Speedy stir-fry

How 'instant' does instant food need to be? Next time you're wondering what to cook for lunch or dinner - surprise yourself and make a quick stir fry.

This lunchtime treat took little more than 10 mins to make.. 

All you need:

• Whatever veg you have to hand I had:

• 1/2 red pepper

• About 5 chard leaves

• 1/2 red onion

• Knob ginger

• 5 past-their-best chestnut mushrooms

• 1/2 carrot

• Noodles - I used buckwheat soba which have relatively high protein content

• Nuts/seeds - I had cashew nuts and sesame seeds

• Some chicken or veg stock if you have it to hand (I freeze bone broth in ice-cube trays)

• Coconut oil/sesame seed oil

• Sweet chilli sauce & soy sauce

All you do:

I broke all the stir fry rules by starting to cook before everything was prepped - it certainly speeded things up!

1. Heat your wok or large frying pan and add a dollop of coconut oil. Once hot add the sliced red onion and sliced peeled ginger (garlic would be good too).

2. As the onion is cooking slice the fleshy stems of the chard, the red pepper and the mushrooms (and any veg you have which needs longer cooking) and add to the wok as you have them ready. Periodically toss the contents to stop them burning!

3. Meanwhile bring a pan of water to boil and cook the noodles according to the packet instructions.

4. Add your stock (if using) or a dash of water to the wok, and the remaining veg - I 'peeled' strips of carrot straight into the pan, and added the sliced leaves of chard. 

5. Finish off with the chilli sauce and soy sauce to taste and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil if you have any.

6. I served with the noodles tossed in a little sesame oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

OK so it's not as fast as a pot noodle.. but this IS a quick and easy way of delivering a fabulous nutritious meal and increasing your veg for the day & supporting your gut microbiome - where the recommendation is for at least 30 different fruit & veg a week. (Have I ever mentioned that gut health is so important for happy hormones?) I packed in a mighty 9 just with this one dish! 

Delicious speedy stir fry meal