Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Moo Goo Gai Pan


I just got back from visiting my brother, sister in-law, and their children.


It had been two years since I last saw them.  It's crazy how time flies.  I didn't realize it had been so long.  When I saw my nieces and nephews, I couldn't deny the passing of time.  They were so changed.  
I question how I am spending my life when I come face to face with how fleeting time is.  Is my job meaningful and fulfilling?  Should I be living in this area?  I don't know.



This maybe a little too deep for an introduction to a post about moo goo gai pan, but it's on my mind.


This is another recipe from The Chinese Takeout Cookbook.  I check it out of the library, and it has been delightful.

Moo goo gai pan is an Americanized version of a Cantonese dish called mógū jīpiàn in Mandarin Chinese.  It's called mòhgū gāipín in Cantonese.  It is a simple stir-fried dish with chicken, mushrooms, and other assorted vegetables.


The ingredients for the marinade are 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoon Chinese rice wine, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  The ingredients for the sauce are 1/4 cup chicken stock, 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch.


The remaining ingredients are 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger, 4 ounces snow peas, 1/2 pound white button mushrooms, salt, and pepper.


I started by marinating the chicken.  I combined the soy sauce, rice wine, and cornstarch.  I stirred the marinade until there were no lumps.  I chopped the chicken breasts into fourth of an inch chunks and stirred it into the marinate.  I let it sit for ten minutes.



I prepared the sauce by combining the chicken stock, rice wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and cornstarch.  I stirred the sauce until the sugar and cornstarch had dissolved.



After the chicken had marinated for ten minutes, I added the vegetable oil to a hot skillet.  I added the chicken and stir-fried it for three minutes.  I removed the chicken and set it aside.


I added garlic and ginger into the same pan and stir-fried the ginger and garlic for 30 seconds.


I added the sliced snow peas and mushrooms.  I cooked the vegetables for three minutes.


I added the chicken and sauce to the skillet and let the ingredients simmer for two minutes.


The sauce should be thick and the chicken fully cooked after two minutes.  I added salt and pepper to taste.


 I served this with white rice.


This was another great recipe.  There were many deep and rich flavors.  It was savory and aromatic.


It was quick to prepare, perfect for a quick meal.


It was a pleasant and toothsome dish.  I recommend it!


4 comments:

Unknown said...

Looks delicious Laura! That is a tough one about your family. I can understand why you'd be having difficulty like that. Kids grow up way too fast. Hope you get it worked out dear!

Ashley said...

So sorry you are so far from family! 2 years is a long time. This meal looks perfect for dinner!

Kelsey Ann said...

Dang this looks good! And packed with so much flavor!

laura said...

Thanks ladies!