Chicken Lo Mein

This recipe was inspired by my dad. My dad is an amazing cook, I have so many memories of him in the kitchen or bbq'ing  at one of his famous back yard parties he would always throw in the summer. He wasn't a cookbook man and everything he made was either from whatever was left over in the kitchen or family recipes of my Poppa's. Growing up I never really appreciated the things he would make but now I find myself going towards these old recipes and it makes me smile knowing I'm passing down something that was similar to what I ate growing up.  One of those dishes always involved Ramen Noodles, I know not the healthiest thing on the planet but my dad could always turn an ordinary package of Ramen Noodles into some sort of gourmet meal. Now I always have packs of Ramen Noodles on hand just for the noodles, thankfully they come in handy every now and then.

The other day I had the strangest craving for some Chicken Lo Mein, now usually I would call up my beloved Chef Huangs and order their wonderful Lo Mein but since we are trying our hardest to stick to our no eating out resolution I decided it was time to figure out how to make my own at home. After googling and reading countless recipes I discovered it wasn't that hard to throw together. I didn't follow a specific recipe but after finding one that used spaghetti noodles I decided to go in the direction of Ramen Noodles instead to add more flavor. Now its not as good as Chinese take out but its pretty darn close and it's certainly a healthier version. It's also another way to get veggies into your kids, expand their taste buds a little. And for the non wok owners (raises hand, I know, worst half Asian ever) I cooked mine in my trusty red dutch oven and it turned out just fine. I hope you try and enjoy this quick meal.

items needed:

• 2 packages Ramen Noodles (noodles only)
• 1 lbs chicken tenders
• 3 tbls Teriyaki Sauce
• 2 tbls Soy Sauce
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ginger
• 3 cloves fresh garlic chopped
• 1 tsp corn starch
• seasame oil 
• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 bell pepper any color is fine
• fresh green beans chopped
• 2 carrots chopped
• broccoli chopped 
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Cut the chicken tenders into bite sized pieces and season with salt and pepper, place in a bowl with 2 tbls teriyaki sauce and allow to marinate for at least 30 mins. The longer the better. 
2. In a medium pot boil some water for the Ramen Noodles, cook the noodles and set aside. 
3. While you wait for the water to boil prep your fresh veggies. I used whatever veggies I had on hand and chopped them up into bite sized pieces. 
4. In a small bowl mix together the remaining tablespoon of teriyaki sauce, 2 tbls soy sauce, 1 tsp corn starch, 1/2 tsp fresh ginger and the 3 cloves of chopped garlic.
5. Heat 1 tbls of vegetable oil in a large pan, add the marinated chicken and cook until no longer pink in the middle. When the chicken is cooked remove from pan. 
6. Heat another tablespoon of vegetable oil in the pan and throw in your fresh veggies, saute for 5-10 minutes depending on how crispy you want the veggies to be, I hate crunchy carrots in cooked food so I cook mine a little longer.
7. Once the veggies are cooked add a dash of sesame oil. Sesame oil is very flavorful and will over power your dish so don't over do it. Next add in the 1 tsp of rice wine vinegar. 
8. Give the veggies a quick stir and add in the sauce mixture, chicken and noodles. Stir well to mix all the flavors together, serve and enjoy