Here's an East-meets-West stir-fry that will soon become a family favorite. Serve it over rice or noodles, with a simple salad of arugula and orange sections dressed in a light vinaigrette.

Makes 4 servings, about 1 1/4 cups each

ACTIVE TIME: 25 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound chicken tenders (see Ingredient Note), cut into bite-size pieces
4 scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon oyster-flavored sauce
1 teaspoon chile-garlic sauce (see Ingredient Note)
1/4 cup shelled salted pistachios, coarsely chopped

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add asparagus; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add chicken; cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Stir in scallions, ginger, oyster sauce and chile-garlic sauce; cook, stirring, until the chicken is juicy and just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in pistachios and serve immediately.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 208 calories; 8 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 67 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrate; 30 g protein; 3 g fiber; 175 mg sodium; 326 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Folate (35% daily value), Vitamin A (20% dv), Vitamin C (15% dv).

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

TIP: Ingredient Notes: Chicken tenders, virtually fat-free, are a strip of rib meat typically found attached to the underside of the chicken breast, but they can also be purchased separately. Four 1-ounce tenders
will yield a 3-ounce cooked portion. Tenders are perfect for quick stir-fries, chicken satay or kid-friendly breaded "chicken fingers."

Chile-garlic sauce is a blend of ground red chiles, garlic and vinegar and is commonly used to add heat and flavor to Asian soups, sauces and stir-fries. It can be found in the Asian-food section of large supermarkets. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 year.

Easy and loved in our house. During the summer I made this with fresh green beans from the garden. At least double the sauce when served with rice or serve over soba noodles. Added a little chicken broth to make more sauce.

Sandy, Portland, OR

We used this recipe with wild ocean shallots. Excellent. We have added it to "my eating well" so we do not lose it.

Katy , Salem, OR

We loved this dish. It was SO simple to make. My only change was to leave out the oyster sauce. I just didn't think it would add enough to be worth the trouble. When I find a recipe my family loves, I print it out and add to my own cookbook.

Sharon, Little Rock

So flavorful and easy to make! I probably make this once a month and serve it over brown rice -- it's a family favorite.

Johanna, Rockville, MD

This was very good, but took longer than I expected to make it. I also added some rice noodles.

teacooking, Boston, MA