Sweet and Sour Chicken with Stir-Fry Noodles

Look at this wok of joy! Peanutty seared chicken, swimming in the most glorious stir-fry sauce of sweet fruit preserves, soy, sesame, garlic, onion, and ginger. And those noodles, they were sooooo happy be invited, they soaked up all that amazing flavor too. Everyone is happy here; and you will be too - as soon as you serve this up (which you will do in less than 20 minutes).

What makes this dish so awesome is the balancing act of flavors going on. You've got sweet fruit preserves, salty soy sauce, nutty peanut and sesame oils, pungent garlic and onion, and sweet green onions. Oh, and the chicken - those caramelized nuggets bring the whole party home.

So which preserves should you use? You have a choice - apricot preserves, pineapple preserves, or orange marmalade. Choose what you like (or what you already have). I like apricot preserves because they're not overly sweet - and I love the little bits of apricot in the sauce. That said, pineapple is more traditional in Asian sweet and sour sauces (if fruit is used). Orange marmalade is another option - and the dish will be more reminiscent of orange chicken (with bits of orange zest to boot). All three work here - and the best part is, fruit preserves add sweetness AND flavor, versus using the traditional brown sugar or honey. More bang for your flavor buck.

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Stir-Fry Noodles

1 cup apricot preserves, pineapple preserves or orange marmalade
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
Salt and ground black pepper
1 package (14 ounces) ready-to-serve stir-fry noodles (not dried), such as Hokkien
Chopped green onions for serving

In a medium bowl, combine the preserves, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, cilantro, garlic powder, onion powder, and ginger. Mix well and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides, stirring frequently. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Add the fruit preserve mixture to the pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Add the noodles and cook for 3 minutes, until the noodles are heated through and the sauce thickens, stirring frequently. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Top with green onions and serve.

Serves 4