Recipes for Health: Rice Noodles With Chicken and Turnips — Recipes for Health

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7 ounces rice stick noodles

1/2 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth

1 tablespoon soy sauce (more to taste)

1 tablespoon Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)

2 tablespoons peanut oil or canola oil

1 pound chicken breasts, cut across the grain into slices 1/4 inch thick

3/4 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch-long julienne (matchsticks)

3/4 pound turnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch-long julienne (matchsticks)

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1. Place the noodles in a large bowl and cover with warm water. Soak for at least 20 minutes, until soft. Drain in a colander and, using kitchen scissors, cut into 6-inch lengths. Set aside within reach of your wok or pan.

2. Combine the broth, soy sauce and rice wine or sherry in a small bowl. Combine the garlic, ginger and pepper flakes in another bowl. Have everything within reach of your wok or pan.

3. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or a 12-inch skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of the oil and add the chicken in a single layer. Season with salt and let sit for 1 minute without stirring, then stir-fry for another 2 to 3 minutes, until opaque. Scoop out of the wok or pan and set aside in a bowl or on a plate.

4. Swirl the remaining oil into the wok or pan and add the garlic, ginger and chili flakes. Stir-fry no more than 10 seconds and add the carrots, turnips and sesame seeds. Stir-fry for 1 minute and add the broth, the chicken with any liquid that has gathered in the bowl or on the plate, the salt and the sugar, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the noodles, reduce the heat to medium-high and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Add the cilantro and sesame oil, remove from the heat and serve.

Yield: 4 servings.

Advance preparation: You can prep your ingredients several hours ahead, but the cooking is all last-minute.

Nutritional information per serving: 492 calories; 3 grams saturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 73 milligrams cholesterol; 57 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 403 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 30 grams protein

Martha Rose Shulman is the author of “The Very Best of Recipes for Health.”

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