Recipe: Healthy Heart Chow Mein (low salt, no soy sauce)

CHOW MEIN

"This popular dish can also be made with cooked leftover chicken, turkey, or pork and served over rice."

1 medium onion
1/2 green bell pepper
6 medium mushrooms
1 cup mung bean sprouts, other sprouts, or shredded cabbage
10 ounces boneless chicken breasts*
3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided use
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons sherry (not cooking sherry)
2/3 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Prepare the vegetables: Cut the onion and green pepper into chunks; slice the mushrooms and sprouts; arrange vegetables on a plate. Cut the chicken into thin strips and have the pieces ready on a plate.

Combine 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the sugar, and 2 tablespoons sherry in a small bowl.
Stir in the boiling water; set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic for a minute or so until you can smell the garlic.

Add the onions and stir-fry for 30 seconds (push the onion pieces from side to side with a wooden spoon, wok utensil, or spatula).

Add the green pepper and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.

Add the chicken and stir-fry for approximately 2 minutes. (Cooked leftover pieces of meat need only be stirred in for a few seconds to heat.)

Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for another minute.

Add the sprouts and lemon juice mixture. Stir to combine. Turn the heat down, cover, and cook for 3 minutes.

While it is cooking, combine the cornstarch with remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and sherry. Add this to the wok and stir for another minute or two, until the sauce has thickened.

If desired, serve over rice and/or with chow mein noodles. (The convenient canned fried noodles have approximately 200 mg of sodium in a small 1/2 cup serving.)

*Or cooked leftover chicken, turkey, or pork.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving (without rice or fried noodles): Calories: 261, Fat: 5 g (1 g saturated), Protein: 24 g, Cholesterol: 41 mg,
Carbohydrates: 30 g, Sodium: 58 mg

Adapted from source: Healthy Heart Cookbook: Over 300 Tasty Low-Sodium Low-Salt Recipes by Edith Tibbetts and Karin Cadwell; PhD., R.N.