Chicken Stir-fry with Peanut Sauce

Chicken Stir-fry with Peanut Sauce 

Stir-frys are a super way of getting vegetables into you, I know that the word 'fry' is not normally associated with healthy eating but, if done right, there is no harm in it. A tablespoon of Olive oil or Rapeseed oil contains fats, yes, but they are the 'good fats' they contain monounsaturated fats which help lower cholesterol, decrease the risk of heart disease and aid the breakdown of food. 

That's the science bull over with now back to the food... Don't over cook your stir-fry, leave the vegetables al-dante that way they wont break them down into a soggy mess. The vegetables should still have a slight crunch to them. The sauce for this can be used as a marinade first for the chicken or just poured in towards the end of cooking, either way works just fine.

Have your stir-fry with egg noodles or brown rice... or whatever you wish but don't go nuts with the carbs otherwise its not going to be too healthy, portion sizes are something I need to reduce myself... I have come from eating 5-6 huge carb filled meals while training for my marathons to now cutting seriously back. But willpower is like a muscle-the more you exercise it the stronger it gets!!!

Serves 2:

2 chicken fillets

1 fat clove of garlic

1 thumb sized piece of ginger

1 onion

1 small head of broccoli (or some frozen florets)

2 carrots

2 peppers (any colour)

Green beans

Frozen peas

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Sea salt & black pepper

Sauce:

1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon of soy sauce

1 teaspoon of oyster sauce

1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon of honey

2-3 teaspoons of peanut butter

Method

• To make the sauce place all ingredients into a bowl and whisk together. If using it for a marinade, cut the chicken fillets into bite sized pieces and place into a seal lock sandwich bag along with the sauce. Allow to marinade for at least an hour before cooking.

• Prepare the vegetables, peel and finely chop the garlic and ginger, peel and slice or dice the onion, break the broccoli into smaller florets, peel and baton the carrots, de-seed and slice the peppers and finally chop the green beans in 2 or 3.

•  If not done already, cut the chicken fillets into bite sized pieces, season with a little salt and pepper. In a hot wok add a tablespoon of olive oil, add the chicken and fry off until lightly coloured then remove onto a plate and set aside.

• Carefully wipe the wok with kitchen towel and place back on the heat. Add the second tablespoon of oil and add to this the garlic, ginger and onion. Allow to fry for a minute, continually stirring to stop it catching or burning. Then add in the rest of the vegetables including a handful of frozen peas. Fry these off for a few mins until they have all slightly softened.

• Now its time to add the sauce, the heat can be turned down slightly and the chicken added... incorporate all ingredients well and cook for about 2 mins making sure the chicken is cooked through, check seasoning and add if needed. Serve with noodles or brown rice, and most of all... enjoy!