Sesame Chicken Lo Mein!

I spent a few days thinking about a chicken dish to make for this post- we don't eat much chicken, but I see no reason not to start. Chicken is a lean protein and it's versatile. This recipe is a combination of a recipes from the Betty Crocker Cookbook and Recipezaar. It combines the zingy bite of teriyaki garlic chicken and the smoothness of noodles marinated in sesame oil, soy sauce and a little sugar.

Noodles:

1 lb. lo mein noodles OR the thinnest pasta you can find
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup fine granulated sugar
5 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sesame seeds

Chicken:

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh ginger- chopped very finely
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
olive oil for sauteeing



Do this to marinate the chicken a few hours before you want to eat: Combine the soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, garlic, brown sugar and ginger in a bowl, stirred until sugar has dissolved. Slice chicken into small bite-sized pieces. Add chicken to marinade and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. If you like spicy, add some shakes of hot chili oil and stir.

Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package. Drain and rinse. In a container with a tight-fitting lid, add soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. Shake until well blended and the sugar has dissolved. Pour over noodles, tossing to coat well. Toss and continue to coat while adding scallions and sesame seeds. Add hot pepper flakes to tasted (if desired). Cover and set aside.

Drain chicken well. Heat olive oil over medium high heat in the largest skillet you have- you want it to cook quickly, not gather liquid and steam. If it takes more than one batch, that's fine.

Add chicken to skillet and saute for 5 minutes or so, until it is just cooked through. Brown on the outside but don't let it dry out! Remove to bowl- let it sit for 5 minutes. If you do this in batches, just add the second batch to the same bowl and wait 5 more minutes. Fold the cooked chicken into the noodle mixture and serve.

I served this in bowls with chopsticks, sat back, and watched it disappear. My family loved this, and I will most definitely make it again. This dish is so versatile! You can make it a vegetarian dish by leaving the chicken out and adding al dente vegetables-- anything that won't add a much moisture to the noodles at the end. If you spice it up with the chili oil and hot red pepper flakes, julienned carrots might be just the thing to add. It would be good with beef, too. It would be good cold. Anything goes- like many of the recipes I try, it can be tailored to suit your family's taste. I hope you love it as much as we did...and the eggs.