weeknightdinner

Wok Steamed Chicken and Mushrooms is a simple, healthy and tasty dish to start your New Year Resolution right and you will be rewarded with loads of compliments!  There’s very little prep time and considering it’s only 2 main ingredients: organic chicken thighs and oyster mushrooms, it oozes with natural flavors.
It’s a very typical homestyle dish my mom used to make and instantly brings back vivid childhood memories when you take that first bite. I sent my sisters the photo collage and they all wanted it right away, it’s funny how food associations are so strong.

Benefits of Steaming…
Your wok really is versatile, it’s not just for an Asian stir fry. The shape, depth and wide opening makes it a perfect pan for steaming. Steaming is a really fast way of cooking fish and chicken while retaining its natural flavors.

IMPROVISE…
My approach to cooking for newbies is to improvise with what you have and make it the best tasting dish, if you don’t have mushrooms, it will still taste good!  The dried oyster mushrooms are the ones that came in your Kit!  As with any of my  dishes, you can substitute with turkey, pork, beef, fish, tofu.
My personal preference is chicken thighs or drumsticks, they are more moist and tender compared to breast which can be dry and not as flavorful.  I just reminded my sisters what they said to me when I was young and would ONLY eat breast, “let her enjoy cause she’ll realize dark meat that’s good when she gets older!” Ha, ha and here I am.
Feel free to blanche whatever vegetable you have, I had green beans. It’s also a fast way to cook up a batch of vegetables if you’re in a hurry, I show how to blanche veggies here.

Ingredients:
1 packet organic chicken thighs deboned and skinned (Costco)
Earthy Delight oyster mushrooms, or a mix of enoki, shitake, whatever you like
knob ginger
2 scallions
handful cilantro

3/4 lb. green beans blanched in wok with drop of grape seed oil and salt
curry quinoa
Seasonings:
TSPC: tamari, sherry, pepper (ground white), cornstarch
grape seed oil
salt
curry powder
Prep Instructions:
1. Cut chicken into 3-4 chunks and put into coup dish, marinade with TSPC.
2. Trim mushroom stems and save steeping juice and stems for making stock if using dried. Add mushrooms to chicken and mix in.
3. shred ginger, chop cilantro and shred scallions, save a few for garnish. Add to dish and mix in.
4. Boil water in your wok, place steamer rack or wood chopsticks across your wok as shown (don’t use disposable because they bend). If your lid has a gap between lid and wok, drape a kitchen towel to prevent steam escaping.
Cooking Process…
1. Make rice or quinoa first, takes about 20 mins. You can cheat with making curry quinoa by sprinkling curry powder, coconut oil and salt once quinoa is cooked and combine well. (I like to fry my quinoa in a little oil when it’s cooled off and sprinkle curry powder, the aroma is exquisite.)
2. Blanch green beans in boiling water in your wok and squeeze a few drops of grape seed oil and little salt and put lid on. Taste for doneness, I like mine crunchy, remember they continue cooking a little, drain and set aside.
3. Place your dish of chicken and mushrooms on top of chopsticks and put lid on. Test at about 8-10 mins by cutting into one of the chunks for doneness (i.e. any red), you don’t need to turn over.  Don’t keep opening the lid while it’s cooking cause you’ll let all the steam out.
My Steamed Ground Turkey Meatloaf was pinned 106 times, woohoo. I also showed how to use your wok in 3 different ways in one dinner: steam, blanche and fry, so make use of that wok!