Chicken Lo Mein – another quick work night meal

I don't know about you, but I am not real keen on going out for dinner. Oh, don't get me wrong.... if I get invited out to a high end restaurant, I'm there. Especially if someone else is paying! And perhaps on a Friday evening, after putting in 40+ hours, we might grab a pizza out somewhere. I do like to eat lunch out, but because I am a teacher, I usually eat in the cafeteria with 60 elementary and middle school students..... (no wonder I want to run straight home after work and never leave! ha)

No,  I'm talking about going out to eat at your average, local spot..... you know, maybe for soup and a sandwich. A burger. We have places here in town that stand up rather well to a home cooked meal, but I'd much rather stay home and do grilled cheese or bean burritos. Maybe it's just me? I like the food that comes out of my own kitchen.

Here's a perfect example of what I like to cook at home..... light, tasty, cheap, healthy, tons of leftovers and really not difficult. Try it and let me know what you think. 

Here’s what you need: (it’s a long list….. )

8 oz lo mein noodles (it’s worth it to search around your town to find these – makes a nice difference)

Oyster sauce

Soy sauce

Sesame oil

Chicken stock

Red pepper flakes

Sesame seeds

Vegetable oil

Some chicken breast – boneless, skinless

Some sliced onion

Some sliced carrot

Some sliced celery

Some sliced red pepper

Some sliced mushrooms

3-4 minced garlic cloves

Some snow peas
(note: I go way overboard on all the veggies cuz I love them. You decide what works for you.)

Here's what you do to make the sauce:

In a very large bowl, mix about 2 T oyster sauce + 4 T soy sauce + ½ C chicken stock + red pepper flakes + a few dashes of sesame oil. Sometimes I make even more sauce…. it’s delicious.

Here’s what you do:

Sautee the chicken in some veggie oil until no pink remains. Toward the end, add in the garlic and cook a bit longer. The kitchen will be smelling great right about now.  Remove from pan and set in the bowl with the sauce.

I do carrots and onions first. Then peppers and celery. 

Sautee the remaining veggies in batches, beginning with the hardest ones like the onions and carrots. Keep your skillet nice and hot! Keep going until everything is cooked (but not mushy !)

End with the mushrooms and snow peas. Make lots and lots of veggies. They cook down a bit and they are essential to the dish’s success. Keep adding them to the bowl.

In the meantime, boil the lo mein noodles according to the package. Drain and add to the bowl of goodness.  

Mix all together and determine if you need more sauce… I usually make more at this point.

Serve with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and a drizzle of sesame oil. Very good!! I recommend!

(printable recipe)

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