TRIPLE DUTY STIR FRIED VEGETABLES WITH PROTEIN: Skinny, Budget-friendly

Another Slimmers' Delight: lots of nutritious veg, minimum protein & carbs = a colourful satisfying low-cal meal

A stir-fry with beef (or fish or tofu) that aids slimming, tastes fab 
& doesn't leave you hungry

With as little as 100gm of protein (or less), loads of crunchy vegetables and a bit of chopping, this protein & veggie stir-fry will satisfy without dipping deeply into calorie or wallet reserves. 

Ultra-healthy, it's ideal for slimmers. The vegetables add fibre which make you feel full, protein keeps you going and a little rice or noodles (2-3 tbsp) fills a carb-shaped hole.

The dish also uses up veg before the next weekly shop. Cucumber, in particular, a bargain at 50 pence a go, often goes to waste in winter. 

The ingredients are for one but multiply easily.  

Cost: £2'ish 
Feeds: 1

Ingred:
   
100-150gm/3.5-5oz rump or other tender steak, thinly sliced across the grain (place meat in freezer 30 mins before slicing and use a very sharp knife) Or firm white fish like monkfish or - for the frugal - coley OR firm tofu, in the same size as broccoli florets  

   1/2 cup broccoll, in small florets, including stalks if you like, peeled & cut into similar sized sticks  
   1/4 cup bell pepper, in floret-sized sticks 
   1/4 cup de-seeded cucumber in floret-sized sticks
   groundnut or other light veggie oil

   1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
   1 med-large clove garlic, grated

   water or stock

   Marinade:
       2 tbsp dry sherry/ white wine/grape juice
       1-2 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce (Amoy or Pearl River Bridge)


 Quick cooked rice (ready in 12 mins) or noodles soaked in boiling water & drained (ready in 5 mins) (opt)
   
Method:

1. Marinade protein 20 mins in sherry-soy sauce, stirring once or twice to coat all pieces (carefully in the case of the tofu) 
2. After 10 mins marinading, put a wok or large heavy-bottomed pan on high heat, with an inch of water on the bottom
3. When water is boiling, toss in broccoli; stir-cook 2 mins until almost cooked;  pour contents of pan including liquid into a dish; set aside 
4. With pan still on high heat, spray generously with oil
5. Stir-fry peppers 1 min; add cucumber; stir-fry 1 more min; add to broccoli 
6. Spray pan moderately with oil; add protein, in one layer if possible; leave it 1-2 mins until brown & crusty; cook other side 30 sec to a min; decant into a separate bowl with any juices 
7. Return all veg + veg juices to pan; stir in garlic & ginger, then protein & juices. Stir fry 1-2 mins or until veg are done to your liking
8. For more sauce, add 1-2 tablespoons water or stock, scraping at any bits left on the bottom of the pan
9. Serve with or without rice

Tips: 

• Turn sauce into gravy ( and add carbs and calories ) by mixing 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch with 1.5 tablespoons cold water and mixing it into the vegetables and meat
• Other suitable veg include: cauliflower, thickly sliced mushrooms, mange tout, green beans, Chinese leaf, carrot & celery sticks
• Vegan option: replace beef with firm tofu, marinated in the same sauce & stir fried until golden brown

More Oriental dishes, incl the Art of Stir Fry on NavBar: How to...

Please leave a comment in the box below 
     

This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission

SIMPLE CHICKEN STOCK

Here's a simpler, quicker method for chicken stock that's ideal when you're gripped by a lurgy and want chicken soup, now!

Simple Chicken Broth

...or definitely not tomorrow.  It's also great for any simple no-fuss chicken stock that doesn't require much shopping.   

It only takes a couple of hours rather than overnight. Though not as intense as conventional chicken broth and lacking the jellied texture of slow-cooked broths, it's flavourful and chock-full of vitamins and protein.  

This is the time to use chicken pieces (save your bones for the slow-cooked overnight broths) and to use veg in your fridge that you haven't had a chance to get to. 

