Moo Goo Gai Pan

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This is my usual order at my favorite Chinese take-out place.  I had never tried the technique of "velveting chicken"-but it was a win, so I'll keep that one in my pocket to use again on other stir fry recipes.

This recipe is from a fun family food blog called Dinner at the Zoo-check it out, lots of good stuff there. Like most things I see online, I tweak the recipe to fit my style or the ingredients I have at home.

I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs since I often use the instant pot (but not this time) and dark meat cooks better under pressure.  You must have thin sliced meat for the velveting technique to work, so partially thawed meat is easiest to slice.

Velvet the Chicken
1 lb boneless skinless chicken, thinly sliced
1 large egg white, whisked until foamy
1 Tbsp cornstarch
 Mix the egg white and cornstarch in a bowl and add the sliced chicken.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then strain off liquid before cooking.

Make the Sauce
1 1/2 C. chicken broth
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp sugar
1.5 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Veggies to chop
2 tsp minced garlic (I use the bottled kind, about 2 cloves)
1 tsp ginger, chopped (also from the bottle)
16 oz pkg of sliced mushrooms
1 C. snow pea pods
1/2 C. sliced carrots (I buy them presliced)
1 head, baby bok choy chopped across the stalk
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 can bamboo shoots

Heat 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil in a large fry pan over medium heat and add the carrots and about 1 T of water.  Stir and cook for a couple minutes, then add the mushrooms.  Keep cooking (and add a bit of water if you need it) until the mushrooms are soft.  Toss in the pea pods and cook for about a minute. Scoop all the cooked veggies out of the pan and into a bowl, wipe out the pan and put in a bit more oil and cook the chicken for about 4 minutes or until done.  Add in the garlic and ginger and stir for about a minute.  Add back the cooked veggies, the bok choy, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots.  Pour the sauce liquid over everything and cook until bubbling.

Tasty.  Serve it over rice and pick up a box of fortune cookies!