Chicken Chow Mein

Continuing with our Asian cuisine, presenting my favorite dish - Chicken Chow Mein.  The noodles drew in the kids or I should say sucked them in.  It is now there favorite dish too next to sweet and sour. 

Dishes and lots of dishes since everything is prepared separately but worth every sud.  The recipe calls for chicken pieces cut 1/8" x 1/8" x 2".  Kitchen shears make this task a breeze.  I like an assortment of vegetables in this dish so I added mushrooms, carrots and next time bok choy.

Chicken Chow Mein

from Dorothy Huang's

Chinese Cooking

adapted

1lb boneless chicken breast

marinade for chicken:

4t cornstarch
2t low sodium soy sauce
2t dry sherry
4t water

10oz Chinese noodles

seasoning for noodles:

1/2t sea salt
2T low sodium soy sauce
2t sesame oil

6 stalks celery
1/2 lb fresh mung bean sprouts
8oz mushrooms
4 carrots

sauce:

2T cornstarch
2T low sodium soy sauce
2 cups low sodium chicken broth

6T safflower oil
1t sea salt
2 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
8 green onions cut into 1/2" pieces

~ slice/cut chicken across grain 1/8" thick and 2" long strips
~ mix marinade for chicken and toss to coat chicken
~ let stand 30 minutes or longer
~ in a large pot bring water to boil over high heat and add noodles (cook according  package) 3 to 5 minutes
~ drain and rinse under cold water and drain again
~ transfer noodles to bowl and add noodle seasoning mix thoroughly
~ slice celery, mushrooms and carrots
~ mix sauce ingredients in a bowl

cook:

~ heat 2T oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat
~ add noodles and stir occasionally for 3 minutes
~ remove noodles
~ add  2T oil to skillet when hot add vegetables and 1t salt stir fry 2 minutes
~ remove vegetables
~ add 2T oil to skillet when hot add garlic and green onions
~ after 5 seconds add chicken and stir fry until chicken turns white and firm
~ discard the garlic
~ add sauce stirring until thickened
~ return vegetables to the skillet
~ pour mixture over the noodles and serve

Chinese Chicken Salad

5 Stars...Everyone loved it and why not it contained the kids favorite condiment soy sauce.  My kids really loved the addition of sugar to the lettuce.  The usually are lettuce phobic.  Thirty five minutes from start to finish makes this recipe family friendly.

Another Food and Wine Magazine winner.  Direct link to recipe on their web page Chinese Chicken Salad from Joanne Chang.

Chinese Chicken Salad  
from Food and Wine Magazine
adapted

1/4 cup low fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup tamari soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/2  tablespoon Tabasco 
One 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 small garlic clove, minced
One 2 1/2-pound rotisserie chicken—meat shredded
3 scallions, thinly sliced
4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 cup unsalted toasted pine nuts
3/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

One small head of romaine, cut into 1/2-inch ribbons
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 oranges, peeled with a knife and cut into sections
Lime wedges, for serving


~ In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with 1/4 cup of the vinegar, 3 tablespoons of the sugar and the soy sauce, sesame oil, Tabasco, ginger and garlic. Add the chicken, scallions, celery, pine nuts and cilantro and toss until coated

~In another bowl, toss the romaine with the remaining 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar and the olive oil. Spread the romaine in 4 shallow bowls. Top with the chicken salad and the oranges and serve with lime wedges.

*** changes for next time

• do not add the chicken to the dressing - top the lettuce with it and then place dressing on top of it.  I think the vinegar in the sauce broke down the chicken causing it to get a bit mushy.
• add bean thread noodles/ cellophane noodles to top

Chinese Curried Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables

Chinese, noodles and chicken: magical culinary words according to my kids.  I hear cheering and shouts of happiness while I chop, dice, boil and so on and the ever present, "When will it be done.  I am so hungry".  "Ummm smells so good.  I am the taste tester!" and the arguing begins.  Everyone wants to be the official "Taste Test".  Requirements of the Taste Tester, tasting the pasta and announcing al dente, perfect or just a minute more. 

mini whisk...a must have item

2 for .99 at 99 cent only store

Chinese Curried Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables

from Kitchen Life

Art Smith

adapted

1 lb of thin egg noodles
3 T safflower oil ( you will need 1 1/2 at a time)
4 boneless chicken breasts cut into bit size pieces (I use kitchen shears)
2/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
2T low sodium soy sauce
1T dry sherry
1t corn starch
1 organic red bell pepper cut in either strips or squares
4 large organic carrots cut in rounds
4 organic celery ribs cut into thin bit size pieces
2 scallions white and green parts chopped
2T grated ginger (use micro plane)
2 garlic cloves (I used trader joes frozen cubes)
3t madras style curry powder
1t sugar
sesame oil to taste

~ bring large pot of salted water to boil over high heat and add noodles
~ cook until al dente
~ return noodles to pot
~ in warm large cast iron skillet heat 1 1/2 T oil over high heat
~ add chicken stirring often until cooked through
~ transfer chicken to plate
~ mix broth, soy sauce and sherry in a small bowl
~ add cornstarch and whisk until dissolved (set aside)
~ heat remaining 1 1/2T oil in skillet over high heat and add red pepper, carrots, celery and stir fry about 2 minutes or until softened
~ add scallions, ginger and garlic 1 minute
~ add curry and sugar 15 seconds
~ stir broth mixture and add to skillet, bring to boil
~ add chicken and cook until heated throught
~ stir in pasta
~ throw it all in a bowl and serve
~ add sesame oil to taste


*side notes - looking back I don't think I added the broth, oops.  Also unbelievable to me, I was out of thin egg noodles (like a chow mein noodle) so I used spaghetti and the noodles were too thick. 

Everyone loved the dish and hopes for leftovers were dashed when everyone had seconds.  Deemed a make again.

Lemon Stir Fry Chicken with Bittman

Yesterday in between drop offs and pick ups as well as shopping Targets 75% off garden sale, I whipped together dinner.  My kids are huge fans of sweet and sour chicken and I am still searching for that perfect no fry recipe so in the meantime I thought I would throw a little Mark Bittman in their direction.  First question, Is this sweet and sour chicken???  Yummmmm.  Unfortunately, there were no left overs and I was asked to repeat for lunch today.  Repeat a recipe???  I have hundreds of books and recipes left to explore.  Perhaps in a year or two.

Lemon Chicken Stir Fry

from: The Best Recipes In The World by Mark Bittman

adaptation:

served 5+

quick and delicious

3lbs boneless chicken thighs (organic at Costco or Trader Joe's)

scallions/chives (from my garden)

1/2 inch piece of ginger peeled and chopped

3T soy sauce

1T oyster sauce ( vegetarian)

1t Shaoxing wine

black pepper 1/4 t or what ever you choose to grind

safflower oil

1/4c fresh lemon juice ( love my neighbors meyer lemon tree)

1/2 c chicken stock

2T honey

2t cornstatch

salt or no salt to taste

~marinate chicken in chive, ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, wine and pepper one to two hours

~heat wok or stainless steel pan

~add 3T oil and heat

~add chicken until pinkness is gone

~stir in ginger 10 secs

~add soy sauce, oyster sauce, wine, pepper (marinade)

~ also add lemon juice, stock, honey, cornstarch

~mix and combine

~cook until sauce thickens

~plate on top of rice

~garnish with additional chives