This chicken lo mein takes about 20 minutes to make. It is better, faster than your local take-out, and it serves a whole family. This is a perfect recipe for when you come home from work and you got hungry kids to feed. You can also take it to work as lunch because it reheats in the microwave really well. The flavor if impeccable, it is nutty, savory. The chicken is tender and soft. The noodles are very filling but well balanced with the veggies.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb of fresh egg noodles
• 12 oz (340 grams) of chicken breast
• 1/3 tsp of salt
• 1/3 tsp of baking soda
• 1/2 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine
• Black pepper to taste
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 inch of ginger
• 4 oz of carrot
• 1/2 of a red bell pepper
• 5 shitake mushroom
• 5 oz of snap peas

To Make The Sauce

• 1.5 tbsp of Soy sauce
• 1 tbsp of dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp of Oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp Hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine
• 1 tsp of pure Peanut butter
• 1/2 cup of water

Ingredient tips:

I use fresh lomein noodles, also known as egg noodles. If you don’t have it, use pasta and cook it until 80% done. You can also check page ***to learn how to make your own.

INSTRUCTIONS

Slice the chicken breast thinly, which allows the marinade to mingle faster and it will also cook faster.

Slice a few garlic thinly and julienne a little bit of ginger. Put them into the chicken as part of the marinade. If you don’t like to actually bite into the ginger, you can grate it finely so it is not too strong for you.

Season it with 1/3 tsp of salt, 1/2 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine, some black pepper to taste, and 1/3 tsp of baking soda, sprinkle it here and there. Baking soda will break down the meat fibers and tenderize the chicken. It will give you that melt in your mouth texture. Mix well. Set it aside.

You can use whatever vegetables you have left in your fridge. I am using carrot, bell pepper, a few mushrooms, some snow peas, and some scallions. If you think cutting vegetables is too much work, you can just buy a pack of pre-cut, mixed vegetables from the supermarket. If you are a meat-eater, you can even skip most of the vegetables and toss in some scallions and onion at the end for the flavor.

Combine all the sauce ingredients thoroughly: 1.5 tbsp of Soy sauce, 1.5 tbsp of dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp of Oyster sauce, 1 tbsp Hoisin sauce, 1 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine, 1/2 tbsp of pure peanut butter, and 1/2 cup of water.

The peanut butter will make the sauce creamier and thicker. It helps the flavor to wrap around the ingredients, which makes the noodles taste so much better. You have to break up the peanut butter a little bit first so it doesn’t clump up.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles until 80% done. Drain completely. Do not over cooked the noodles otherwise they will turn soggy when you finish them in the wok with that lomein sauce.

Meanwhile, turn the heat to high and heat your wok until smoking hot. Toss in the marinade chicken and stir for 2 minutes or until it just changes color. Add all the vegetables except for the scallions. continue to stir for 1 minute. Add the well-drained noodles along with the lomein sauce. Keep stirring over medium heat until all the sauce is absorbed. As soon as the sauce is gone, you have to turn off the heat. Otherwise the noodles will start sticking to the wok. Add the scallions and serve.