How-To Make Homemade Chicken or Beef Chow Mein

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Squid Chef Connie Loves Home Cooking!

This is a family favorite! Some of my best memories are the hours my daughter and I have spent chopping veggies, wrapping wun tun, or peeling potatoes for our evening meal...

Grab your favorite family person and head to YOUR kitchen for some homemade fun and laughter.

Together, we'll learn how to make homemade chicken or beef chow mein that will have the entire family singing your praises!

Connie's Squid Chef (c) 2006 All rights reserved

 

For Added Fun....Grab a Friend, Family Member....or Your Favorite Kitty to Help Out With the Preparation! 

I love country cooking...MODERN country cooking, that is!

I was born and raised in the country, but I'm here to tell you, I'm really happy to have passed through the days of outhouses, pumps and old wringer washers...

Cooking is much easier when appliances are run by electricity...and a lot more fun!

I love to cook, bake and entertain...This is the first of the recipes that I am working on sharing with you...

As my daughter was growing up, I discovered many of her friends didn't know how to cook!

I find it completely unacceptable that young girls miss out on the joys of cooking...we all need to eat healthy meals; and the time spent preparing meals as a family is one of the healthiest activities for creating tight family bonds that can never be unraveled!

 

Welcome to my kitchen at
Squidoo

Meet my daughter and favorite cooking partner... she loves to cook as much as I do!

I Was a Little Suzy Homemaker Way Back When... 

I've been a Betty Crocker fan since I was a child! I won the Betty Crocker Award when I was a senior in high school...

The criteria included a test of homemaking skills and knowledge, as well as an essay about how to handle a moral dilemma.

I've always loved planning meals, trying out new recipes...I especially love the trips to the market; selecting fresh fruit, veggies, meats and poultry rank high on my list of favorite things to do!

One of them was to sew my own aprons... now, I leave the sewing to Zazzle, so I have more time for cooking; and designing Squidoo artwork!


Squid Chef apron

Squid Chef
by

gods_grace_notes

Make a kitchen apron online at www.zazzle.com
More Arts Design Fashion Aprons

It's Time to Gather Your Ingredients 

2-3 Large Chicken Breasts or 1 1/2 Pound Beef Cubes
Onion
Bell Pepper
1-8 ounce can of Mushroom Stems & Pieces
1-8 ounce can of Water Chestnuts
Celery
Fresh Garlic or Garlic Powder
Ginger
Kroger Brand (r)Soy Sauce
1- 26 ounce can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup (r)
1- 26 ounce can La Choy Chop Suey Vegetables (r)
La Choy Chow Mein Noodles (r)

Cookware:
1 large dutch oven
1 large skillet (I prefer cast iron)

Chicken or Beef...It's YOUR Choice! 

Thoroughly wash two to three large chicken breasts
(or a 1 -1 ½ pound package of beef cubes)

Place into the dutch oven and cover with cold water...
Cook on medium heat, about 45-60 minutes for chicken;

4-6 hours for beef cubes(Beef cubes need to be simmered slowly in order to be tender, not tough...)

Frozen Chicken Breasts From Tyson Are the Foundation for My Chow Mein!

Peel and clean the veggies 

Clean a bell pepper by cutting off the top and scooping out the middle

Cut the top and bottom off the onion and remove the outer skin

Cleanliness is next to Godliness! 

Rinse thoroughly...

Prepare the celery 

Cut the bottoms off the entire stalk of celery

Prepare the celery (2) 

Cut the tops off the entire stalk of celery

Chop the celery 

Rinse thoroughly and cut diagonally (Chinese Style) into pieces (larger than bite size)

Saute.... 

Sauté in oil in a pre-heated iron skillet
(medium heat)

Cut the bell pepper 

While the celery is cooking, cut the bell pepper into larger than bite size pieces

Cut the onion 

Cut the onion into 8ths...

(Chinese Style: larger than bite size)

Here's a Tip! 

If your celery gets soggy, place it into a glass of cold water with a tablespoon of vinegar...in just a few hours it will be nice and crispy again!

Prepare the chicken or beef... 

Shred the chicken or beef

Place the cooked chicken (or beef) into a casserole dish will make it easy to shred (not so hot on your fingers!)

Like this! 

Oh...so easy!

Add some more veggies... 

Drain the water chestnuts and sauté with the celery...

If you'll notice; you are beginning with the veggies that take longer to cook....

More veggies... 

Add the onions and bell pepper and continue to saute on medium-low heat

Time for the soup... 

Place the Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup into a large Dutch oven with one can of water

Mushrooms 

Drain the liquid and add the mushrooms

Back to the soup mix! 

Drain and add the La Choy Chop Suey Vegetables ® to the soup

Yummmmmm....looking good! 

Chop suey in the soup mix...

Add the chicken.... 

or the beef!

Needs some more soup... 

It didn't seem to have enough gravy, so I added another can of soup!

Combine the sauted veggies with the soup mixture... 

Add the sautéed vegetables to the soup and veggie mix

(When you saute, you cook the veggies until they are "tender crisp"...not completely tender, so they won't get soggy in the soup!)

