This is the first time in a couple weeks that I cooked this much! It’s been two weeks since my gallbladder surgery and I am introducing regular foods into my diet, still very low fat and no meat yet, I didn’t get to enjoy my favourite chicken balls, but the rice and noodles were good enough to keep me satisfied!
I had two large chicken breast, and I made three dishes with it! I used one whole breast for the chicken balls and the other I divided with the rice and noodles, at first I wasn’t going to add it to the noodles, but the kids asked me to, the rest I added to the rice.
You can use different sauces if you wish, there’s so much variety of sauces and seasoning packages that it can get overwhelming, I am not good at picking out the right ones, so I get the ones specific for the dish that I am making. If anyone has any tips please share!
What you will need for the Veggie Chow Mein:
- 1 bok choy
- 1/2 red onion
- 2 green onions
- 1 pkg of button mushrooms
- 2 carrots
- 1/2 green bell pepper
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 2 celery sticks
- 1 clove of garlic-grated
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 1 pkg chow mein seasoning package
- soy sauce
- 1 pkg of fresh chow mein noodles
- 1 chicken breast if you desire
Rinse and chop bok choy. Slice carrots, celery, red pepper, green pepper and green onion. Chop the onion and grate the ginger and garlic. If you are using chicken, cut into bite size pieces and cook first.
While you are preparing the veggies, bring a pot of water to boil for the noodles, noodles need to cook only for 2-3 minutes according the directions on the bag, I use only the fresh noodles.
Add carrots, celery, green onion, red onion, mushrooms to a large pan and cook in 1 tablespoon sunflower or vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil, or you may use only sesame oil, you may use less oil, I only use 1 teaspoon of each as I am on a very low fat diet at the moment.
Cook veggies for a few minutes, add in the bok chow, garlic and ginger. Cover and cook for a few minutes longer.
If you are using chicken, add the cooked chicken into the veggie mixture now.
Take your chow mein seasoning package and according the package I use, it says to stir into a cup and 1/2 of water and stir into the veggie mixture. It will thicken as it cooks, takes another minute or so.
In a large bowl or pot combine veggies with noodles, you may add a little soy sauce, or what I like to do is let everyone add it on there own. Enjoy!
I have been making this for the kids since they were little, they love them with my sweet and sour sauce, thing is I never measure it I just throw the ingredients in and voila it becomes a sauce! My grandmother taught me how to make it, with ketchup, sugar, vinegar, cornstarch and water.
My daughter Dina doesn’t like ketchup so I started to use this pineapple sauce from a jar. Its a win win for all of us, less work for me and everyone likes it. You can buy sweet and sour sauce if you don’t like pineapple, or if you are good at coming up with sauces, you can try making it with the ingredients I mentioned above.
For the chicken balls:
- 1 cup flour + 1/4 cup
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 large chicken breast or 3-4 small pieces of chicken breasts
Cut chicken breast in small pieces, cook them thoroughly. In a bowl, whisk together the 1 cup flour, baking soda, and salt, stir in the milk and water. Add in the extra amount of flour a tablespoon at a time till it turns into batter. The consistency should be like a doughy pancake batter.
In a 2 qt pot heat a some sunflower oil, I do not like to deep fry however you may if you desire. I add a some oil at different batches at a time.
Test the oil by adding a little batter, if it bubbles and cooks it’s ready, if not wait until it is hot otherwise the dough will soak up to much oil.
Dip chicken into batter, and spoon into the hot oil, I like to cook at dial 4 on my stove top which would be below medium heat, if the oil is too hot, it will burn the dough from the outer part and not cook the inside of the dough. Turn the chicken balls with a fork and remove with tongs. I cook 5 balls at a time.
It cooks rather quickly so do not turn around when making them.
Place the cooked chicken balls on a paper towel lined baking sheet to absorb oil.
Serve with sweet and sour sauce or pineapple sauce. Enjoy!
For the stir fry rice:
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 1 package stir fry rice seasoning
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery sticks
- 1/2 red onion
- 1 cup peas
- 2 green onions
- 2 small chicken breast or more
Depending how much chicken you have or want to use, we like less chicken, 1/2 a large breast was enough for us, but you can use more.
Cut chicken into small strips and cook first.
In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon sunflower or vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil, or you can use only sesame oil if you desire.
Cut carrots into small cubes, chop celery, onion, and green onion.
Add veggies to the oil. Cover and cook till tender, takes a three to five minutes, add in the cooked chicken.
Add in the rice and combine, pour in the seasoning till heated, the seasoning package I used asks for the mixture to mixed with a tablespoon and 1/2 of water. Mix all together. Enjoy!
The package I used asked for a scrambled egg, I cannot have egg yolk at the moment so I didn’t add that part.
This post is totally drool worthy & I’m imagining how good it tastes. Everything looks so amazing mashaAllah & your lovely photography skills make it even better.