If you live in the Northeast and were not lucky enough to be vacationing in say, the North Pole, you have probably just experienced a few of the hottest days of your life. Seriously, when I got into the car over the weekend, the temperature read 103 degrees!!! And even though we are lucky enough to have central air it just kinda seemed wrong to put the oven on or to send my poor husband outside to grill and swelter. Thus, this easy-to-make, stovetop noodle bowl tonight that'll satisfy your tummy and tastebuds and keep you feeling light and refreshed!

I love pineapple and every time I eat one I always wonder why I don't eat them more. They're so juicy and delicious and somehow decadent feeling even though they're all natural. In this noodle bowl they add the perfect sweet contrast to the peppers, green beans and slightly tangy lime sauce that coats the noodles. Yum!

Not that I wouldn't attempt this dish if it were a lot of work, but part of what makes it so attractive is that the whole thing comes together so easily. You don't even have to cut up the chicken breasts before cooking them and all you do is basically steam them in some salted water and shred them when they're done. Healthy too!

So instead of sweltering in front of a grill or oven or waiting for takeout, throw together this lovely little noodle bowl, crank up the air conditioning and kick back and enjoy the last week of the Olympics--seriously we are addicted to it in my house--I don't know what we're going to do with ourselves when it's all over!!

Pineapple Chicken Noodle Bowl

Makes 4 servings

Prep Time: About 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound green beans trimmed and halved, lengthwise

• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cleaned, thinly sliced

• 8 ounces rice noodles

• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

• About 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts (it's ok if it's a little bit over)

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cubed (if you like you can only use 1/2 a pineapple but if you love pineapple, you'll want to use the whole thing)

• 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped

The Recipe

1.  Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the beans to it. Let them cook for about 3 minutes and then add the pepper and push down to submerge them in the water. Use a slotted spoon or sieve to remove the veggies and transfer them to a bowl. Add the rice noodles to the water and and cook for 4-6 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.

2.  In a small skillet that has a tight fitting lid. bring about 1 cup salted water to a simmer over medium heat. Add the chicken and cover, letting it cook for 5 minutes. Then turn off the heat and keeping the skillet covered, let steam for another 10 minutes, until chicken in cooked through. if chicken is very thick, you may need to let it sit for longer. Remove chicken from water and transfer to a plate. When cool enough, shred chicken into bite sized pieces. Set aside.

3.  Into a large bowl, place the lime juice, soy sauce and sugar. Whisk together well and then add the vegetables, noodles, chicken, pineapple and half the peanuts. Stir together well and season with salt and pepper to taste. After you've portioned out the bowls, top each one with a few of the reserved peanuts and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Note:  Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart. I left out the mint and toyed around with the proportions of everything.