Palo Alto Nom Nom Paleo blogger Michelle Tam’s recipe for chow mein is a mashup of two styles: west coast, where chow mein noodles are soft and cooked together with meat and veggies, and east coast, where they’re fried to a crisp and served beneath a pile of cooked ingredients.
Her paleo and gluten-free version features the softer noodles — made of sweet potatoes — with some bits crisped in the pan for texture. The recipe, which will be part of her family’s Lunar New Year spread, is featured in Tam’s new cookbook, “Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go!” (Andrew McMeel, $35), which she created with husband and photographer Henry Fong.
Chicken Chow Mein
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
5 to 6 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
2 tablespoons coconut aminos (a sauce similar to soy sauce), divided
1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon paleo-friendly fish sauce
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons arrowroot powder
1 pound white-fleshed Hannah sweet potato or 6 medium carrots, peeled
1 small yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
¼ pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin coins
2 scallions, cut diagonally into ½-inch segments
5 ounces baby spinach
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, toss together the chicken pieces, 1 tablespoon avocado oil and 1 tablespoon coconut aminos. Add the balsamic vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil and arrowroot powder. Stir well to combine, then set aside.
Turn the sweet potato into noodles — or swoodles — using a Spiralizer.
Heat a large skillet over heat. When the pan is hot, add 2 tablespoons avocado oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the sweet potato noodles in a single layer. Fry them undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes until some of the sweet potato noodles start to brown and crisp. Sprinkle on ½ teaspoon of salt, and carefully flip the swoodles over. Cook the swoodles undisturbed for another 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the swoodles to a plate and set aside.
Next, heat the now-empty pan over medium-high and add 2 tablespoons avocado oil. Once the oil is hot, add the sliced onions, along with a liberal sprinkle of salt.
Cook the onions, stirring for 3 to 5 minutes or until softened. Toss in the mushrooms, ginger and another sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked through and the ginger is fragrant. If the pan’s looking a little bit dry, add another tablespoon of oil.
Add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring, until no longer pink.
Stir in the scallions and the spinach. Season with 1 tablespoon coconut aminos and red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Once the spinach is wilted, plate the chicken and veggies atop the sweet potato noodles. Serve the chow mein immediately.
— Michelle Tam and Henry Fong, “Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go!” (Andrews McMeel, $35)
