Chicken noodle stir fry

‍The science of eating well: exotic, healthy, quick and delicious recipes.

Some Tribe members have told me that they were inspired to start being more adventurous in their cooking by the recipes in TR. That’s great. They’ve also asked what are the basics they need to start. Cooking with imagination.

That’s difficult, because it depends on what you enjoy cooking and eating. I can only speak for myself. I began cooking for my family at 13 in France. In my thirties I wrote three cookery books—lots of French dishes and, to my deep regret, no Asian ones. I began exploring Asian, South American, African and Caribbean cooking a few years ago

This year I began adding recipes to TR. I love Asian dishes—especially curries. However, I’ve recently seen the light as far as African and Jamaican curries are concerned. I’m still partial to French cuisine—not the fancy stuff from expensive restaurants, but the more peasant-style fare. Mostly I just like to experiment.

I try and keep a supply of either chicken or tofu (in most of my recipes the two are interchangeable) to hand and a collection of basic sauces, herbs and spices.

For me, minced garlic and ground ginger are necessities. I love cooking with garlic. The most wonderful basic sauce for almost anything—I had it with shrimp last night for example—consists of a tablespoon each of light soy sauce and oyster sauce, a teaspoon of minced garlic and a teaspoon of coriander seeds. It took me two minutes to make. Without the garlic it would’ve been nothing.

My always have sauces are oyster, low-sodium soy sauce, passata and a Thai curry paste. The basic herbs for any even mildly serious chef are parsley, coriander (leaves and seeds), garam masala, red chilli powder and curry powder. These cover most recipes and can be used to substitute for other herbs and spices. In my kitchen I have a collection of some 30 herbs and spices—most of which I rarely use.

There are some crockery necessities. You should have a non-stick wok and a large deep non-stick pan (I got a great one at the local supermarket a few years ago which I use almost every day). A set of mixing bowls is a must-have, of course.

But the most important thing is your imagination. Don’t be afraid to experiment. A good plan is to slavishly follow the recipes in TR and get used to using spices and sauces and the appropriate mix and match of them. Then use the recipes as a springboard to further adventures from your own mind. That’s the fun of it.

Today’s recipe is a case in point. I was given a recipe vaguely similar to this one and I used it as the platform for experiment. As is usually the case, you can substitute firm tofu, shrimp, or firm fish for the chicken. It passed the Alicia test with flying colors.

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‍Ingredients

To cook the chicken

• 250g (8.8oz) skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp crushed ginger
• 1 ½  tblsp olive oil
• Black pepper

To make the sauce

• 2 tblsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tblsp oyster sauce
• 1 tblsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp sweetner
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper (about 4 grinds)

Vegetables & Noodles

• 200 gms (7 oz) low-cal noodles
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 75g (2.6 oz) snow or snap peas
• 4 mushrooms, sliced
• 3 onions, sliced into chunks
• 2 medium carrots sliced into strips
• 1 red capsicum, sliced into strips

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‍Directions:

1. Combine the ingredients for your sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Cook your noodles according to packet instructions, drain and toss with some sesame oil.
3. In a wok (ideally) or suitably sized pan heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season your chicken with a black pepper and place in the wok. Fry for a minute or so until golden on one side, then stir in the garlic, chilli and ginger. Cook until the chicken is golden and almost cooked through.
4. Remove from wok and set aside.
5. Keeping the heat high add a bit more olive oil add your carrot and red pepper/capsicum. Cook until both are a bit soft (about 3 minutes). Shake the wok frequently to ensure even cooking.
6. Add the mushrooms and fry for a further two minutes, shaking often.
7. Add your snow or sugar snap peas and onion. Fry until they soften.
8. Now finish the whole thing by adding the chicken, garlic, chilli and ginger and stir in your noodles and sauce. Give everything a good toss to ensure the sauce spreads evenly and the chicken heats through. This should take about 5-6 minutes.

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‍Serves: 4

‍Energy: 904 kJs (226 calories)