Chicken Chow Mein

Do you have any left overs from that roast chicken? The favorite stand-by at our house in London was Chow mein, usually made with any left over roast meat (especially the sunday roast). Add some fresh vegetables and egg noodles and you have an inexpensive and nutritious meal in minutes.

I was lucky enough to grow up with my extended family living near-by. We had family parties where my many uncles, aunts and cousins would congregate for birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions and the food was usually pot luck. I can remember Guyanese comfort food of every kind- chow mein, curry and steamed rice was always on the menu. Of course the flavors differed slightly from cook to cook, but I never got tired of that chow mein/curry and rice combo!

The recipe for this dish can be made with veggies found in your fridge, but cabbage, peppers and bean sprouts add a nice flavor. Garlic and fresh ginger give that authentic Asian taste, but are not necessary. If you don't have any meat or you're a vegetarian, then go ahead and substitute tofu or just leave it out, just add more veggies such as broccoli.

This dish that is a must for our family recipe file:
Chicken Chow Mein

Ingredients:
1 - 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
4 ounces dried egg noodles, cooked as directions on packet
1 small onion, peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 small bell pepper, green or red, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cups green cabbage, sliced
2 cups bean sprouts
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce, optional
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Start by prepping all your vegetables - when cooking a chinese stir-fry, it is really important to have all your ingredients cut up before cooking.

• Grate the garlic and ginger with microplane or grater.

• Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a large frying pan over high heat.
• Add all the vegetables (except bean sprouts), garlic and ginger and stir fry until cooked but still crunchy. Season with salt and pepper.

• Reduce heat to medium and add the loosened noodles and chicken to the pan, combining the vegetables with noodles - you may have to use a couple of forks.

• Soy sauce and oyster sauce is added now to give a noodles a rich dark color. Continue to cook until reheated.

• Turn off the heat and lastly stir in the bean sprouts. These do not need to be cooked, I love the crunchy texture it gives to the dish.

I hope you try my version of chow mein, a recipe passed down by my mother and by her mother - I hope my daughter Lucy will have time to make it. I'd love to hear about your childhood memories, do you have any recipes you'd like to share with me?