How To Make An Awesome Lo Mein

Whenever I go out to a Chinese restaurant, I always get a noodle dish. Lo mein is my favorite, and it totally beats any add water cup of noodles. Lo mein means tossed noodles, while chow mein means fried noodles. And while the lo is healthier than the chow, sometimes I really want to skip all the extra salt and grease, but keep the flavor. Thats why I like to make dinner at home. So if you love lo mein and youre sick of not knowing what goes in it to make it so tasty then leave the restaurant and make it at home instead, for a cheaper, healthier meal. And its perfect as leftovers Id say it tastes better reheated than when you first make it. To feed a family of four, you will need:

4 skinless split chicken breasts cut into thin slices

5 teaspoons of white sugar

3 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce, or low sodium soy, if you prefer

1 1/4 cup chicken broth

1 cup water

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon pepper, white or black

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 tablespoons cornstarch

12 oz. linguine, or Italian vermicelli, if you want a thinner noodle

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons fresh ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 lb. shiitake mushrooms, without stems, and cut up

1. Add the chicken, coriander, half the sugar, half the vinegar, and half the soy sauce. Let the chicken marinate in this mixture for at least an hour.

2. In a bowl, add the chicken broth, water, sesame oil, and pepper with the rest of the sugar, vinegar and soy sauce. In a separate bowl, begin adding this mixture to the cornstarch, and stir.

3. Cook the linguine until tender, drain it, and set it aside. Then heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok until its hot. To the wok, add the chicken, and fry that baby for 5 minutes. Let it sit with all those juices.

4. Add the remaining vegetable oil from the wok and add garlic, mushrooms, green onions and ginger to stir fry. Heat on high for at least 30 seconds and add the sauce. Add the chicken. Simmer the sauce for two minutes or so, or until it thickens, and add the noodles. Toss it all together for an awesome lo mein.

You can add other ingredients too, like Chinese cabbage, carrots, and onions, bean sprouts, red bell pepper, and water chestnuts. A splash of fish sauce adds some extra flavor, and Hoisin sauce is good too, if you prefer. And if you like it spicy, you can add some chili pepper or some Sriracha hot sauce. Substituting pork or beef isnt kosher, but it sure tastes good. If you want to add any extra veggies, feel free to get creative, and if youre vegetarian, just replace the meat with tofu.

With this recipe, the only thing youre missing is the fortune cookie!