classic egg foo young

my recipe collection spans thirty years of clipped magazine recipes, found recipes from newspapers and from a whole host of stores and restaurants.   i have saved this recipe from Joyce Chen, a television food host long before there was even a food network.  i remember watching her on PBS when i was in my twenties.  i have saved this recipe, and we enjoy eating this classic Asian dish with white rice. some might call this a vegetarian omelet, but the sauce makes it egg foo young.  for this evening, i made vegetarian egg foo young.  however, i have added shrimp or chicken to the dish quite successfully.

here is the recipe:
5 eggs mixed with a fork in a bowl, 1 cup fresh bean sprouts or shredded lettuce, 1/2 cup celery, 1/4 cup sliced onion, 4 oz canned sliced mushrooms drained, 1/2 cup of shrimp or chicken if desired, salt and pepper to taste, and 1 tsp sherry.  mix all ingredients.  drop by large tablespoonfuls onto a skillet sprayed with canola oil.  brown both sides.  it is easy to tell when the dish is ready as the egg takes only a few minutes to cook through.  keep the egg foo young warm in the oven while preparing the sauce.

sauce recipe:  2 cups chicken broth, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 tsp catsup, 3 1/2 tablespoons of flour dissolved in 1/4 cup water.  mix all ingredients except flour/water mixture in a saucepan over a low heat.  slowly add the flour/water mixture to thicken the sauce as it comes to a boil.  it is important to stir constantly as the flour/water mixture is being added, or the sauce will form lumps.
serve this entree with white rice.