Tags: Holiday Pasta People
Liev was born on December 2nd, and his first Christmas (just twenty-three days later) was a blur of feedings, diaper changes and ten-minute power naps. We were living in Virginia at the time and my parents, who had come for his birth, had already flown back to California. Adrian had Christmas off, but we had nothing prepared. The freezer meals my mom had left behind were long gone and we hadn’t been to the grocery store since before the baby was born. I managed to prepare a big pancake breakfast—there’s always “just add water” pancake mix in my kitchen—and that held us over through lunch. But what to do about dinner? I started looking online for an open restaurant and quickly realized that Chinese was going to be our only option for Christmas dinner. We ordered enough Chinese food to feed a small army and veg’d out all evening. It’s still one of my favorite Christmas’ ever. Adrian agrees. We were exhausted and still trying to figure out what the heck we were doing, but the food was excellent and we had the best Christmas gift in the world swaddled up in his bassinet next to us.
In the three years that have followed, we’ve had Chinese food every year for Christmas lunch. It’s homecooked now, but still just as delicious. I guess you can say it’s become part of our Christmas tradition. It’s funny how traditions start, isn’t it?
In honor of the approaching Christmas season, I wanted to share my Christmas Chow Mein recipe. You may not serve it for Christmas dinner, but I hope you make wonderful memories around this dish.
CHRISMAS CHOW MEIN:
- Chow Mein Noodles (steamed and rinsed)
- 1 lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- 1/3 tsp Soy Sauce (for chicken marinade)
- 1/4 tsp Corn Starch (for chicken marinade)
- 2 tbsp Veg. Oil
- 3 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1/3 cup Shredded Cabbage
- 1/3 cup Shredded Carrot
- 1 cup Bean Sprouts
- 2 Green Onion Stalks (thinly sliced—white and green parts)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
SAUCE:
- 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Water
Start by dicing the chicken thighs into bite sized pieces. To the chicken add the 1/3 tsp soy sauce and corn starch marinade. Toss to coat. Set aside and let marinate while you prepare the rest of the dish.
Cook the noodles according to package instruction. Rinse cooked noodles and set aside.
In a small bowl combine the oyster sauce, sugar, 2 tbsp soy sauce, and water. Set aside.
Now you’re ready to put it all together.
Start by heating the oil in a wok or large stock pot. Once hot, add garlic and cook until fragrant (careful not to brown too deeply).
Add chicken and brown.
Stir in cabbage, carrots and sprouts. Cook about three minutes more.
Add noodles, sauce, green onions and salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly to combine.
Serve and enjoy!
