'I made a quick chicken Chow Mein - but there's one thing I'd do differently next time'

Having defrosted chicken breasts, with mushrooms in the fridge and a packet of Chow Mein sauce, it was time to be creative with a recipe.

Luckily there were egg noodles in the kitchen cupboard so the idea for a chicken and mushroom chow mein stir-fry took hold.

Wanting to add more vegetables to the dish, the only leftover I had in the fridge was red cabbage.

Disappointed by the limited food around, and not keen on popping to the shops (especially as I was going elsewhere the next day for a little while), I made do with what I had at home.

First heating up oil in a saucepan, I then added seasoned diced chicken and browned the meat before putting it to the side.

I only quickly browned the chicken and checked it had cooked through because dry chicken is a big no-no.

Once the chicken had been cooked, and reserved to the side, I added in mushrooms and garlic.

When the mushrooms shrivelled in size, I added the chicken back into the wok saucepan and poured in the Chow Mein Stir Fry Sauce on medium heat.

Meanwhile, the kettle was boiling so that I could cook the egg noodles according to the packet instructions (four minutes).

Tasting the chow mein sauce with the mushroom and chicken, there were flavours that were definitely missing.

Adding in the red cabbage didn't really add to the flavour, but a chunk of ginger did, as well as a sprinkling of chilli.

While the meal turned out okay, it's not a dish I would recommend – there are definitely changes I would make (like pop to the corner shop first).

A more flavoursome chicken and mushroom chow mein has been shared by Todd Porter and Diane Cu, the Food and Wine Digital Food Awards Winners.

Mushroom and Garlic Chicken Chow Mein recipe

Takes: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• Egg noodles
• Two tablespoons soy sauce
• Two tablespoons oyster sauce
• One tablespoon hoisin
• One tablespoon rice vinegar
• One teaspoon brown sugar
• Two tablespoons water
• Two tablespoons vegetable oil
• Eight cloves garlic, minced
• Half a medium onion, chopped
• One tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• Skinless chicken,
• Mushrooms, sliced
• Four scallions, cut into chunks

Method

Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Rinse under cold water, drain and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin, rice vinegar, brown sugar and water. Set aside.

Heat a wok on medium-high heat. Add the oil and then stir in the garlic, onion, and ginger. Cook for two to three minutes.

Stir in the chicken and mushrooms. Cook for three to five minutes. Stir in the scallions and cook for two to three minutes. Toss everything together until combined.