Stir Fried Chicken Breast with Chayote (佛手瓜炒鸡胸肉)

I first read about chayote at Tigerfish's blog in 2009.  Since then, she had been cooking up a few dishes with chayote.  I saw chayote in the Asian market often but I just didn't pick it up because it was unfamiliar to me.  Also, I was afraid that my family would not like it.  Finally, almost 2 years since I last learned about it, I decided to pick it up at my last Asian market's shopping.

Chayote also known as 佛手瓜 (Buddha hand melon) or 合掌瓜 (closed palm melon) in Mandarin and can be eaten raw or cooked.  The fruit has very mild flavor and it has a crisp and crunchy bite to it.  It doesn't have to be peeled, just wash it clean with water, cut into half and scoop out the seeds.  Then, thinly sliced it for salad or just slice it however you want for the dish that you are intended to cook.  Chayote is rich in amino acids and vitamin C and have diuretic, cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory properties.  It is also very affordable.  It only cost me about 38 cent each.

Ingredients:

1 skinless and boneless chicken breast (Thinly slice and marinate it with iodized salt, white pepper, ShaoXing cooking wine and 1 tsp. of cornstarch)

1 chayote (washed, seeded, cut into quarter and then thinly slice it)

1 carrot, thinly slice

1 heap tsp. LKK Chu Hou sauce (柱侯酱)

1/2 tsp. cane sugar

A little iodized salt (if you like saltier food, I'm a low-sodium cook, so I don't bother with adding more salt)

Method:

1.  Heat up your wok, when heated, add in some cooking oil of your choice.  When warm, add in the marinated chicken breast slices.  Stir-fry until cooked, dish out and set on a plate.

2.  In the same wok, add a little more oil (if needed), when hot, add in chayote, stir-fry well.  Add in carrot and stir-fry well.

3.  Add in the chicken and mix well.  Add the chu hou paste, mix and stir-fry well.  Add the sugar, mix well.  You can add a little salt if you like.  Dish out and serve hot!