Stir up a healthy meal in just minutes

By JANE CLARKE

Last updated at 18:59 23 February 2007

Britain's leading nutritionist JANE CLARKE shares her family feast ideas which are both mouthwatering and healthy:

Woks seem to have become a little passe in some households, chargrills and steamers having nudged them out. But not in ours, as the wok is a trusted and sure way to make a quick and easy meal out of ingredients which would otherwise stare at us out of the fridge or cupboard.

Even better, the wok heats to such a high heat so quickly that a delicious meal can be served within minutes.

But before we get into the foodiness of stir-fries, can I make a plea for the welfare of woks? The surface the food comes into contact with is really important, not only to develop the right flavours but also to ensure that the heat is distributed correctly so you don't end up with some spots that are hotter than others. If that happens, your stir-fry won't be cooked to perfection.

You need to look after your wok, not just throw it into a bowl of soapy water or, worse still, put it into the dishwasher - as I recently had to stop a friend doing. If you never use soap or an abrasive cleaner, not only will your wok produce better food, but it will also last longer.

Instead, just wash it in hot water to rinse off any juices or flavours you don't want to remain behind (if necessary, you can use a soft, gentle brush to remove any particles of food sticking to the bottom) and then wipe it dry with paper towels. This way you will 'season' your wok - I find they get better with age.

Another secret to a good stir-fry is to have done all the preparation in advance, chopping your vegetables (they should all be the same, one-bite size, so that cooking is even), meat, chicken, fish, tofu, (which should be cleaned and, again, cut bite-size), garlic, ginger and herbs, and getting store cupboard ingredients ready.

What makes the difference between a stir-fry that sizzles and a soggy, old tasting mush is being able to quickly add the ingredient at the right time, without having to rummage around in a cupboard or, worse still, nip out to the supermarket for something vital. We've all been there and cursed ourselves for not checking before we started cooking.

There are many types of stir-fries, from the drier types, just dressed with some soy sauce and sesame seed oil at the end, to the saucier types, such as my chicken and coconut stir-fry, which gets its creaminess from coconut milk.

Although coconut is a vegetable, the fat in coconut milk is, unlike most other vegetable oils and vegetable milks (such as soya or almond milks, which are growing in popularity since some people are only able to drink them or prefer them to traditional cow's milk), high in saturated fat.

Saturated fats can increase your levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which, if it sticks to the walls of your arteries, can increase your risk of heart disease, but this should not stop you enjoying coconut and coconut milk.

You could buy light coconut milk, which has about 50 per cent less total fat. And you need to make sure the rest of your diet is balanced

around it. For instance, in my stirfry, I have used skinless chicken breasts, which are virtually saturated fat-free and much lower than red meat.

The skin is where the largest amounts of saturated fat can tend to hide so in removing it, you're taking the fat levels right down.

There is no need to be worried about eating chicken in the current climate of turkey and avian flu. There has never been a case of someone catching bird flu from eating poultry.

It's always been necessary to cook chicken thoroughly, in order to kill off potential food-poisoning bacteria such as salmonella, and there is no need to do anything different.

However, for a while now I've looked for extra reassurance when I buy chicken, as I want to be certain the chicken I'm eating is from a farm which has very high standards in animal welfare and hygiene.

This doesn't have to mean organic chicken. You can be sure you are buying chicken from a good farm if you look for the Red Tractor and Union Jack on the packaging. This means it is a Great British Chicken and therefore of the highest quality.

One stir-fry ingredient I am just getting into is tofu, or beancurd. I've always found it somewhat bland and rubbery, but now I've realised that it's just like a sponge that soaks up all the flavours you put with it.

And if I pay extra attention to incorporating more flavourings, such as garlic, ginger and chilli, the final dish is not only delicious, but incredibly healthy.

Tofu, for those of you who have not tried it, is a soft, cheese-like ingredient made from ground soya beans, that is, soya milk. It is made in a very similar way to traditional cheese and is a dietary staple throughout Asia.

It's also well-known in the kitchens of vegetarians and vegans, because it is rich in high-quality protein.

This, you may recall from last week's column on lamb, means it contains a lot of what are known as essential amino acids, so it's a good protein for non-animal-proteineaters, as well as being a good source of calcium and some iron.

Though the iron is not as easily absorbed by the body as it would be from red meat, for vegetarians and vegans it's one of the best options.

You can get quite a variety of tofus in health food stores, Asian markets and most supermarkets. Some are harder than others, the firmness depending on how much whey has been extracted.

Whichever tofu you buy, ensure you store it well. Cover it with clean, cold water and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. I change the water every day or so, so it does not become stale.

Opened tofu should be eaten within a week. Tofu which has gone off is utterly disgusting!

The protein and mineral content of tofu is not the only nutritional reason for seeing if you could become more of a fan.

It is low in saturated fat. Actually, some people think tofu contains no fat at all, but this isn't the case. It does contain about 5 per cent.

It contains no cholesterol, and is very low in sodium, making it a good food for people who have high blood pressure and therefore need to be particularly careful in keeping their salt, as in sodium, levels down.

If you are trying to readjust your palate to eating less salt, use lemongrass, garlic and fresh herbs. They are not only much more vibrant and delicious flavourings, but also far healthier all round.

CHICKEN, GREEN BEAN, LIME & COCONUT STIR FRY

Serves 2

2 free-range (Great British Chicken) skinless chicken breasts

Grated zest and juice of 1 lime

Dash of virgin olive oil 1 green chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped

2 handfuls of green beans, trimmed

150ml tinned coconut milk

1 dsp Thai fish sauce

2 large handfuls of fresh coriander leaves

4 spring onions, cut into thin 2.5cm shreds, including the green parts

TO SERVE: Fragrant rice

Chop chicken into bitesized pieces and place in a bowl with the lime juice and zest. Stir well and leave to marinate for an hour. When you're ready to cook, heat oil in a pan or wok over a high heat, add chicken and stir-fry for three to four minutes until golden. Add chilli, stir-fry for one minute, then add beans, coconut milk, fish sauce and half coriander and spring onions.

Cook for another one to two minutes, until the beans are lightly cooked but still crunchy. Serve with fragrant rice and the remaining coriander and spring onions sprinkled over.

This tastes so fresh and good for you, and is something I fall back on if I'm feeling cold or fluey - the ginger and lemongrass, with the gut-settling satisfying noodles, are just what my body needs, and it takes just ten minutes from start to finish.

TEN-MINUTE SPINACH, TOFU & NOODLE SOUP

Serves 1

250ml hot vegetable stock (you can use a stock cube) 100g dried egg noodles (or other dried noodles)

75g tofu, cut into cubes

1 tbsp low-salt soy sauce

1 red bird's eye chilli, chopped

25g fresh root ginger, chopped

2cm piece of fresh lemongrass, stalk removed, inside chopped very finely

3 medium-sized flat mushrooms, sliced

Juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 large handfuls of spinach, washed well, stalks removed

TO SERVE: 2 tbsp chopped coriander

Pour vegetable stock into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add noodles and cook for two minutes.

Throw in the tofu, soy sauce, chilli, ginger, lemongrass, mushrooms, lime juice and sesame oil, and cook for four minutes. Add whole spinach leaves and simmer for another 30 seconds. Transfer to a serving bowl and stir in the coriander.