So this weekend I had some friends over for dinner and a movie. Things didn't turn out quite as expected, at least as far as the movie part. We just enjoyed the food and conversation so much, we never left the dinner table! I had initially proposed that we order Chinese to eat while we watched our movie, but became inspired to make my own Chinese take out. On the menu: veggie fried rice and chicken lo mein.

The veggie fried rice was the easy part - I kinda cheated and bought a seasoning packet that told me what to do (even the purists take shortcuts every now and then!) The chicken lo mein would require a little research, so off to The Google I went. I read several recipes and ended up mashing a few of them together for what turned out to be a delicious homemade version of a takeout favorite! This makes a LOT of food - great for entertaining guests (like I did) with enough for leftovers.

Here's the recipe:

Chicken Lo Mein

1lb box, thin spaghetti
4 cups chicken stock + 2 cups water
4 chicken breasts
4 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp sesame oil
2 bags frozen Asian vegetables
2 cloves garlic
1 bag (or 4 cups) Asian slaw
2 Tbsp corn starch
4 Tbsp cold water
1/2 cup light soy sauce

In a large pot, bring chicken stock and water to a boil. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserving the liquid.

Cut chicken in to small pieces. Sprinkle with salt to taste. In a large skillet or wok, heat olive oil and saute chicken until done. Remove from pan and set aside

In the same large skillet or wok, heat the sesame oil and add the vegetables, garlic and asian slaw and cook for 5 minutes until tender. Dissolve cornstarch in cold water. Add cold water and half of the reserved pasta liquid to the vegetables and stir.

Add cooked pasta and chicken to the vegetables. Add the remaining reserved liquid and soy sauce. Cook on low heat until pasta is nice and dark in color.

Yields: 8-10 servings

Adapted from Food.com

All in all - this recipe was really tasty and I loved how much it made. In fact, it was almost TOO much, as it barely fit in my largest skillet! My kitchen was definitely a little messy after all this. :o) When I make this again, I'm going to add more vegetables. I only bought one bag and I didn't think it was enough in the pasta to veggie ratio. The recipe above reflects the additional bag. And in case you're wondering what's all included in that magic bag of Asian vegetables, you get an assortment of broccoli, snap peas, carrots, red pepper, onion and water chestnuts. Some brands also include baby corn. Use whatever suits you!

As for the Asian slaw, I discovered these new salad bags from Dole: Chopped Asian Blend. It's a great, healthy addition to this lo mein with not only the expected cabbage, but also red cabbage, carrots, broccoli slaw, snap peas and that superfood everyone tells me I should eat...kale! Once it all gets cooked in with the pasta, chicken and soy sauce...you don't even know it's there!

So with the help of some seasoning packets and this recipe, all you need are some chopsticks and fortune cookies to have a great Chinese Fake Out night!