Oct 14, 2009
I read through the reviews before making this dish. As a result, I made numerous modifications to this recipe and it came out absolutely delicious. I made the following changes: (1) I used one fresh yellow onion, about six cloves of garlic, and about 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped up ginger. I'm a big believer in using fresh ingredients where possible and here I think it really adds to the flavor. Before adding the chicken I sauteed the onion, garlic, and ginger in the oil for about two minutes. (2) In terms of the sauce, I used 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce, and 1/2 cup brown sugar. (3) In addition to the 8 ounces of mushrooms and one cup of peas, I added one chopped green bell pepper and one chopped red bell pepper. I did not include the cornstarch. It gives a great Asian flavor and is much tastier than what you would get in most Chinese restaurants. Plus there is the added advantage that it tastes so much healthier because I was able to use all organic and fresh ingredients. I will definitely make this again, maybe rotating different vegetables (I think this recipe would also work with broccoli, green beans, sugar snap peas, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, bok choy, baby corn, a lot of things). I also think it is really important to accompany this dish with rice. My rice really absorbed the sauce well.
—Gwen on the West Coast
