In Stir Crazy, Ching has gathered together a collection of delicious stir-fry recipes for busy people, dishes that are simple enough for everyday healthy cooking at home, with nutrition, taste, affordability and balance in mind.
Stir-frying is one of the easiest and fastest ways to cook – and also one of the healthiest – but have you ever wondered how you ensure your veggies are always crispand fresh and don’t go all soggy? And did you know thatthere are multiple flavours, sauces and tricks to try?
In her book, Stir Crazy, Ching demystifies the art of making a good stir-fry and offers you tips on getting it right!
Pineapple Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cooking time: 7 min
I love this dish because I’m a big fan of fresh, juicy sweet pineapples. This may seem like a long list of ingredients but it’s so quick and easy to prepare once you have them all. If you are vegan, you can use smoked tofu instead of chicken and youcould also turn this into a chow mein dish by adding cooked
egg noodles at the end, if you wish.
Serves 2
kcal 496
carbs 43.1g
protein 30.1g
fat 24.4g
250g boneless chicken thighs, sliced into 1.5cm cubes
pinch of sea salt flakes
pinch of ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
2 dried chillies, whole
1 tablespoon Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 small pineapple, sliced into 1.5cm cubes
1/2 red pepper, deseeded and sliced into 1.5cm cubes
small handful of roasted cashew nuts (optional)
1 spring onion, finely sliced
handful of fresh coriander
leaves, to garnish
For the sauce
100ml pineapple juice
1 tablespoon low-sodium light soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornflour
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon runny honey
1/4 teaspoon sriracha chilli sauce
Place the chicken in a bowl and season with the salt and pepper.
Add the cornflour and mix well to coat, then set aside.
Whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce in a small jug, then set aside.
Heat a wok over a high heat and, when the wok starts to smoke, add the rapeseed oil. Add the chillies and fry for a few seconds to release their flavour, then add the chicken pieces and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes.
As the chicken starts to turn opaque, add the Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry and cook for another 2–3 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Add the pineapple and red pepper pieces and cook for justunder 30 seconds. Pour in the sauce, bring to the boil and simmer until the sauce has reduced, is slightly sticky and has a
thicker consistency.
Add the cashew nuts (if using), followed by the spring onion and cook for 20 seconds. Stir together well, then transfer to a serving plate, garnish with fresh coriander and serve immediately.
Chinese Wok-fried Spicy Spring Onion Salsa Verde with Kale and Egg Noodles
Prep time: 12 minsCooking time: 5 mins
In Chinese cuisine there is a ginger and spring onion sauce that is often dressed over steamed chicken, which I adore. I also love to use this sauce for a veggie chow mein – it’s simple and just divine.
Serves 2
kcal 482
carbs 75.6g
protein 14.9g
fat 15.7g
120g curly kale, sliced
200g dried egg noodles
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons rapeseed oil
pinch of sea salt flakes
knob of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced at an angle
pinch of dried chilli flakes
2 spring onions, finely chopped
50ml cold vegetable stock
1 tablespoon low-sodium light soy sauce
Pour 1 litre cold water into a pan and bring to the boil. Add the kale and blanch for 30 seconds, then drain and set aside. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, then run them under the cold tap, drain and drizzle with the toasted sesame oil.
Heat a wok over a high heat until smoking and add the rapeseed oil. Add the salt and let it dissolve in the hot oil, then add the ginger, fresh chilli, dried chilli and spring onions in quick
succession to explode their flavours in the wok.
Add the vegetable stock and stir-fry on a medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the kale and cooked egg noodles and tossall the ingredients together to warm through. Season with the
light soy sauce and give it one final toss, then transfer to serving plates and eat immediately.
Oyster Sauce Scallops and Mangetout
Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 5 mins
The umami oyster sauce is a great partner for the sweet prawns and the mangetout deliver a lovely sweet crunch. Use the freshest scallops you can get hold of and you cannot go wrong.
Serves 2
kcal 133
carbs 5.1g
protein 10.5g
fat 7.5g
1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
knob of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
8 medium-sized scallops
1 tablespoon Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry
100g mangetout, left whole
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon low-sodium light soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Heat a wok over a high heat until smoking and add the rapeseed oil. Add the ginger and toss for a few seconds to release its flavour. Add the scallops and cook for 5 seconds until seared and browned, then flip them over.
Season with the Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry, then add the mangetout and stir-fry for 5 seconds. Add a small splash of water around the edge of the wok to create some steam to help cook the mangetout, then season with the oyster sauce and light soy sauce and toss to coat well.
Drizzle in the toasted sesame oil, then transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.
Taken from Stir Crazy by Ching He Huang
Published by Kyle Books
Photography by Tamin Jones