Moo Goo Gai Pan

My sister and I used to hit up the China Buffet quite frequently as children with our grandparents on a Friday night. Now that my kids are so much older and mature (ha!) I thought maybe they would try it! This recipe makes a lot - perfect for a crowd. If you only want enough for 2 adults to have dinner and leftovers I would definitely halve this. I felt like this recipe was a little less salty and not so heavy in sauce, which I prefer. You CAN saute in broth instead of oil if you feel like you want it even healthier. Also - if you wanted to make it vegetarian, some pan seared tofu would be super tasty!

***TIP! Be sure and have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go BEFORE you begin sauteing. This food cooks quickly and can easily burn if you are trying to chop as you go.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 2 egg white
• 4 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons of cornstarch divided use
• 1  - 32oz chicken broth
• 3 teaspoons of sugar
• 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce
• 3 teaspoons sesame oil
  
• 2 cups of uncooked white rice (I used jasmine)
• cooking oil
• salt
• 1 cup of thinly sliced carrots
• 4 cups of sliced mushrooms
• 2 cups of snow peas
• 2- 8oz. cans of water chesnuts, drained
• 2- 8oz. cans of sliced bamboo shoots, drained
  
• pepper
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger (I zested mine)

Recipe:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg whites and 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch. Add the sliced chicken to it, toss to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Strain and discard the excess.
2. In a small bowl whisk together 1.5 cups of broth, the sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil. Set aside. 
3. In a medium pot, bring the rest of the broth, 1.5 cups of water, a splash of cooking oil, and a bit of salt to a boil. Add in the 2 cups of rice. Cover and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Remover from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
4. In a large saucepan, heat some cooking oil over medium high heat. Add the carrots and 2 tablesoons of water. Cook for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly.
5. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until mushrooms are browned and tender.
6. Add the snow peas and cook 1-2 minutes or until tender.
7. Stir in the water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. Season all of it with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Remove the vegetables from the pan to a large bowl. Cover to keep warm.
9. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel. Heat more cooking oil over medium high heat.
10. Add the chicken to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionaly, until chicken is cooked through, 3-4 minutes.
11. Add the garlic and the ginger and only cook for 30 seconds more.
12. Grab the soy and sugar mixture. Whisk in 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons of cornstarch.
13. Add the vegetables back to the pan and heat for 1 more minute. Pour in the soy sauce mixture and turn on high heat. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Sauce should thicken. Stir occasionally. 
14. Serve over rice immediately.