Chicken Lo Mein

This easy chicken lo mein is quick enough to make on a weeknight. Mix it up with your favorite protein and veggies.

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Do you have any holiday traditions? 

I had to think about this one. As a kid I have fond memories of decorating the tree with Mannheim Steamroller Christmas music playing, making press and cut out cookies (no frosting, sprinkles added before they baked thankyouverymuch), and driving around to see lights.

But as an adult I think the most consistent thing is going out to a movie and ordering Chinese (after failing to remember that yes Bill Gray’s is indeed closed) on Christmas Day. It’s a tradition originally born out of necessity but now is one of my favorite things. 

How did this start?

Sometime in the early 2000s when my mom had moved back to her home state of Maryland, and my dad and step mother moved to Knoxville, TN, “going home” looked a bit different. Where is home when your house that you grew up in is no longer yours? Instead, when visiting for the holidays we would stay with my Godparents. Which was great but since they already host a Christmas Eve dinner there isn’t any need to do it again the next day, beyond leftovers.

So we went to the movies and got Chinese afterwards. And it stayed that way ever since. Is it a tradition? I suppose it is and might be the only one I have participated in with any consistency. It’s not a must do, but it’s fun and different so I enjoy it when we do spend the holidays together.

As someone who was not raised in a traditional home (parents divorced at a young age), traditions aren’t particularly important to me, adaptation was. Don’t get it twisted, our divided homes were filled with love but not many other kids had to juggle holidays, weekends, etc. Silver lining? It helped me prepare for the real world.

As an adult that skill makes it easier with my husband’s family added to the juggling act, trading off the best we can to balance between the families all over the country. Of course it’s unfortunate that we won’t be able to see every single family member this holiday season, but that’s been almost my entire life. I will see my loved ones another time and it will be just as special because time spent together is important no matter what the date is on the calendar. But I digress.

I hope you are doing whatever brings you happiness this holiday season. And if you also want to celebrate with some Chinese food, here’s a quick and easy chicken lo mein recipe for you. Can’t find lo mein noodles? You can use any other similar shaped pasta. And feel free to change up the protein and veggies to your liking.

Three years ago: BBQ Pork Charcuterie

Four years ago: Butler County – Things to do

Seven years ago: Homemade Dark Hot Chocolate Mix

Eight years ago: Baked Mozzarella Chicken Rolls

Nine years ago: Buttermilk Biscuits

Eleven years ago: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

CHICKEN LO MAIN

Print

Yield: 4-6 servings Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes 20 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

SAUCE

• 2 Tbsp sodium soy sauce*, to taste
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp Sriracha, to taste

NOODLES

• 8 oz. lo mein egg noodless**
• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 lb. chicken breast of thigh, cut into thin bite-sized slices
• 1 baby bok choy, halved
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
• 1/2 cup snow peas
• 4 green onions, sliced

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, ginger, and Sriracha; set aside.
2. In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package instructions and drain.
3. In a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add garlic and ginger, and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and cook 2 minutes per side or until no longer pink. Remove from pan.
4. Place pan back over medium-high heat, add remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Place bok choy in the pan, cut-side-down along with the bell pepper, carrot, and snow peas, cooking until tender, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the noodles and soy sauce mixture, toss gently to combine, then serve immediately topped with green onion.

Notes

*Use a good quality soy sauce as it will make a difference in flavor. **You could also use spaghetti, linguine or bucatini.

Source: Adapted from Damn Delicious and Food Network.

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