The Not So Skinny Cook

This was one of my favorite dishes growing up, and is a good way to eat a lot of fresh veggies. The name is just what my mom used to call it, it most closely resembles chow mein.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 2-3 lbs chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 carrots, julienned*
• 1 red pepper, thinly slices*
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced to ~1inch pieces on the diagonal (both white and green parts)*
• 1-2 cups sugar snap peas, stringed*
• 1-2 cups bok choy, roughly chopped*
• 1 cup bean sprouts*
• 6-8 servings Chinese egg noodles, get the kind that looks like this (I have had good luck finding them in Asian markets).
• 1.5 cups chicken broth
• 3 Tablespoons corn starch
• ~1/4 cup soy sauce, to taste
• 1 egg white
• Neutral cooking oil (such as vegetable or canola)

*Note, you can leave out or change the amount of any of the veggies to suite your taste

Directions:

1. Prep veggies and chicken.
2. Start a large pot of water to boil and preheat the oven to 350F.
3. In a bowl combine the egg white with 1 tablespoon corn starch, once well mixed stir in the chicken and then cover and set aside. (Note, you can do this step several hours/a day in advance and then keep refrigerated.)
4. Add egg noodles to boiling water and cook them according to the instructions. Once done cooking strain and toss with 1/8-1/4 cup oil, until the noodles are well covered. Spread noodles out on a baking sheet in an even layer. Put noodles in the oven, check every 10 minutes until the start to become crispy. Once they begin to become crispy toss/stir them and then spread in a thin layer again and put back in the oven. When they get close to your desired done-ness, start checking them every 5 minutes. While the noodles cook move on to the rest of the cooking, this way everything is done roughly at the same time. Once the noodles are done, remove them from the oven and set them aside.
5. On high heat add ~1 Tablespoon oil to a wok. Once very hot add chicken, stirring often cook until brown bit start to form on the chicken. Once done remove chicken to a bowl and set aside. Return wok to high heat.
6. Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok, once very hot add all the veggies except for the bok choy and bean sprouts. Stirring frequently cook until veggies are almost done and still crispy.
7. While veggies cook, make the sauce by combining the chicken broth, soy sauce and 2 Tablespoons corn starch, mixing until corn starch is dissolved.
8. Once veggies are almost done add the bok choy and cooked chicken and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
9. Once bok choy leaves are wilted add the sauce, and stir to coat. Then add the bean sprouts and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat.
10. To serve, in a large dish arrange the noodles around the platter, breaking them up into smaller chunks to make for easier serving, leaving a whole in the center. Then add the chicken and vegetable mixture to the middle. By not covering all the noodles on the serving platter they will stay crispy longer. Serve immediately.

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