Quick Easy and Healthy - Stir-fry is the Way to Go

 The Stellar 3000 Stir-fry/Wok:

Having been sent this (oh so very good-looking) wok from the Stellar cookware 3000 range to review, I got quite excited and had to make a stir-fry straight away.  I can't tell you how much I love this wok - available in lovely Ruby Red, Cream, or Black.
For me, shiny Ruby Red it had to be!

Everyone loves a stir-fry, they are so very easy to do and anyone can make one with just a few simple ingredients.
If you look in any good supermarket you'll find a huge range of ready chopped vegetables, with or without onion, with or without peppers, the list is endless.  They'll also have 'ready to wok' noodles and more stir-fry sauces to choose from than you can shake a stick at!

 Why is Stir-frying Healthy?

For a successful and healthy stir-fry you will need a good non-stick stir-fry pan or wok and then you'll find that you hardly need to use any oil.  Just a dab of oil wiped round the pan with a piece of kitchen paper and you're good to go.
The food will cook fast and vegetables will stay crisp and full of vitamins.
Of course, the only thing you need to pay attention to is the sauce you add to them since some will have high sugar levels.

 So, why am I loving the Stellar 3000 Wok so much?

 Well, it's non-stick, 28cm so it's a good size and it has two handles.
As it's manufactured from aluminium it is quick to heat up, which keeps vegetables nice and crisp.
The comfy-grip handles stay cool in use and the best bit, this wok can go into the oven too.  Oven-safe up to 180c makes it so versatile.

Stellar 3000 pans have Teflon Platinum Plus, a triple layer non stick coating with a raised textured base which means healthier cooking as you hardly need any oil.  As I've already said, just a dab of oil and a quick wipe round with a piece of kitchen paper does the job nicely.

Suitable for all hob types including induction.

Our favorite stir-fry is Chinese Vegetables in Brown Sauce: 

   For more information on Stellar products pop over to Stellar Cookware

Thank you to Pam and Stellar for sending me this to review.

All opinions and thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.  I only ever post reviews on products I like the look of, and therefore would buy myself.

Vegetables in Chinese Brown Sauce - Just like the Takeaway!

Baby Pak choi, Bean-sprouts, Skitaki mushrooms, Carrots and Spring onion cooked in a tasty Chinese style sauce.  After much experimenting, I think I've finally cracked the recipe!  This sauce tastes just like the sauce in the dish called 'Happy Families' you get from a Chinese takeaway. 

'Happy Families' is a dish that usually has a bit of everything in it, so there's something for everyone to like keeping the whole family happy! 
So very simple to make and I'm thinking this has to be healthy and I can't see where the calories in this dish would be.   I suggest you serve with some nice egg fried rice to add a few calories to your meal!

Honey Glazed Chicken with Chinese Five Spice - Easy Recipe

Good roast chicken is delicious, but there are times when you just fancy something different.  So, why not liven up some chicken portions with my Chinese Five Spice sticky glaze?!  

Seeing as I made this up as I went along you can do the same, so if you'd rather have Indian flavours, use Indian spices - it's entirely up to you.  

Just remember, runny honey is the way to go if you want your chicken sticky.

  It takes just a couple of minutes to mix together a few bits and bobs to make a glaze.  Of course you can use any kind of chicken portions you fancy, I just happened to have drumsticks.....

Pork Stir-fry with Hoisin and Orange Sauce

Very tasty, slightly sweet and so good to eat.  As we all know stir frying has to be one of the easiest cooking methods going.  This recipe came about just because I had an orange sitting there in my kitchen doing nothing.  Pork and orange sauce came to mind, but I wanted rice and I wanted stir fry!

    Don't be put off by the list of ingredients - they're all available from any good supermarket.  Sake will be found in the wine and beer section. Mirin will be in the Oriental grocery section and is as cheap as chips.  Well, that's how it is in the UK anyway!

Beef in Black Bean Sauce with Green Peppers

Beef in Black Bean Sauce, just like the Chinese takeaway. No sorry, I'll rephrase that, better than the takeaway!  All freshly cooked, what can be better?