Smaller pieces of skinless chicken are best; drumsticks rather than a whole bird.  (Carefully) slash the flesh with a sharp knife to allow their flavour to penetrate the stock.  Wings are ok if you don't mind the fat from them.  

Here's what 67 used 'cause that's what was available in the fridge but you can ring the changes:

3-4 drumsticks, onions, carrots, celery stalks and fronds,  spring onions (shorn of dried leaves and bottoms), mushrooms, cauli leaves (from an organic cauli that 67 wanted every last drop of vitamins of minerals from), mushrooms, garlic cloves, fresh ginger, radishes  

The only four things that are essential are: onions, carrots & celery (also called 'mirepoix', the trio of basic aromatics for soup & casseroles) plus fresh chicken.  If you're feeling poorly, a good sized piece of fresh ginger (1 1/2 inches/4cm) is strongly recommended.

What's not in the photo but could easily be included or replace the other veg are: tomatoes (with bad bits cut out), broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, green beans, courgettes etc...Almost any veg can go in but do your basic cleaning: roots topped and tailed, any bad/soft bits taken out, mushrooms peeled and de-stemmed if necessary; thick broccoli stems peeled etc   

For quantities, 67 suggests: 3-400gm chicken, 500gm veg and 2-3 pints water (it doubles nicely).  Add a bay leaf and some parsley stems if available.  The liquid should cover the mix by an inch.   Partially cover the pan and turn heat to high.

Bring to the boil; allow boil at full stretch 5 mins, skimming off the film of fat & other impurities that will rise to the surface:

Skimming off impurities 

Reduce heat to med-high (where 6 is the maximum, then 4); the mixture should be bubbling gently but not furiously.  Partially cover with lid; leave for 2 hours, checking that the bubbling continues.  If not, return to a full rolling boil and turn heat back down to med high.

When 2 hours is up, taste.  You may feel an extra half hour of cooking or an additional cup of water is necessary.  If you like the flavour, strain the contents through a sieve into a container.  Remove flesh from drumsticks and set aside.  Discard the bones & veg.  

Season before consuming.

Tips:

• all the flavour may have been boiled out of the chicken flesh but it can still be used for sandwich or pie fillings 
• An even simpler, easier broth can be achieved by poaching a chicken. See (Asian) Poached Chicken.  This requires a good quality chicken, fresh ginger and spring onions.

 Go to Nav Bar for Recipes I & II:Soups

PLEASE MAKE A COMMENT

       .

This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission

HOW TO...MAKE A MEAL OF 1 SAUSAGE, 2 TOMS, 1/2 ONION & A CUKE END & SOME 'SHROOMS

Using up leftovers is both art and science; it gets easier when you know how.

Take these ingredients: 

• one leftover part-cooked Toulouse (the long ones) or 2 regular sausages
• 2 toms, almost overripe
• half an onion
• a cucumber end
• a few mushrooms (opt)

Not very promising, right?  

But add a little olive oil, a little water and a bit of seasoning; serve on easy-cook  rice and you end up with a Mediterranean version of 'dirty' rice.  But in a clean, good way.  And a delicious way.  

And a low-fat, fairly low-carb kind of way.  With plenty of vegetables that are good for you.

And very little effort or money on your part.

The above are the ingredients 67 had on a Friday lunchtime before the weekly shop.  Yours will no doubt be different but you can produce an equally delicious plateful with leftovers anytime, when you know how.

Cost: little even if you're buying a few more favourite veg 

Feeds: 1 but easily multiplies

Ingred (the basics):

    1/2 white or red onion, in fine dice

    1 large or 2 small sausages, poached in just boiled water over med-high heat 10 mins, cooled slightly and sliced OR 1/3-1/2 mug leftover cooked meat

    2 med tomatoes, core removed, chopped in large dice with seeds & juice

   3-4 inch/7-10cm end of cucumber in smallish dice

   3-4 large mushrooms in med dice

  

  good olive oil

  water

  pepper & salt

Optional seasoning: dried or fresh basil, Worcestershire sauce 

 

Leftovers Mediterranean 'Clean' Rice

Method: