That's What Bob's Cooking: Chicken Chow Mein

Friday, January 17, 2020

Chicken Chow Mein

I’m a huge fan of Asian cooking. All my life we’ve eaten Chinese Food, as I have gotten older, I’ve developed a fondness for Japanese food, Vietnamese and Thai. Only recently have I tried Pho for the first time. I know, strange huh? And I LOVED it!

Anyhow, I always like to go back to what I would consider “the basics”. While I don’t usually follow a recipe, as I get a feel for the flavors I want and just go from their. Craig always asks me to write down what I do, or change in case he really likes it and wants me to make it again. So here is my version of Chow Mein.

made with Tofu

Chicken Chow Mein

Ingredients

Sauce and Marinade

2 tablespoons oyster sauce oyster sauce
3-4 tablespoons light soy sauce (not low sodium)
1-2 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon low/no sodium rice wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon ground schewan pepper
1-2 tablespoons sambal Oleck
1 tablespoon water or more as needed to thin out sauce

For the noodles
6-8 ounces fresh chow mein or egg noodles
One boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs about 1/3 lb., cut into 1” chunks
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 garlic cloves minced
½ teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 cup shredded Napa cabbage mixed cabbage slaw, bok choy or snap peas would work as well
1/3 cup shredded or julienned carrots
2 green onions cut into 2-inch length
1 can sliced Waterchestnuts, drained
1 can baby corn, cut
Sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce. Measure out 1 tablespoon and drizzle over chicken in a separate bowl. Meanwhile, prepare noodles according to package instructions and set aside.

Heat oil in a non-stick pan or wok over medium high heat. Add chicken and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes or until lightly brown. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for about 1 minute. Add cabbage and carrots and cook for 1-2 minutes or until wilted but still slightly crispy.

Add the noodles into the pan; give the reserved sauce a quick stir then pour over noodles. Use tongs to toss noodles to coat with sauce. Season with more salt, pepper or Sriracha and add more water to thin out sauce, as needed.

Stir in green onions, stirring for 30 seconds to combine then dish out and serve hot topped with sesame seeds.

For meal prep - divide into even portions in containers and store in fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat any leftovers in microwave or on stovetop.

Recipe Notes

*Chicken can be swapped out for turkey, beef or tofu.

*Broccoli, spinach, snap peas or bok choy can be used instead of cabbage

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My Complete Profile

I was born and raised on the East side of Portland Oregon, by two native and second generation, Oregonians, my Mom and Dad (Jack and Joan). Oregon, and the Northwest are deep in my blood. That being said, I have always had an interest in cooking. I would love to add a warm loving story here about how my Mom nurtured my love of cooking by setting me up on or near the counter top to help with whatever she was cooking. Well, that's not exactly the case.

Being a child of the 70's and 80's, I had a great exposure to classic foods like Spam, Tang, Rice-a-Roni and Hamburger Helper. While many of these premade, sodium roller coaster, treats where regulars on our table, my Mom would have to hold the title as "casserole queen". Casseroles are her favorite and her specialty. Whereas, my Dad was more of a spur of the moment kind of cook. His creations included many of the items from our makeshift pantry. Sometimes, i think he was thinking, "the more ingredients, the better it'll be!". I think my first attempt at cooking would have to have been making cookies, either peanut butter (with the criss-cross fork tine print on top), or chocolate chip cookies. Over the years I have made so many of both of these recipes, I have surely lost count.

During middle school, my Mom encouraged me to take Home Economics, thinking that all kids, boy or girl, should know how to cook out in this world. This sparked a growing interest in cooking. So when I entered my junior year of High School, at David Douglas, I enrolled in the culinary arts program, we called it Food Services I. This was a class that had been offered many years before, where the students ran a restaurant, The Kilt, during the lunch periods. Unfortunately, since the class had not been offered in several years, so we didn’t have enough students to open the restaurant, that year. Within the first few weeks of this class, my instructor asked if I'd like to be involved in an outside "club" (kind of like a version of Eagle Scouts) that was mentored by local business owners. It sounded interesting so I joined (not to mention it got me out of the first 2 periods of the day).

At our first meeting I was approached by Sylvia Poesdel, the owner of the Portland landmark restaurant, Sylvia's Italian Restaurant & Dinner Theatre. She asked me if I would be interested in an afterschool job, coming to work for her to learn the cooking/chef trade on the job. I jumped at the chance and started in October of 1985. During my senior year I rejoined the culinary arts program (Food Services II) and this year we were able to reopened the restaurant, which the rest of the students voted me to manage. I just absolutely loved it! I worked at Sylvia's until after I graduated, in 1989. I learned a lot about the restaurant industry, and I would have to say it would be one of just a few life altering jobs I have had throughout my career.

After high school, while I was working at Sylvia's, I applied to culinary arts school. The Two things kept me from continuing my career in culinary arts, were financial and having worked out in the field, I saw so many negative attributes to being a chef, I decided that since I love to cook, I wanted it to be a hobby, and not a drag to go work each day.

When I left Sylvia's, I worked at a hotel, then Safeway. From there I joined Fred Meyer in the Service Deli, and was quickly promoted to a manager. During the next 8 years, I worked throughout the Portland and Southern Oregon areas. In 1998, I earned a promotion to the regional specialist position (District Manager) in Seattle. During this career move, I learned so much about the Food Service industry. I was charged to develop a new service salad case program, as well as work on a new catering program. I had the opportunity to work with manufacturers to develop these new programs.

In 2000, I met the love of my life, Craig. I also, moved from the food service program to the grocery department as an assistant manager. In the capacity I learned to develop my management skills as well as managing inventory. By being the best in my category, I earned the position of manager, where I moved from store to store cleaning up and reorganizing as I went. I also was entrusted with training future Food managers for the region. At which point I was pursued by another company to run a store for them, and enter back into the restaurant industry. During these 3 years, I learned the Restaurant Supplier side of the business. While I enjoyed the time I spent in this opportunity, I yearned to go back to the Grocery industry, and spend more time with my first love, cooking, and writing about my adventures….in the kitchen!