 I first raved on about this over a year ago, but as it's so good I'm posting it again.  Fermented Black beans are usually preserved in ginger and salt, they will need rinsing and soaking before use.  You can buy them from my online shop.

Jan's Chicken Chow Mein Recipe

This is so very tasty you want to eat more.  I dabbled about in my kitchen  and come up with this.  Now it has to be said my Special Chicken Chow Mein is the best - even if I do say so myself!  You can of course use pork instead of chicken, or indeed as well as chicken.

    Stir frying is easy peasy and it really is up to you what else you fancy putting in it.

Ma Po Tofu - a Chinese Spicy Pork and Tofu Dish

Now this dish is hot, spicy and in our opinion, totally delicious. 
There are so many different recipes for Ma Po Tofu, each one varying on the amount of peppercorns used and some using chilli powder and spicy bean paste.  Some using only chilli powder.

  So, after studying several different recipes this is what I came up with. 

Sesame Prawn Toasts - nice and easy to make

 It will soon be Chinese New Year and everyone likes sesame prawn toasts!  This year, by the way, it's the year of the Rabbit.

 Way better than any of those pre-made supermarket ones you can get and really easy to do too.

Spicy Cashew Chicken with Peppers

 Now, who can not like Cashew chicken?  The slight crunchiness you get from the onions and peppers mixed with the spicy aroma of the chillies and the delicious sauce made from a few simple things, all goes to make something quite special.  

You don't want any of those jars of ready made sauces they sell in supermarkets, claiming to be 'authentic' recipes.  With a little bit of effort, once you've done it from scratch, you'll be converted.

Once you've got a stock of a few basic ingredients there's no end to what you can make.  Even if it's not a true Chinese, Cantonese recipe - who cares as long as it tastes good.

Oodles of Noodles

Oodles of nice and spicy noodles!
Add chicken, baby pak choi and any other other good veggies you fancy.
A great way to eat more veg!

There's no real recipe to this one, just the right spices - read more......

Dan Dan Mian or Dan Dan Noodles

It seems there are so many versions of Dan Dan Mian or Dan Dan noodles you wouldn't believe it.  I first came across it over at Kevin's blog, I made it and was hooked on it.  

Since then I've made it many times and have titivated it a little bit.

A nice tingly heat of the Szechuan peppercorns, although you can of course put in as much or little of them as you fancy.

You can get the Szechuan peppercorns and Ketjap Manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce) from either Sainsbury's or Waitrose.

Sweet Spiced Chicken and Cashew Nuts

Slightly sweet and very nicely spiced tender chicken, mixed with the slight crunchiness of the onions and peppers.
Double yum on a plate!

Continue for the recipe.

Choi Sum in Oyster Sauce with Fried Shallots and Garlic

First of all, Happy Chinese New Year!  

A perfect side dish to any Chinese meal - choi sum.

 

Also spelt 'choy' sum is much the same as bok choi or pak choi, they are all part of the Chinese cabbage family.

Beef and Green Peppers in Black Bean Sauce

Beef and green peppers in black bean sauce, totally delicious and just like it is in the Chinese restaurants here in the UK.

Black beans are usually preserved in ginger and salt, they will need rinsing and soaking before use.  

Chinese Curry - Just like the takeaway!

Have you ever had chicken curry in a Chinese restaurant or a takeaway and wondered how you can make it yourself?  Here's how it's done!
Of course, I can only speak of the kind of curry we get here in the UK Chinese restaurant's and takeaways.

There are two sauce's you need. One is 'Hot and Spicy' Curry Sauce Concentrate and the other is a sauce mix sold in a packet, brand name Mai Mai and is called 'Genuine Chinese Curry Mix'.

Pak Choi Stir Fry Recipe - Virtually No Fat!

Pak Choi stir fried with ginger, garlic, chili and oyster sauce.
Two or three minutes and it's on the table! The rice as the accompaniment is the only thing that takes any time at all.
The best news is, this dish is virtually fat free!
Pak choi or Bok choy are easily available in most large UK supermarkets, for example, Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's. I could only get red Pak choi but I don't imagine it tastes any different.



