Chicken lo mein has become an ubiquitous American fast food item like hamburger, as every small town USA seems to have a Chinese takeout restaurant. Along with General Tsao Chicken, the American version of chicken lo mein is not something you will find in China. The US version of this inexpensive meal is not healthy to eat…but it is delicious. My mom came up with this healthier version of the dish loaded with fresh white meat chicken and vegetables. This is chicken lo mein that you will not feel guilty about devouring.
Difficulty: Easy / Servings: 4 / Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
1/2 package of thick egg noodles
2 Portobello mushroom caps
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1 yellow onion (2 tablespoons of diced onion and 1/2 of an onion in thick slices)
1 tablespoon of minced ginger
5 stalks of scallions cut into 2 inch segments
1 red bell pepper (1 tablespoon of diced red bell pepper and 1/4 of red bell pepper in julienne slices)
4 bok choi pieces
1 cup of bean sprouts
1 and 1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce or Knorr liquid seasoning
2 tablespoons of oyster sauce
2 tablespoon of cooking wine
1/2 teaspoon of Knorr chicken bouillon powder
1/8 teaspoon of baking soda
1 cup of chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
Roasted sesame seeds
Fried onions (optional)
Vegetable oil
Directions:
Cut the chicken breast in 1 inch pieces.
Marinate the chicken with 1 and 1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of cooking wine, 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder for 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix 1 cup of chicken broth or water and 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce. Set aside.
Loosen the noodles.
Slice the Portobello caps. Cut the ends off of each bok choi and discard the ends. Loosen the leaves.
Heat a wok or a large pan with 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Once the oil sizzles, add chicken and press down on the chicken pieces to get a good sear. Flip the chicken over once the chicken is seared on one side. Once the second side turns golden, remove from the heat and set aside.
Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the wok. Add 1 tablespoon of diced red bell pepper, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of diced onion and 1 tablespoon of minced ginger.
Once the garlic turns golden, add mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes until they soften.
Next, add bok choi and stir until the leaves wilt. Add 1/2 of a package of noodles, the cooked chicken, 1 cup of beansprouts and the sauce. Mix carefully a few times to incorporate the ingredients without breaking the noodles apart.
When the sauce have been fully absorbed (i.e. no liquid left), turn off the heat.
Add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to the chicken lo mein. Top the dish with scallions pieces and onion slices. Sprinkle a handful of sesame seeds and fried onions and serve.
This dish should be eaten within an hour. Since the noodles absorbed all the water based seasoning, they will become mushy if they are not eaten right away.
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