Hearty Chicken and Muschroom Chow Mein

The word "chow mein" translates as "assorted bits". Which is a great opportunity to simply have fun making this dish: Just go crazy with it!

I love chow mein, and I love to push the envelope when I'm chopping and sauteing and having fun. Give it a try and experiment as you like!

Here's my version of Hearty Chicken and Mushroom Chow Mein:

3 Tbsp safflower oil (or any high heat oil like Canola)
3 ribs celery (chopped)
2 carrots (grated)
3 heads baby bok choy (or 1 "adult" heads) (rinsed and chiffonade)
1 green bell pepper (roughly chopped)
1 large sweet onion (roughly chopped)
1/2 lb mushrooms (chopped) white, shiitake or baby portabellas or mixed!
3 chicken breast (rinsed and cut up into 1 1/2 inch strips)
1/4 C Chinese-style chili garlic sauce (I love it-so I throw in a full 1/2 cup!)
3 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce (or tamari sauce)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 C low sodium chicken stock
2 Tbsp corn starch
2 Tbsp water
6 oz package chow mein noodles

Mix the chili garlic sauce with the soy and the Worcestershire sauce and set aside. Work on the chicken breast and add to the sauce mixture as a marinade set aside to soak while you work on all of the vegetables. Make sure that chicken is fully coated with all of that sauce before you set it aside to rest.

The corn starch and the water mixed together to make your slurry, so that'll be the last thing you'll have to mix.

Once everything is prepped, heat up your wok until it's piping hot. A drop of water should sizzle and dance on the wok's floor. Drain the chicken pieces in a colander and push out a little bit of the liquids that have collected. Add the oil to the wok and with a pair of tongs, carefully add the chicken pieces to avoid the splatter.

Let the chicken cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 12 minutes. Once the chicken has cooked, remove all of it with a slotted spoon leaving the liquid in the wok. Set the chicken aside for now and add all of your vegetables. The bok choy and all of the vegetables will cook down and the mushrooms will soak up the chili garlic and chicken juices. It will take approximately 8 to 10 minutes for the vegetables to thoroughly cook. Once they're done, return the chicken to the wok and pour in the chicken stock. Once everything's bubbling, mix the corn starch and water for your slurry and drizzle it into the wok by going around the whole circumference. Give a few good stirs, let it sit for a minute or two. When you come back to it, that liquid will have become a beautiful sauce that'll be just delicious!

Serve over chow mein noodles along with a pile of hot white rice.

Easily serves 3 people.

Enjoy!