My photos aren't too amazing but you get the idea.
You will need a wok for this. You can use as little or as much of each ingredient, it will depend on your taste. So the amounts I've listed are very 'ish' amounts.

Pork in Black Bean Sauce with Green Peppers, Chilli and Ginger

Pork with green peppers in black bean sauce is so good to eat!

I wanted to add spice to this dish.  Ginger, garlic and chilli came to mind and so I came up with this.

Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

Easy to make from a few store cupboard ingredients, although I would recommend  using proper Shaoxing (Chinese rice wine).  I love sweet and sour chicken in batter but sometimes you either can't be bothered to mess about.  Besides, this is better for you!

This recipe is much the same as my one for sweet and sour pork  just this is chicken and without the batter.

If you do make this please be sure to marinade the chicken - don't leave that bit out - as it really makes a difference to the chicken.

Noodles and Vegetables with Chilli Bean Sauce

The other night I made a couple of Chinese dishes, sweet and sour pork, egg fried rice and a large bowl of noodles with vegetables in chilli bean sauce topped with pea shoots. The sauce gave it a nice sweet and spicy heat.

Now, the noodles I must say turned out rather nice indeedy. I had a jar of chilli bean sauce and a pack of prepared stir fry vegetables which consisted of Chinese cabbage, beansprouts, sliced red onion, sliced red pepper, carrot, bamboo shoots. I also had a few pea shoots.

So easy and quick to make too!

In a wok heat up about a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Then add the vegetables along with a little soy sauce and stir fry for about 30 seconds. Now add the ready cooked noodles along with about 2 teaspoons of the chilli bean sauce. This sauce is hot so even I only used a small amount.

Give it all a good stir to heat through, then add the pea shoots seconds before it's all done and serve immediately.

Chicken and Cashews

Chicken with cashew nuts, but far better than it is in many Chinese take-aways here in the UK.
If you've never cooked Chinese before, then you should have a go at this as it really is very easy.
Just prepare everything before you start cooking and it'll be a doddle!

Print this Recipe

To serve 2 greedy people or 4 not quite as greedy, you will need:
a small amount of vegetable oil - for frying
2 large boneless chicken breasts - cut into bite sized pieces
a good handful of cashew nuts
1 green bell pepper - cut into bite sized pieces
1 red bell pepper - cut into bite sized pieces
6 thin slices of ginger - grated or chopped
2 fat cloves of garlic - chopped
1 large onion - cut into bite sized pieces

For the Marinade:
2 teaspoons of corn starch
1 teaspoon Shaoxing (Chinese rice wine) if you can't get it you could use dry pale sherry
2 teaspoons of light soy sauce

For the Sauce:
3 tablespoons of oyster sauce
1 and a half tablespoons of dark soy sauce
1/2 a tablespoon of light soy sauce
1 tablespoon of water
a good pinch of white pepper
2 teaspoons of sugar
2 teaspoons of Shaoxing (Chinese rice wine - as above)
1 teaspoon of vegetable oil

How to do it:
Put the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl along with the chicken pieces. Leave for about 30 minutes.
Mix all the ingredients of the sauce in a small bowl and set aside.

When you're ready to cook, remove the chicken and pat it dry using kitchen paper.
Heat up the oil in your wok and stir-fry the chicken until it is almost cooked. Remove and set aside.

Wipe out the wok add a bit more oil and heat it up again. Once heated stir-fry the bell peppers and onions
for a minute or so and then add the garlic and ginger.
Stir-fry for a couple of minutes and then put the chicken back into the wok. Cook, stirring all the while and put in the cashew nuts.
Cook for a about 30 seconds.
Give the sauce another mix as the sugar would have gone to the bottom,
before adding it to the wok.
Stir continuously until the chicken is cooked through and is well coated with
the sauce.
Add a tiny amount of salt to taste, if you think it needs it, then serve immediately.
I served mine with egg fried rice.