Easy Chicken Chop Suey

Serves 4

Chop suey is a Chinese-American chicken and vegetable stir-fry that was created around the mid-19th century. I read that it does not exist in China, but we love it in this country. This recipe, which came from my mother, is very easy and delicious. Make certain you have everything prepped before starting to cook the chicken and, served with rice, you will have a complete meal for a busy weeknight in no time.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons canola or other vegetable oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips about 1/2-inch wide
• 1 medium green pepper, sliced into strips or chopped
• 1-1/2 cups chopped celery
• 1 cup sliced onions
• 4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups combination of canned bean sprouts, water chestnuts and/or Chinese vegetables, drained
• 1-1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• Pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup toasted slivered almonds (optional, see notes below)
• Hot cooked rice (see the similar and related recipes)

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Add the peppers, celery, onions and mushrooms. Cover, reduce heat and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Add canned vegetables, chicken broth, soy sauce and pepper. Bring to a boil. Blend cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water; add to pan, stirring vigorously until well-blended. Cook another 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir in almonds. Serve over rice.

Notes: To toast almonds, place in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and golden, being very careful not to burn. Mom first made this recipe years ago when fresh Chinese vegetables were not readily available. Many can now be found in the regular grocery store, so you can use fresh if desired. However, the canned are very good in this recipe.