Cooking Done Light

Chicken Chow Mein as we know it, is actually a Chinese-American hybrid. It is vegetables and meat served over crispy fried noodles. This lighter version bakes the noodles instead, which eliminates all of that extra fat and added calories. This is another versatile dish that can easily be changed around depending on which vegetables you prefer – or happen to have on hand! Why bother calling to order fatty take-out when you could have this healthy, delicious meal on the table in less time than it would take for the delivery person to ring your doorbell!

6 ounces thin whole wheat pasta (such as angel hair or cappellini)

1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder

6 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, coarsely chopped

2 green onions, sliced

2 cups bok choy, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups mixed frozen vegetables, thawed and drained

1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and drained

1 cup fresh bean sprouts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting the salt. Rinse well under cold water until pasta is cool to the touch, then drain well. Lightly spray a 9 inch cake pan, and spread the noodles in the pan, pressing down firmly. Lightly spray the top of the “noodle cake” with cooking spray and bake for 10 minutes. (As always, if you’re in a hurry to get dinner on the table, you can skip baking the noodles and just boil and drain them. Then serve with the vegetables and meat on top; it still tastes just as good this way!)

Invert the noodles onto a baking sheet on large platter, then carefully slide it BACK into the cake pan. Bake for an additional 10 – 15 minutes or until the top is crisp and lightly browned. Then transfer back to the platter and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together chicken broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, pepper and five spice powder until the cornstarch dissolves. Set aside.

Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Add the chicken and green onions and cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until the chicken is no longer pink (about 5 minutes). Stir in the bok choy, mixed vegetables, and water chestnuts; cook for an additional 3 -4 minutes. Push chicken and vegetables over to one side of the pan and add the sauce to the bottom of the skillet. Stir sauce until thickened (about 2 minutes). Stir in the bean sprouts. Spoon over “noodle cake” to serve.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: Calories 264, Total fat 2 g, saturated fat 0.5 g, trans fat 0 g, carbs 42 g, fiber 5 g, added sugar 1 g, protein 18 g, sodium 223 mg, cholesterol 12 mg, calcium 57 mg.