Saucy Chinese Chicken & Hidden Vegetables

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In a rash moment I decided to inflict a Chinese meal on the kids last night.  Two out of the three do like noodles with a splash of soy and sesame so it wasn't entirely out of left field.  But the basis of my plan was to use up some broccoli and carrot, each liked by one and not the other.  And poor Princess, whilst often being my best eater, isn't renown for her love of vegetables and change in general.  So I don't know what on earth put me decide to take such a culinary gamble.

But it worked!! Princess ate quite happily if not heartily.  Sprout wolfed down two helpings and only turned down a third as she had just learnt it was ice cream for pudding.  Big Boy picked at his, but then ate it all in superquick time when I revealed there was grated carrot in it - his favourite vegetable.  Yet surprisingly, when I also revealed it contained grated broccoli stalk, he picking that out too to eat announcing it was yummy when grated.

This is not a very colourful dish, but the plan was to hide the vegetables and it worked.  You could add different vegetables, for example peas and sweetcorn or larger chunks of carrot and broccoli to add a little more colour once your kids are a more daring.

Serves 2 adults or 3 children

2 chicken breasts
1 large carrot
2 broccoli stalks
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 mug boiling water
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp white wine, sherry, or Shaoshing Rice Wine
3 tsp cornflour
2 layers Sharwoods Egg Noodles

Chop the chicken into mouth sized pieces.  Grate the carrot and broccoli stalk, and crush or grate the garlic.  Stir fry the chicken in the sunflower oil over a high heat until white on all sides.  Add the garlic, a mug of boiling water, and the soy, sesame, oyster sauce and wine if using.  Leave to simmer rapidly to reduce the liquid whilst you cook the noodles according to the packet's instructions.

Drain the noodles when cooked.  Check the sauce with the chicken.  If you like it wet and runny, just add the noodles to heat up again then serve.  If you want a thicker sauce, mix 1 tsp cornflour with about 2 tsp cold water in a mug.  Pour this into the simmering chicken and stir.  Keeping on adding 1 tsp of cornflour like this until the sauce is the thickeness you like.  It took 3 tsp when I made it last night.

To make it easier for the kids to eat I snipped the noodles with a large pair of scissors several times once everything was in a bowl and gave them a fork and a spoon.

This meal was loosely based on Ching He Huang's Saucy Beef & Tofu