Easy Veggie-"Chicken" Chow Mein

For all those nights when take-out sounds REALLY tempting, recipes like this are a life-saver.

I can whip this up in 15 minutes if I have things prepped ahead (I have rice and noodles in my fridge most weeks, just waiting for a quick dinner like this).

My Sprouts like this over rice; those dry, crunchy, fried chow mien noodles; or the softer pan fried noodles that you can buy pre-cooked in the produce department (I've even been known to use spaghetti if the pantry's a little bare). They also prefer a lot of sauce per amount of veggies, but you can adjust that to your preference.
And my tips to make this even quicker? Have the veggies sliced ahead of time, or stop by the supermarket salad bar. The noodles or rice can be made ahead, as mentioned above, and simply heated in a skillet or steamed a little.

Super Easy "Chicken" Chow Mein

(All the veggies marked with {*} can be mixed,

matched, substituted for your favorite or

increased in amount.)

1 clove garlic, smashed or pressed
3 stalks fresh celery , sliced*
1 cup coarsely shredded cabbage*
handful of fresh broccoli flowers, sliced*

1/2 a red bell pepper, sliced thin*
1 carrot, sliced thinly on the diagonal*
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup bean sprouts*
1 cup sliced mushrooms*
1 (7 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts OR baby corn OR both, drained
2 cups cut up "chicken" (home-made seitan, Morning Star Farms Meal Starters, Gardein or fried tofu cubes, or your fave)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups chicken-style vegetable broth
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
pinch of sugar
hot cooked rice
chow mein noodles

In a large skillet or wok, saute garlic, and "harder" vegetables (celery and carrots) in oil for aprox. 2 minutes. They should still be very crisp. Add broccoli, cabbage, pepper, mushrooms and "chicken". Saute for another minute or two, again, just barely cooking.
Add bean sprouts and water chestnuts.
In a large bowl, blend cornstarch with water.
When smooth, add broth, soy sauce and sugar to bowl.
Mix well and pour over vegetables.
Bring to a boil, stirring until sauce thickens.
Reduce heat to low or off.
Serve over hot, cooked rice or chow mein noodles.

You can sprinkle with almonds or sesame seeds if you want a little more protein or if you're not using tofu or "chicken".