The Lunar New Year begins Friday, and I am one of those crazy food people who like to make food for every occasion – even if it is not supposed to be my occasion. So, I decided to make my version of longevity noodles. They symbolize long life – just don’t cut the noodles because that will shorten it!

This is a delicious recipe whose main flavors come from sesame oil and ginger. I used linguine because I had a really busy week and didn’t make it to the Asian market, but Chinese egg noodles would be better if you can get them. I also prefer tamari to soy sauce, but that is up to you.

Longevity Noodles

Ingredients

1 lb. Chinese egg noodles or linguini
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
2 Tbsps. Canola oil
water as needed
1/2 lb. broccoli florets
1 Tbsp. ginger, minced
1 8 oz. can bean sprouts (Fresh would probably be better, but our grocery store didn't have them.)
1 8 oz can water chestnuts, sliced
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsps. soy sauce or tamari
2 Tbsp. sherry
3/4 cup chicken broth

Instructions

Cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse with cold water and set aside.
In a very large skillet (Use the largest you have, and if it is not big enough at the end, you may need to separate it into two skillets.) over medium high heat, saute chicken until cooked through. If the pan gets to dry, I add a little water instead of extra oil to keep the calories down and continue to do this as I cook the entire dish.
Remove chicken from the pan and set aside. I try to keep in warm by putting it in the oven with the oven off but the light on.
Add broccoli and ginger to the pan, and cook until broccoli is crisp-tender. You can continue to add water if needed.
Stir in bean sprouts and water chestnuts and cook until heated through.
Add noodles and chicken, stirring and cooking until heated through.
Stir together sesame oil, soy sauce or tamari, sherry, and chicken broth. Pour over and toss to coat. Cook just until well heated.