The one dish I remember my mom making more than any other? Stir-fry.
Despite being a white lady, I’d say she had it in the rotation two nights a week, minimum. And if we weren’t in the mood for stir-fry? Well we better get in the mood, quick.
Because, with just 20 minutes, a cast-iron skillet hotter than the sun, a protein (99% of the time chicken breast, but shrimp if she was feeling fancy), a bag of frozen veggies (shoutout to Costco for their industrial-sized medleys), a sauce (Kikkoman teriyaki, because why reinvent the wheel?), and a starch (rice, but occasionally quinoa when she was on a health kick), dinner was done before we had time to complain. Not that we wanted to anyways, because it’s hard to protest when you’ve got a sizzling stir-fry with just the right balance of salty, sweet, and “Mom says eat it.”
Now, in my adult life, I, too, have gone through periods of stir-frying the house down boots. Currently? Not so much. But the stir-fry ethos lives on. Take, for example, my latest weeknight creation: soba noodles with chicken and cabbage. I’d say it’s a spiritual successor if nothing else.
I start by crisping up chicken thighs in a skillet, then shove them in the oven like a negligent babysitter so I can focus on the real star—cabbage, lovingly sautéed in chicken schmaltz until it reaches peak crispy-tenderness. The sauce? A bold yet humble mix of oyster sauce and rice vinegar. The starch? Soba, because they’re ready in minutes and I respect my time.
Would I call this a stir-fry? Not exactly. But does it embody the same spirit? The same commitment to quick, tasty, nourishing meals that can shut-up even the pickiest complainers? Absolutely. And in that way, my mom—the undisputed stir-fry queen—has passed the torch to me, her loyal heir, a certified freak for satisfying weeknight dinners.
Like soba noodles with chicken? Check these out:
Like my mom, I’m a working gal too, so I can appreciate the need for tasty, nutritious meals that won’t take up my whole night. That’s why I’m amassing a collection of weeknight meal recipes. They may vary in the amount of time and effort required (so you can choose accordingly, depending on the mood) but I always try to make my weeknight recipes nutritionally complete, so I don’t have to flip between multiple recipes just to put together dinner.
Soba Noodles with Chicken and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp sesame oil divided
- 2 chicken thighs skin-on, bone-in
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 18 oz (about ½ of a small head) savoy or napa cabbage roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 7 oz (2 bundles) soba noodles
- optional fermented hot sauce (such as sriracha) for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat.
- While waiting for water to boil, heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and sprinkle on both sides with salt and pepper. Place skin down in skillet and cook, undisturbed, until skin is well browned, about 5-7 minutes.
- Place chicken skin-up on a sheet pan and bake for about 10 minutes, to internal temperature of 165°F.
- Meanwhile, without wiping out the skillet, add savoy cabbage. Cook, stirring infrequently, until cabbage was wilted and is browned/charred in places, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat.
- While cabbage and chicken are cooking, boil soba noodles per package directions. Drain and return to pot.
- When chicken is done, remove to a cutting board. Remove skins and bones and cut chicken meat into bite-size chunks.
- In a small bowl, whisk together oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, and 2 tbsp sesame oil.
- Combine chicken, cabbage, soba noodles, and sauce in the skillet. Toss together over low heat. Serve. Top with fermented hot sauce, if desired.
