Judy's Egg Foo Yong

This is a recipe I developed from an idea that I found in a goofy 'Working Woman's Cookbook' that my Mom gave me after my first daughter was born in 1981. I found it to be a lifesaver because we were so low on cash and I could use cheap ingredients and leftover meat. I've changed the original recipe so much that I'm not going to even give it credit, as far as naming the book. I've used just about any type of meat in this that you can imagine. I even used leftover Christmas goose one year! Our favorites though are turkey and ham, but chicken is great in this as well. Do this by 'feel', you don't want it to be too 'eggy' or the patties will spread too much in the pan. The sauce is really easy to double as the ingredients are all in 'ones'....one cup of broth to one tablespoon of soy sauce to one tablespoon of cornstarch to one tablespoon of water. The original recipe called for lots of canned ingredients but I use fresh when I have the time and inclination. When I do use the fresh, I parboil the bean sprouts and saute the mushrooms a bit, but don't use any oil. I suggest doubling the sauce recipe and serving this with whatever type of rice you like. I've tried doing this in a non-stick skillet with spray on oil but it just doesn't work, the patties fall apart. This freezes really well and I'm adding my tips for that. My kids have been after me to post this recipe, they must think I'm going to die soon, or something.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 (14 ounce) can bean sprouts
• 1 (7 ounce) can mushrooms
• 1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts
• 4  green onions, including green parts, chopped
• 1 1⁄2 cups  leftover  cooked turkey or 1 1⁄2 cups ham or 1 1⁄2 cups  cooked chicken, chopped
• 8  eggs
•  peanut oil, for sauteing

• Sauce

• 1  cup water
• 1  chicken bouillon cube
• 1  tablespoon soy sauce
• 1  tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with
• 1  tablespoon cold water
•  cooked rice

Directions

1. Drain the canned veggies REALLY well; I remove the lids and then press, with the lids, down into the cans, in the sink to get as much liquid out as possible; slice the sliced water chestnuts into thin strips (sounds silly but this is how I do it); chop up the mushrooms into 1/4-inch pieces.
2. Combine the bean sprouts, mushrooms, water chestnuts, green onions and whatever meat you've chosen in a mixing bowl; make a well in the center and crack the eggs in there, then break up and 'scramble' the eggs; then just mix the whole dang thing like heck, you should have a nice, eggy mixture where the eggs and other ingredients are about equal in proportion; too much egg and your patties will run, too little egg and the patties won't hold together.
3. Heat about a 1/4 cup of oil until hot but not smoking in a good, solid, frying pan; working in batches, add the egg mixture in about 1/4 cup amounts with a large spoon, patting them into circles and 'scooping' the runny side egg mixture into the patties as you work; mix the egg mixture before adding to the pan as the solid ingredients tend to fall to the bottom of your mixing bowl.
4. check the bottoms of the patties and turn them over and cook until they become a nice, golden brown; put them on a serving platter to keep warm in the oven, they keep warm very well for quite a while without losing quality.
5. Repeat the above step with remaining egg mixture, adding extra oil as needed to the frying pan; the magic formula here is a good, hot, frying pan with enough oil to 'seal' the egg mixture so it doesn't run too much.
6. Sauce:
7. Combine water, chicken bouillon cube and soy sauce in a pot and bring to a boil; combine cornstarch and water and then stir that mixture into the boiling broth/soy sauce mixture until thickened (I suggest doubling this, we always consume the sauce).
8. Serve the patties over steamed rice, with the sauce.
9. Freezing tips:
10. This stuff freezes really well; wrap patties in enough foil to fit a baking sheet then stick the package in a plastic freezer bag and when you're ready to use them, just unwrap the package, reusing the foil, place on a baking sheet and heat at about 350°F for about 15-20 minutes; make your rice and sauce while the patties are reheating and you have dinner in 30 minutes!