Thursday, March 8, 2018

Ruthy's Chicken Lo Mein Revisited!


Well, there are deadlines looming in the Herne house, and there are still folks who like to eat... so I dusted off this favorite because most of us love Lo Mein... and now that I've devised this recipe, it works so well for a crowd... or for a catch-as-you-can kind of meal.

I've finished my Christmas novella and my mystery and I've done all the cover work for the former... and I'm nearly done with "At Home in Wishing Bridge" revisions... But this week is that final push after a rough January of family illness here on the farm. But all are well now... (YAY!) and here's a look back at a great and delicious recipe! We like it warmed up, too, and the secret is in the sauce... not like in "Fried Green Tomatoes" style... but in actual oyster sauce style! :)


I'm experimenting with making Lo Mein.
Lo Mein like I buy at a Chinese restaurant.
Lo Mein that tastes WONDERFUL...

With a sauce that clings and leaves you wishing for more.

I think I"ve got it and it's fairly easy. Therefore it qualifies for "Simply Saturday!"

First, here are your ingredients:




2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups water
1 1/2 Tablespoons Chicken base or 3 bouillon cubes
1 Tablespoon garlic (granulated or a couple of cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon ginger
1 package Broccoli Slaw or Rainbow Salad
1 can water chestnuts, chopped (drained)
1 can bamboo shoots, chopped (drained)

For sauce:
Chicken broth from above
Splash of Sesame oil
1/2 cup Soy sauce
1/4 cup corn starch
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons Oyster sauce

1 lb. spaghetti style pasta (or fettucine, or linguine, or angel hair) cooked al dente.

Heat water in large frying pan. Add a spritz of sesame oil. The brown splotches you see here:


Add chicken seasoning, garlic and ginger. Mix. Add chicken, bring to gentle boil, cover and simmer about 5-10 minutes until chicken is just cooked through. Remove chicken to platter. Save liquid from chicken in small saucepan.



Cook pasta according to label directions, but don't overcook. Lo Mein is better with a firm pasta. Drain when done. While that's cooking:

Add a splash of olive oil to the now empty frying pan. Heat. Add the vegetables, all of them. Stir fry quickly over medium high heat, giving them just enough time to warm through and become slightly tender. You want a bit of crunch going on. 



And in a two-quart saucepan on the smaller burner do this:

Add corn starch to soy sauce and blend with whisk. Add all ingredients into the 2 quart pan with the chicken broth from cooking chicken and heat. Mixture will thicken as it heats.





Pour over vegetables. Toss lightly.


Add chicken. Toss again. Mix entire pan with drained pasta.

Serve.



The nice thing is that Lo Mein can be done meatless KAV!!!!  :)  And you can flavor the broth with veggie broth instead of chicken. I'm not sure how to get around the oyster sauce. This is a "secret" ingredient that gives Lo Mein that yummy indefinable background flavor and adds to the "clinginess" of the sauce. 

We liked this even better than my first attempt at Lo Mein a few weeks ago. This was restaurant worthy and shrimp or beef or pork could be substituted for the chicken. 

This easily fed six people on two chicken breasts. I mean really.... who can't celebrate that????



















8 comments:

  1. Oh my, now I'm wanting Chicken Lo Mein and I just finished breakfast. LOL I prefer chicken in my dishes most of the time.

    Glad everyone is well at the farm. I'm defnitely looking forward to your new stories, Ruthy. Blessings as you finalize each one.

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    1. Marilyn, thank you! I am so blessed to do what I do. And this Lo Mein came out so well... I need to make it more often. Just because it makes me smile and keeps folks happy!!!

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  2. The last time you shared this recipe, I forgot to make it. I LOVE Lo Mein, and the family likes stir-fry anything, so I know I have to try it. Thanks for revisiting it today!

    And I love hearing about all those writing projects in their finishing stages. :-) I just started "Welcome to Wishing Bridge" last night (I know...it's been sitting on the top of my TBR pile for too many weeks!), and I love it. Can't wait until my next reading time!

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    1. Jan, I fell in love with this recipe after many kitchen fails that didn't come out right. No flavor. Wrong texture. This one worked and the oyster sauce was the key. Such a little bottle and such a little amount but it makes the difference in the sauce texture, cling-ability and flavor... who knew????

      I hope you love Welcome to Wishing Bridge... I'm revising "At Home in Wishing Bridge" right now, Thea's story and my hope is that folks will love that one as much as the first one. I love these women and their abiding friendship!!!

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  3. I'm glad you are all healthy again! And I like it when you have deadlines because that means more goodness for me to read down the road. :-)

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    1. SO TRUE!!!! :) You are such a blessing to us, Kav!!!

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  4. Oh, I do love Lo Mein, Ruthy. And now that we no longer have a Panda Express right around the corner, I need a good Lo Mein recipe, so I am printing this out.

    Sounds like as soon as all those deadlines are met it will be spring and you'll really be hopping then. Planting, cleaning, playing in the mud... Would you believe I actually had to mow yesterday? Not surprised that I mowed, but that it's officially mowing season in our neck of the woods. We only mow the 2 acres around the house, though. The cattle can take care of the rest.

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    1. Mowing two acres is a job! We don't mow that much, probably an acre or so, more or less... and we use a hand mower, that's an exercise regime for those step-counters, LOL! I've had "garden spread" the last few years which means less mowing... and more weeding or Round-up. But it came out real pretty and that was my goal!!! I love that you have spring there, and I'm anxiously awaiting these next four weeks... maybe five... to see hints of real green again! It's coming!!!

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