A filling, healthy, easy meal for one or for a crowd and you can chop and change ingredients to suit what you have on hand.
SOMETIMES, the easiest dishes are the tastiest – and in this instance, a lot goes a long way.
Chow mein can be made in a number of different ways – you can use thinly sliced cabbage or silverbeet, and you can use thinly sliced chicken or pork or beef for meat.
Some recipes call for rice to be added early on and to be cooked with the rest, others for noodles, which is what I’ve called for here.
Other commonly used vegetables in chow mein include mushrooms, snow peas, and baby corn.
For a spicier kick, you can add a teaspoon of chili sauce or crushed red pepper flakes.
Feel free to double the recipe if you’re serving a larger crowd.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat in a skillet or microwave before serving.
So the versatility when you have a crowd to cook for is always excellent and it’s one of my go to dishes when something filling is needed fast.
Chicken chow mein
Ingredients:
225g chicken breast, thinly sliced
225g chow mein noodles
- Tbs vegetable oil
- onion, thinly sliced
- cloves of garlic, minced
- carrot, cut into very fine strips
- red capsicum, thinly sliced
- C cabbage, thinly sliced
- C bean sprouts
- Tbs soy sauce
- Tbs oyster sauce
- Tbs sesame oil
- Tbs brown sugar (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Spring onions and parsley, chopped for garnish
Method:
Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
In a large pan or wok, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken slices and cook until they are no longer pink in the centre, about five to six minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, add the onion and garlic. Stir-fry for about two minutes until they become fragrant and slightly softened.
Add the carrot, capsicum, cabbage, and bean sprouts to the pan. Stir-fry for another three to four minutes until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and add the soy sauce, sugar, oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt, and pepper.
Stir-fry for an additional two to three minutes, allowing the flavours to combine and the chicken to absorb the sauce.
Add the cooked noodles to the skillet and toss everything together gently, ensuring that the noodles and ingredients are well-coated with the sauce. Cook for another two to three minutes until the noodles are heated through.
Taste the chow mein and adjust the seasoning according to your preference.
Remove from heat and transfer the chicken chow mein to serving plates. Garnish with chopped green onions for added freshness and colour.
