The Chinese are great noodle lovers. Here, linguini teams up with vegetables and oriental seasonings for a quick, colorful dish. Leftover cooked pork, beef or lamb can be used instead of the chicken.

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 tsp. minced fresh garlic or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger (opt.)
1/4 c. soy sauce mixed with 1 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil, preferably corn or peanut
2 c. fresh bean sprouts
1 lg. red pepper, cut into thin strips
1/4 lb. fresh Chinese snow peas, ends trimmed or 1 (6 oz.) pkg. frozen Chinese pea pods, thawed
5 med.-sized mushrooms, sliced
3 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
2 tbsp. dry sherry or white wine
8 oz. linguini, cooked, drained & tossed with 1 tbsp. of the oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

In a medium-sized bowl mix chicken, garlic, ginger and 1 tablespoon of the soy-sugar mixture. In a wok or 12-inch skillet heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add chicken mixture and stir-fry 3 to 5 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink. Remove to a large bowl.

Add 2 tablespoons more oil to wok. Add bean sprouts, red pepper, snow peas, mushrooms and scallions. Stir-fry 1 minute. Add sherry, cover and cook 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, lift out vegetables and add to chicken. Discard any liquid from wok. Reduce heat to moderate. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the linguini. Stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes, until hot and well coated with oil. Add the remaining soy-sugar mixture and then toss to coat evenly. Return chicken and vegetables to wok, add salt and pepper and toss until heated through. Makes 4 or 5 servings.