Quick Chicken Moo Shu

I think this recipe should take some kind of prize for longest gestation. I cut it out of the newspaper last spring. I had planned on setting it aside until fall when I would get to the Asian food market for hoisin sauce. Over the summer, I found hoisin sauce in my local grocery store. I bought it and put it aside because it was too hot to cook. When I was at the Asian food market in November buying tofu for the turkey stir fry I spotted frozen moo shu pancakes. I bought them and stuck them in the freezer. Here it is December and I'm finally getting around to making it! I'm happy to report that it was worth the wait.

This recipe calls for fresh ginger. Instead of substituting ground ginger as I normally would, I have decided to try out an idea I have heard from other cooks. If you don't use a lot of fresh ginger, I'm told that you can freeze it and just break off a piece when you need it. I'll let you know how that works out. It also calls for shredded cabbage. I didn't have time or energy to shred cabbage, so I cheated and bought a cole slaw mix. You only need one cup, but in the future, I will definitely be doubling that. This recipe is excellent but could use more "crunch". I will also be substituting flour tortillas for the moo shu pancakes. I don't know if it is the particular ones I bought or if frozen ones are not a good idea, but they just didn't work out for me. They didn't taste good and they were too stiff to wrap around the chicken.

Verdict: Yum! This one's a keeper.

Quick Chicken Moo Shu

(Source: The Star Ledger )

2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch lengths
1 cup cabbage, shredded
4 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 cup hoisin sauce
8 to 12 small, soft flour tortillas

In a wok or large saute pan over high heat, heat oil until hot and stir-fry ginger, garlic, scallions and cabbage, about 90 seconds. Add chicken and stir-fry until hot.

Remove from heat and drizzle sesame oil and hoisin sauce over stir-fry mixture. Toss to coat with glaze of oil and hoisin.

Serve immediately with warm, soft tortillas or steamed Mandarin pancakes, additional hoisin suce and chopped scallions, if desired.

Recycle: oil bottles, hoisin sauce bottle

Compost: ginger and garlic skins, unused parts of scallions and cabbage