As I’m typing this post, this is what we’re having for dinner tonight!

update: ohh man – I forgot how good this easy chicken stir fry was… haven’t had in awhile cause hubby gets a little “windy” with stir-fry…an overshare, I know… we cooked up the beef variation – have added instructions below…

Teryiaki Chicken Chow Mein w/Summer Veggies

1 pkg chow mein steamed noodles (found beside the tofu, near the lettuce cooler)
2 or 3 pre-seasoned frozen teriyaki chicken breasts, thawed till icy & sliced into 1/4″ strips
4 cloves fresh garlic sliced (not chopped/pressed)
1 large vidalia onion sliced
1 large red pepper sliced or 1/3 each of red, yellow, orange peppers
1 large broccoli head, sliced into fleurette
1 cup each diced green & yellow zucchini
1 handfull snow peas (approx 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup baby corn (frozen, but thawed) or canned & drained
1/4 cup chicken broth or 1/4 water w/1pkg powdered chicken bouillon (approx 1 Tablespoon)
1 to 2 Tablespoons Teryiaki sauce

Heat large pot of water on stove (enough to boil steamed noodles for 2 min)
follow directions on steamed noodle package, drain once cooked

Cook chicken slices in separate pan – approx 7 minutes or until done. Set aside.

While waiting for the water pot to boil & the chicken to cook:

Heat pan on stove, med-high heat, spray w/non-cook spray
add garlic – cook for 1 min
reduce heat to med-low
stir & add onions – saute for 2 min w/lid on
stir & add peppers – saute for 3 min
turn up heat to med-high
stir & add chicken stock & teriyaki sauce
stir & add broccoli & baby corn- cook for 4 min
stir & add zucchini & snow peas – cook 1 min w/lid on
stir & remove pan from burner
Find a big serving bowl, place noodles in bottom and veggies & chicken on top.
Serve with plum sauce on the side

From beginning to end, this clocked in at 22 minutes.
Serves 6

Vegetarian Option: This dish is just as good without the chicken, and using vegetable bouillon instead of chicken stock.

Beef Option: slice a round steak wafer thin and fast fry, or fast fry strips from the store can be good too – since we get our beef from my sister’s organic farm, we slice our own – if you’ve not had a real grass fed happy pasture fed beef – you’re in for a flavour treat – just keep the heat down a little when cooking as they are extra extra lean)

I remember the first time I tasted steamed chow mein noodles – I had no idea what it was, but boy was it good! My little 5’2 Philipina friend Ophelia introduced this scrumptious dish at a pot “blessing” as my friend Sharon says. We’re a small group of both gals & hubbies of all backgrounds, ages, sizes and demographics yet we’re such a community, and at the time … in the middle of the big city no less. Anyone that had too many of something, would always share with the others without and vice versa. Just goes to show, it’s the spirit of the group that makes the dynamic special, not necessarily the location.

This favorite dish has been refined and re-refined to the pallets of our household. There never was, really an original recipe, it was the “rummage through the fridge see what’s in there” recipe. One night, I measured out how much I used of each, and presto! here it is. The secret to this recipe is the fresh garlic & vidalia onion. It’s the foundation of the whole blending of flavours for the recipe. If you can get the garlic at the farmer’s market, even better. Once you’ve grown your own, you’d be hard pressed (pardon the pun) to go back. OH! and fellow Canadians, if you’ve tried a “certain chalet chicken place” this summer, you’ll LOVE the spinach salad recipe below!

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Mandarine Spinach Salad w/Dried Cranberries

1/2 300g bag baby spinach pre-washed in bucket
1/2 head romaine pre-washed (or 1 head if “hearts”) just all spinach works too
1 can mandarine oranges, drained
1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced
1/4 cup craisins (dried cranberries work too, but not as sweet)
Renee’s poppyseed dressing ( or Kraft creamy poppyseed) to taste, which is approx 1/2 cup
TIP: to gague quantity of dressing, when the salad is in the mixing bowl, pour the dressing around the in-side of the bowl.
That will be enough dressing for that salad.

Method:
combine spinach, romaine, onions and dressing
add red onions, mandarines and craisins

sprinkle of toasted almond slivers is nice on top

serve

From beginning to end this recipe clocked in at 5 min.

Secrets & Substitutions
If using salad as a meal, add pre-cooked Lillydale Brand chicken slices – it makes an amazing ultra-fast light dinner or lunch (the girls at work will be jealous) Just dress at the office… ahem… I mean, dress the salad at the office.
Steamed noodles can be purchased fresh & put in the freeze when you get home. Add 5 min to the cooking time, and still get the great taste of a fresh noodle!

Alternate to mandarins:
1 ripe mango, julienned (use the all yellow mango)
1 ripe nectarine, sliced