Summer is the season for lowered calorie recipes. However, there are only so many salads a person can eat, so we wonder how to turn our favorites into something suitable for this time when everyone is trying to shed a few pounds, so as to look great for the New Year.

This recipe is a lighter version of the Chicken Lo Mein so popular in Chinese restaurants. No, it isn't identical, but the restaurant versions are among the most high-calorie dishes available. Indeed, a recent study found that the Lo Mein at one popular chain of establishments was the highest calorie dish in the country. You'll get most of the flavor in my version, yet do much less damage to your figure.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons Toasted Sesame Oil
8 Chicken Breasts, skin removed
2 tablespoons fresh grated Ginger Root
1 cup Lowered Sodium Soy Sauce
1 cup Low or No Sugar Orange Marmalade
1 cup Dry Sherry
1 Onion, halved and cut in thin slices
2 Red Bell Peppers, in thin slices
1 cup Sliced Bamboo Shoots
2 cups Snow Pea Pods
12 ounces High-Fiber Spaghetti or Linguine, such as Dreamfields

Method

Pour the Oil into a non-stick coated Dutch oven or Sauté Pan. Place over a medium flame and add the Chicken, cooking until lightly browned on all sides. Add the next 4 ingredients, lower the flame, cover and cook for 45 minutes. Add the Vegetables, recover and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.

During those last 15 minutes, cook and drain the Pasta according to package directions. Pile the cooked Pasta in a deep serving platter, place the Chicken on top, then pour over the Sauce and Vegetables. Allow the completed dish to sit for 5 minutes, so the Pasta can soak up the sauce, then serve.

Copyright 2009 Eddy Robey