Taste of Asia Chicken

Like most immigrants who made aliyah after the age of 30, I fumble through life with fractured Hebrew, frequently relying on my kids to speak for me, and Google Translate to help me decipher official correspondence.

For the most part, Google Translate fills the gaps that the ulpan never reached, but it is also a never-ending source of mirth.

My favorite Google Translate moment came when I received an email from my son's school which, according to my wise friend Google, was signed:

Jewish Pencil

Brigadier House Of The Rising Sun

Huh?

Somewhat confused, I checked the original text, and found that 'Jewish Pencil' referred to the principal, Yehudit Ephron (יהודית אפרון), while 'Brigadier' of 'House Of The Rising Sun' came from Chativat Beit Sefer Hashachar (חתיבת בית ספר השחר)

A classic Google fail!

Perusing English menus in Israel, it's obvious that restaurateurs get by with a little help from their Google Translate friends too, with 'Jumped Chicken' frequently appearing as a descriptor for Chicken Stir-Fry.

It just so happens that this chicken stir-fry recipe is one of my favorites ... I'd suggest you 'jump right in' and make it without delay.

TASTE OF ASIA 'JUMPED' CHICKEN

Ingredients

500 grams chicken breast cut in thin strips

1/4 cup Kiddush wine

2 tablespoons soya sauce

2 teaspoons grated ginger

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

2 teaspoons sesame oil

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 red or yellow pepper, diced

1 container brown mushrooms, sliced

4 carrots, peeled and cut in thin sticks

1 bunch spring onions, chopped

2 sticks celery, plus some leaves, chopped

Pinch of salt

1 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons cornflour

Toasted almonds to garnish

Method

1: Place the Kiddush wine, 1 tablespoon of soya sauce, garlic, ginger and sesame oil in a bowl, pour over chicken and allow to marinate for 1 hour.

2: Pour two tablespoons of canola oil into a large frying pan or wok, remove chicken from marinade, and stir-fry till just cooked, then remove and set aside.

3: Add remaining oil to pan and stir-fry vegetables until just softened and then season with salt.

4: Return chicken to the pan, mix stock with remaining soya sauce and cornflour, and pour into chicken and vegetable mixture.

5: Heat until the sauce thickens, and then serve stir-fry over brown or white rice, garnished with toasted almonds.

Cookery school teacher and avid foodie Lisa Brink is based at Meatland in Raanana where she is responsible for marketing, recipe consulting and new product development. Lisa is in the store Sundays to Thursdays and alternate Fridays to answer any recipe/product related questions.