A little soy sauce for flavor.... 

Season to taste with soy sauce. garlic and ginger

I was out of fresh garlic the day I made this batch, so I used garlic powder

A little ginger goes a long way, so add it in small portions!

Start with a little..... 

Season to taste.....

Simmer ......... 

Simmer slowly til hot and bubbly.....

Serve over crispy chow mein noodles.... 

Season to taste with soy sauce, garlic and ginger

(Soy is strong, so begin with just a little and season to taste...)

If you use fresh garlic, sauté it with the fresh veggies...or you may use garlic powder

Ginger is strong, so go easy!

Squidoo is As Much Fun as Home Cooking! 

Squid Chef 3

Connie's Squid Chef (c) 2006 All rights reserved

Squid Angel 

The Colossal, Stupendous, and Incredibly Amazing... Cast Iron Skillet! 

Lodge Logic 12-Inch Pre-Seasoned Skillet

Amazon Price: $27.50 (as of 07/10/2009)Buy Now

A good cast iron skillet is a kitchen essential.. I use mine so much, I have to have 2 of them!

It's a Black Iron Beauty... 

by KC Stargazer

Cast Iron Dutch Oven 

Lodge Logic Pre-Seasoned 5-Quart Dutch Oven with Loop Handles

Amazon Price: $34.99 (as of 07/10/2009)Buy Now

Cast iron is a great heat conductor... it spreads the heat evenly so your chow mein can simmer until you are ready to serve...

Home Cooking With Fresh Veggies Infuses Your Meal With Tremendous Nutritional Value! 

Onion is a term used for many plants in the genus Allium. They are known by the common name "onion" but, used without qualifiers, it usually refers to Allium cepa. Allium cepa is also known as the "garden onion" or "bulb" onion. It is grown underground by the plant as a vertical shoot that is used for food storage, leading to the possibility of confusion with a tuber, which it is not.

Allium cepa is known only in cultivation, but related wild species occur in Central Asia. The most closely-related species include Allium vavilovii Popov & Vved. and Allium asarense R.M. Fritsch & Matin from Iran.Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (2004) Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA Foundation, Wageningen; Backhuys, Leiden; CTA, Wageningen. However Zohary and Hopf warn that "there are doubts whether the vavilovii collections tested represent genuine wild material or only feral derivatives of the crop."Daniel Zohary and Maria Hopf, Domestication of plants in the Old World, third edition (Oxford: University Press, 2000), p. 198

Sweet Vidalia Onions Are My Personal Favorite 

Category: File - :Vidalia_Onions.jpg#file|thumb|right|Vidalia onions

A Vidalia onion is a sweet onion of certain varieties, grown in a production area defined by law in Georgia and by the United States Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The varieties include the hybrid yellow granex, varieties of granex parentage, or other similar varieties recommended by the Vidalia Onion Committee and approved by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

The onions were first grown near Vidalia, Georgia, in the early 1930s. It is an unusually sweet variety of onion, due to the low amount of sulfur in the soil in which the onions are grown. Mose Coleman is considered the person that discovered the sweet Vidalia Onion variety in 1931.

Georgia's state legislature passed the "Vidalia Onion Act of 1986" which authorized a trademark for "Vidalia Onions" and limits the production area to Georgia or any subset as defined by the state's Commissioner of Agriculture. The current definition includes:

*The following thirteen counties: Emanuel, Candler, Treutlen, Bulloch, Wheeler, Montgomery, Evans, Tattnall, Toombs, Telfair, Jeff Davis, Appling, and Bacon.

*Portions of the following seven counties: Jenkins, Screven, Laurens, Dodge, Pierce, Wayne, and Long.

The Vidalia onion was named Georgia's official state vegetable in 1990.

Connie's Guide to Kitchen Tools 

Cutting Boards for Easy Clean Up! 

Farberware 3-Piece Poly Cutting Board Set

Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 07/10/2009) Buy Now

Oxo Good Grips 10-1/2-by-15-Inch Utility Cutting Board, Black Trim

Amazon Price: Too low to display (as of 07/10/2009) Buy Now

Totally Bamboo Congo Parquet End Grain Cutting Board

Amazon Price: $48.12 (as of 07/10/2009) Buy Now

Here's Some Help With the Onions... 

Alligator 533110 The Onion Cutter with Collector

Amazon Price: $34.96 (as of 07/10/2009) Buy Now

Alligator Onion Cutter & Chopper

Amazon Price: (as of 07/10/2009) Buy Now

Onion and Veggie Cutter

Amazon Price: (as of 07/10/2009) Buy Now

Garlic is Good... and Good For You! 

:For the former town, see Garlic, California.

Allium sativum'', commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, and chive. Garlic has been used throughout recorded history for both culinary and medicinal purposes. It has a characteristic pungent, spicy flavor that mellows and sweetens considerably with cooking.

A bulb of garlic, the most commonly used part of the plant, is divided into numerous fleshy sections called cloves. Single clove garlic (also called Pearl garlic or Solo garlic) also exists?it originates in the Yunnan province of China. The cloves are used as seed, for consumption (raw or cooked), and for medicinal purposes. The leaves, stems (scape), and flowers (bulbils) on the head (spathe) are also edible and are most often consumed while immature and still tender. The papery, protective layers of "skin" over various parts of the plant and the roots attached to the bulb are the only parts not considered palatable.

