by Is this “real” chop suey? So far as I know, that’s a sort of catch-all term anyway, and this is a catch-all sort of recipe, that I’ve so heavily modified from the original recipe that I can’t say that it’s “real” anything, but it works, anyway. Especially if you have meat ready to go, having prepped and frozen chicken thighs, for instance, it cooks up pretty quick. Three notes: I haven’t modified the quantities from the extra-large amount and saucy-sauce for my family. There’s more cornstarch in here than you’d usually find, but that I think it works in this recipe. And the key is the sesame oil; use the unrefined sesame oil in the “Asian food” section of the supermarket, not the refined version in the “oil” section. Until I realized that, I thought: eh, it’s OK but kind of bland, because the oil really makes a difference. Oh, and you can turn this into a Lenten meal by removing the meat.
3/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbps sesame oil
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp garlic powder
2 – 3 tsp beef or chicken soup base
1 cup water
1.5 – 1.75 lb chicken breast or thigh meat, or beef sirloin, sliced into small pieces
1.5 – 2 bags of frozen stir-fry veggies, or frozen broccoli
Cook meat, 1/2 at a time, in extra-large skillet, until browned. Remove. Add 1/2 cup water, then frozen vegetables, and re-add meat. Simmer, covered, until vegetables are done (we like our veggies pretty soft, though I know that’s not very high-class) or nearly-done.
Combine all sauce ingredients, plus remaining 1/2 cup water and the cornstarch. Add to pan, and bring to boil to thicken. Serve with rice or pasta, as desired.
