Seared Chicken & Miso Udon Noodles

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel and finely chop the ginger. Snap off and discard the stem end of each snap pea; pull off and discard the tough string that runs the length of the pod. Cut the snap peas in half on an angle. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Roughly chop the pea tips. In a bowl, combine the miso paste, sesame oil, soy glaze and ¼ cup of water; whisk until smooth.

Place the flour on a plate. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. Thoroughly coat the seasoned chicken in the flour (tapping off any excess). In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the coated chicken and cook 4 to 6 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board, leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan.

Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pan of reserved fond; heat on medium-high until hot. Add the ginger, snap peas and white bottoms of the scallions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant and the snap peas are bright green. Add 2 tablespoons of water; cook, stirring frequently and scraping up any fond from the bottom of the pan, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the water has cooked off.

To the pan of snap peas, add the noodles (carefully separating with your hands before adding), pea tips and miso-soy mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until thoroughly combined and the pea tips have wilted. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cut the cooked chicken in half crosswise. Divide the cooked noodles and vegetables and halved chicken between 4 dishes. Garnish with the green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!