I have a serious weakness for American-style Chinese food. The only problem? Eating it around here can get pretty expensive, and ordering for one person usually means enough leftovers to feed me for the better part of a week. I have finally found a decent Chinese restaurant nearby, and every now and then I'll make the drive to pick up dinner. But after making this recipe, I'm thinking those takeout runs might become a thing of the past!
Don't let the ingredient list scare you off. It might look a little intimidating, but this is actually a pretty straightforward recipe. Plus, it's easy to customize based on what you like or happen to have in the fridge. While eating it, I kept thinking how good some water chestnuts would be in the mix. Next time, I might skip the carrots and toss in water chestnuts instead. That's the fun of making it at home!
A little note about the chow mein noodles: This was my first time buying actual chow mein noodles, and I clearly underestimated just how much they make. The bag looked big enough to feed a small army, so I decided to use only half since the recipe is supposed to serve two. Even that half produced enough noodles for at least four servings! Consider yourself warned: chow mein noodles expand into quite the crowd, so a little goes a LONG way.
Chicken Chow Mein
Chelsea's Messy Apron
Serves 2
1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into small bite-sized pieces
3/4 tsp baking soda
3 c green cabbage cut in small shreds
1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger minced
1 1/2 tsp garlic cloves minced
3/4 c julienned carrots
3/4 c thinly sliced celery
1/4 c green onions (~3 onions)
1 1/2 T vegetable oil
1 package (6 ounces) chow mein noodles (I use WEL-pak)
1/2 T cornstarch
1 1/2 T lite soy sauce
1 1/2 T oyster sauce
1/3 c chicken stock or chicken broth
1 T brown sugar (lightly measured, do not pack!)
1/2 tsp toasted (or plain) sesame oil toasted (or plain)
Freshly cracked pepper
Cut the chicken into small bite-sized pieces.
Finely shred the cabbage, coarsely mince the ginger and garlic.
Peel the carrot and then julienne into very small/thin pieces.
Very thinly slice the celery (I slice on the diagonal).
Thinly slice the green onions to separate the white root from the green. You should get about 1/4 cup thinly sliced white roots. Reserve the thinly sliced green part for later.
In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and soy sauce with a fork until completely smooth. Stir in the oyster sauce, chicken stock, brown sugar, and sesame oil. Add pepper to taste (I add about 1/2 teaspoon). Whisk until smooth. Reserve for later.
Follow package directions to prepare the chow mein noodles. Rinse in cold water and set aside.
Heat vegetable oil over high heat in a large skillet. Add the white roots of the onion for a minute or two and then and in the garlic and ginger. Be very careful to make sure neither burn -- only cook for about 20 seconds. Add chicken and stir constantly for about 1 minute or until both sides are lightly browned (still not cooked through).
Add in all the prepped veggies: the shredded cabbage, julienned carrot and thinly sliced celery. Stir near constantly until veggies are crisp-tender and cabbage is wilted, about 1-2 minutes.
Stir in the cooked noodles and the sauce mixture. Toss with tongs for 1 minute, until the sauce thickens. Add in the thinly sliced tops of the green onions.