September is Time to Celebrate My Birthday....AND National Chicken Month! 

EatChicken.com
This is your one-stop shop to learn everything you need to know about buying, cooking and enjoying chicken!

September is National Chicken Month 

How-To Buy Fresh Poultry 

How-To Buy Poultry
Here's the USDA guide to learn how to shop for fresh poultry...

How-To Buy Fresh Beef 

Smart Beef Buying Tips
Appearance, grade, selecting the right cut for the right cooking method and how much to buy are all important factors.

Here are a few tips that make selecting the best beef easy...

Dine Without Whine 

Here's a family friendly service you're going to love! This loving Mom answers the question... "What's For Dinner?"... everyday of the week!

Her meal planning service includes weekly menus with a fully loaded grocery list!

It's a great idea...it's inexpensive...and the benefit to your family is immeasurable.

(Not to mention your peace of mind!)

Dine Without Whine - A Family Friendly Weekly Menu Plan

Founder of Dine Without Whine, Kristine Steendahl 

"I Have Established Dine Without Whine Because I Have Discovered The Benefits Menu Planning Has Brought To Our Family And I Have A Passion To Help Other Busy Families Easily Enjoy The Same Results."

Founder of Dine Without Whine

The Changing Faces of Betty Crocker 

Did You Know That "BETTY CROCKER" is a Ficticious Character? 

Who Was Betty Crocker
The Washburn Crosby Company of Minneapolis, one of the six big milling companies that merged into General Mills in 1928, received thousands of requests each year in the late 1910s and early 1920s for answers to baking questions.

In 1921, managers decided that it would be more intimate to sign the responses personally; they combined the last name of a retired company executive, William Crocker, with the first name "Betty," which was thought of as "warm and friendly."

The signature came from a secretary, who won a contest among female employees. (The same signature still appears on Betty Crocker products.)

When Your Soul is Hungry For Food For Thought... 

Visit my blog... it's all about God's good plan for our lives, and what you "Knead" to find it!

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans for hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

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Thanks for Visiting! 

Once Again, Here's Your Shopping List....

  • 2 - 3 Large Chicken Breasts
    OR
    1 - 1 1/2 Lbs Beef Cubes
  • Campbell's Mushroom Soup
  • Celery
  • Onions
  • Bell Pepper
  • Fresh Garlic
  • Soy Sauce
  • Mushrooms
  • Chop Suey Vegetables
  • Crispy Chow Mein Noodles
  • Powdered or Fresh Ginger gives your chow mein that oriental flavor you're looking for...
  • Water Chestnuts (I didn't include them in the recipe...
    (coz I was fresh out the night I made this batch!)

    They come in a can about the size of a can of tuna, and are already sliced...they are nice and crunchy, and take on the flavor of the other veggies and seasoning...Yummy!

    Just add them in when you saute the onions and bell peppers...

Guest Book 

Do you like the "HOW-TO" lens? Did you love the food?
Tell me about it!

poutine wrote...

It doesn't sound so difficult to do now that you explained it so well.

ReplyPosted December 01, 2008

2knights wrote...

This is truly beautiful. Thanks for giving us all a wonderful place to visit.

ReplyPosted September 01, 2008

LeeJ wrote...

Thanks for sharing the recipe. It's a lot easier to make than I thought it would be

ReplyPosted June 26, 2008

eccles1 wrote...

looks great!! thank You

ReplyPosted June 15, 2008

PricePiece_Marketing wrote...

Great lens! You really made me hungry... :-) I enjoyed my time spent here. 5 stars - Live Streaming Video

ReplyPosted January 22, 2008

SpicySun wrote...

Hi! Great lens! I can't wait to read more.....Please visit my new lens Spicy Sun Rubs and Dips! It is soooo delicious! Your friend, SPICY!

ReplyPosted October 10, 2007

Aika wrote...

good post, very informative. Kudos! 5 stars

ReplyPosted August 30, 2007

Gatsby wrote...

***** Yum! Yu have made me hungry!

DogWhisperWithRena

ReplyPosted August 28, 2007

DogWhisperWoman wrote...

Who among use does not love homemade food? Great lens! *****

DogWhisperWoman, author of Best Dog For Child

ReplyPosted August 27, 2007

KevinRiley wrote...

Connie, now you've gone and made me hungry. Cooking is one of my hobbies. In fact, I like creating my own recipes (Not just the IM Recipes, but real food recipes). I love cooking dishes from all over the world.

ReplyPosted July 18, 2007

rms wrote...

The pictures are really helpful! Great lens! 5 stars

ReplyPosted June 07, 2007

Robbin wrote...

Yummy, thanks, I'm going to have this for supper this week! Thanks for sharing. A well done and fun lens!

ReplyPosted May 27, 2007

Forgiven wrote...

Great, now I am starving! =) Great job!

ReplyPosted May 24, 2007