Chicken Chow Mein

I cannot believe I actually succeeded at this one! Every ethnic food recipe I have tried in the past has not gone very well for my taste buds. My parents use to get chicken chow mein takeout quite often growing up. It was one of my favorites. I have a little girl in the daycare, and the same goes for her. I thought I would see if she might like the homemade version. Thankfully, it was a success! We all loved it, and I will definitely be making this again in the future. (A few of the kids picked out the onions and mushrooms, and that is just fine with me.) It is comforting to know that I can make this on my own, with fresh ingredients right from my own kitchen.

FYI - I love to add a little dash of soy sauce, and a sprinkle or two of red pepper flakes to the top of my plate. :) Oh, and this picture is a bit deceiving. The chicken and veggie mixture looks like it is not very saucy, but it is.

Recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up

2 T olive oil
2 onions
2-3 C celery
9oz. bag of fresh bean sprouts
1 8 oz package mushrooms, sliced
1 20oz. package of boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper

3 C water
3 Chicken bullion cubes
2 T soy sauce
1/2 t sugar
3 T cornstarch dissolved in 1/3 C water

Hot rice or Chinese Noodles

1. In a large skillet heat 1 T olive oil. Cut up the chicken breasts, and add them to the pan and sprinkle with salt and cracked pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until the pieces are golden brown. The beautiful golden brown color is going to add some screaming delicious flavor to your chow mien.

2. While the chicken is getting itself beautifully browned you are going to be chopping up your veggies (no need to cut up the bean sprouts). I recommend making this the same day you purchase the bean sprouts....they do not keep very well.

3. When your chicken is browned, set it aside. Add 1 T olive oil to the same skillet you cooked the chicken in. Add your onions and celery to the pan and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Then add the bean sprouts and mushrooms and continue to cook for additional 10 minutes, or until the veggies are crisp tender.

4. While your veggies are cooking put the water, bullion, soy sauce, and sugar in a small sauce pan. Heat until boiling, and add the cornstarch/water mixture. Stir it in thoroughly. The sauce should thicken quickly. Set aside. (You can add additional cornstarch mixed with a bit of water if you desire your sauce to be even thicker.)
5. When your veggies are done, add the chicken and the sauce back into the skillet with the veggies. Heat through and serve with rice and Chinese noodles.