SUPER GREEN STIR-FRY

A super, natural green-packed stir fry was on the cards for lunch and dinner tonight. As the seasons slightly change in Brisbane (if you can even tell the difference between the end of summer and the arrival of autumn in my adopted hometown) I find myself getting a little rundown and somewhat sick. Whenever I feel my immune system lapsing a little, I try to feed myself with as many vegetables as I can, as my dear mother always used to do by combining a minimum of 10 vegetables in a soup or stir-fry. Hence the recipe below was born. The inspiration came from Heidi Swanson’s cookbook, ‘Super Natural Cooking’, my new obsession, as frequent readers may attest. Whilst I am a cook who likes to chop, dice, grate and slice as she goes, I highly recommend that you get all the mundane chopping over and done with before you start the actual cooking process in the wok. It makes the stir-frying process so much easier and you will have a much smaller chance of overcooking any ingredients. More fresh herbs can be used, such as coriander, mint and/or chives and vegetables can be added, such as green capsicum, green onion, asparagus etc.

INGREDIENTS

• 500g chicken breast, cut into even strips
• 1 head of broccoli, cut into even sized florets
• 150g snow peas, trimmed and washed
• 150g green beans, trimmed and washed
• 3cm piece fresh ginger, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 1 cup brown rice 
• 2 tablespoons cashews, roughly chopped
• 100g green spinach leaves, washed 
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 tablespoons plum sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes 
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil 
• Optional - 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, shredded

COOKING 

1. Pour 1 cup brown rice into a medium saucepan, add 2 cups water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covering, for around 15-20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. 

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon of sesame oil in a wok and swirl to coat. Add chicken strips and stir constantly, until chicken is white in colour and no pink flesh remains. Remove chicken from the wok and place in a bowl. 

3. Heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in the wok and again swirl to coat. Add broccoli florets, snow peas, green beans, chilli flakes, ginger and garlic and stir for 3-4 minutes. Add cashews and spinach leaves and stir for 2 minutes, until the spinach wilts. Return the cooked chicken to the wok, add the lime juice and plum sauce and stir well for 1 minute, tossing the liquid among the vegetables and chicken. 

4. Remove from wok and place cooked green vegetables & chicken on a bed of brown rice. Stir in fresh  basil if desired. 

Serves / 4 

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