Not Your Grandma's Chicken and Noodles

We are still stuck in the apartment from the huge snowstorm. I decided to prepare an appropriately hearty treat for lunch, Chicken and Noodles. I tried to make this classic in an updated, and hopefully healthier, way. Don't get me wrong, I am a true believer in appropriately using traditional ingredients like butter and whole eggs, but "hi-test" is not always necessary (or healthy) for every meal. I used whole grains and low fat, low salt products. One may think that the lack of butter and extra salt is a sin, but this meal was delicious and flavorful without it.


"Not Your Grandma's" whole grain egg noodles:
3/4 cup whole wheat Flour
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup spelt flour (buckwheat flour is also appropriate)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup no fat/no chol egg product (without flavorings)
2 Tbs low fat milk
flour for dusting

Pour dry ingredients in a bowl and combine with a fork. Make a space in the middle of bowl and pour the egg and milk. Combine with the fork until moistened, being careful not to over mix. Dust mixture with flour until you are able to pick up the mixture and form a soft ball. It should be very sticky inside. Refrigerate for a half an hour (or more). Roll out on a floured surface to about 1/8 in thick and cut thin strips. Cook in a mixture of boiling water and low salt chicken stock for about 4 minutes. The noodles should be tender and fluffy. Free form dumplings would probably also work with this recipe. Serves 4-6 (we used about half the dough and it was more than enough for 2).

Chicken and vegetables for "Chicken and Noodles:"
1-2 sprays Olive oil cooking spray
1/4 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 Chicken cutlet (about 6-7 oz), thinly sliced - on the bias
1/2 of a small lemon
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup fresh carrots, thinly sliced (blanched in microwave for 2 min)
3/4 cup green beans (blanch if fresh)
2 tsp dried thyme (or fresh)
1/2-3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp cumin
pinch of nutmeg
black pepper to taste
1-1.5 cups low salt chicken stock (for deglazing)
1 tsp olive oil (for gravy)
1 tsp flour (for gravy)

Spray a pan with the cooking spray, heat on med-high heat until sizzling. Add onions and celery, cook until almost translucent deglazing as needed. Add mushrooms and continue to cook for about 3 minutes, saute and deglaze as needed. Add chicken and continue to saute and deglaze, cover for about 2 minutes. Add spices. Add carrots and green beans, continue to saute and deglaze for another 2 min. Squeeze lemon over the mixture. Add peas and cook through. Add enough chicken stock for there to be about a 1/4 inch on the bottom of the pan. Move the mixture to the sides of the pan, leaving a pool of liquid in the middle. Add already combined olive oil and flour to the liquid and mix vigorously until a thin gravy is formed. Sprinkle with black pepper and serve over noodles. These are vegetables we had on hand, use anything you like. Serves 2.