Cantonese Chicken and Mushrooms

Husband and I have been having some really good luck with our dinners from Food Network Magazine. There's a section of quick dinners that generally have a reasonable number of ingredients and aren't bad mood-inducing when you have to come home and cook after a long day at the office. We also found that cooking does take less time when we do it together (especially if Husband chops the veggies).

Cantonese Chicken and Mushrooms
Source: Food Network Magazine
Makes 4 servings
Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds chicken tenders or skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup oyster sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons peanut oil
6 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 thin slices peeled ginger
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
8 to 10 ounces sliced mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake or a mix
12 ounces baby bok choy, cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Toss the chicken with the oyster sauce in a bowl. Mix the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cold water in another bowl. Place both bowls near the stove with the remaining ingredients.

Heat a wok or deep skillet over high heat until hot. Add the peanut oil, then the scallions, ginger and garlic, and stir-fry about 20 seconds. Add the chicken mixture and stir-fry until the meat is no longer pink on the outside, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and bok choy.

Add the broth and sesame oil to the skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the cornstarch mixture, return to a boil and cook, tossing, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and glossy, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with rice, if desired.

Comments

[Steve Oi]

Hello Elizabeth,

For glossier chicken, add a bit of corn starch to the chicken slices along with the oyster sauce. Alternatively, marinade the chicken slices with a bit of light soy sauce and a bit of corn starch before heating your wok.

Also, the bok choy may be a bit undercooked if you add them to the stir frying process. You may want to consider briefly blanching the bok choy.

[Elizabeth]

Thank you for the suggestions, Steve! You must be a great cook!