Moo Goo Gai Pan

Moo Goo Gai Pan – create the classic flavors in your own kitchen! Mild flavors of ginger and soy sauce mingle with fresh crunchy vegetables for a dish just like you remember!

My dad grew up in Hawaii.

Hawaii Grandpa and family loved not only traditional Hawaiian dishes, but Cantonese and Chinese foods as well. They had Chinese chefs, and a big collection of the coolest rice cookers I have ever seen. I still have one of those rice cookers, the one that made the rice that I grew up enjoying.

One of my favorite dishes as a kid – aside from a big bowl of plain, buttered rice – was my mom’s Moo Goo Gai Pan.

I loved it. I asked for it constantly, I craved those flavors. I love the crunch of the water chestnuts, the mild but perfect flavor of the sauce, and even the crunchy vegetables.

Day Two of Vegan MoFo asks us to recreate a meal from your childhood. Even though it has literally been years since I had any Moo Goo Gai Pan, it was the first thing I thought of. I asked mom to come spend the day last week, and went shopping the night before to buy double the ingredients so mom could take half home to share with my stepdad.

As Veronica Corningstone would say – I nailed it.

We nailed it, mom and I. She brought with her the recipe in her head, and I helped remember exactly how it tasted. We had a really fun day, and the Moo Goo Gai Pan? Perfect. Exactly as I remember.

and honestly, I am not even kidding – I made it again last night.

Moo Goo Gai Pan

dairy, egg, soy and gluten free, vegan

INGREDIENTS:
3-6 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
1 head broccoli
1 large carrot
1/2 pint snap peas
1 pint crimini mushrooms
1 package Beyond Meat Chicken Strips
1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
3 green onions, peeled
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger, peeled and minced fine (grated)
1/2 cup water
3+ tablespoons soy sauce, plus extra to serve

INSTRUCTIONS:

Prep: chop broccoli into bite size pieces, and carrot into thin rounds. Cut the ends off the snap peas, slice mushrooms into thin slices, slice green onions into 1/2 centimeter pieces. Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Set aside a large plate near stovetop, for sautéing veggies in stages. 

In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch, finely minced ginger, water, and soy sauce. Set aside.

In a large skillet or wok over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons sesame oil. Add carrots and broccoli, sauté several minutes until bright in color and just starting to soften (longer if you prefer softer). Transfer cooked broccoli and carrot to plate.

Return skillet to heat, add the remaining sesame oil. Add snap peas and mushrooms, sauté until just softened. Add to plate with broccoli and carrot.

Return skillet to heat, add chicken and sauté for several minutes, until warmed through. Transfer to plate with veggies.

Return skillet to burner, turn off heat. Re-whisk cornstarch ginger liquid, and add to skillet. Whisk to ‘deglaze’ and remove the flavorful bits from the pan, whisking until mixture thickens (if it becomes too thick, add water a couple tablespoons at a time to thin). The result you are looking for is a flavorful glaze.

Return veggies and chicken to skillet, and add sliced water chestnuts. Toss to coat everything completely. Top with green onions, serve with soy sauce, over rice.

tastes like childhood.

printable recipe: