to do was dress the noodles with soy sauce and sesame oil and toss the chicken on top. I measured out a tablespoon of soy sauce and poured it over the noodles. "That doesn't smell right..." I turned the bottle around, crap, balsamic vinegar! I called Matt back and told him not to hurry, I needed to cook the noodles all over again, bummer.
I tasted the balsamic noodles to decide if they were really bad enough to throw away. It would be a shame to waste them if I could do something else with them. They didn't taste too bad, kind of diluted. "What if I just... rinse them out?!" Perfect. I tossed them back in the strainer and rinsed the pooh out of them. The soy sauce and sesame oil were strong enough flavors that you couldn't even notice the balsamic vinegar. Kitchen crisis averted! I wish I could just run hot water over all of my kitchen mishaps.
Honey-Jalapeno Chicken over Sesame Noodles
spaghetti noodles - I still have to eyeball serving sizes for pasta, good luck :)
1 jalapeno, sliced and seeded
1/3 c honey
1/4 c cilantro
salt and pepper
1-3 tbsp water
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 rotisserie chicken, shredded or sliced
3 tbsp soy sauce (NOT balsamic vinegar... see above...)
2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 c chopped scallions (totally optional, I left them out this time)
sesame seeds (I just sprinkled them on top because I had them, also totally optional)
Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. In a blender or food processor, combine jalapeno, honey, cilantro, and 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. If you need to, add water, a tbsp at a time and blend again until you get the desired consistency. Heat oil on medium low. Add chicken and the sauce and cook until heater through. In a medium bowl, combine noodles, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Scallions too, if you wish. Toss and then transfer to a serving bowl. Pour heated chicken and sauce over noodles, sprinkler with sesame seeds, and serve.