If you need a break from rich, calorific food this easy chicken stir-fry is perfect. Low-fat doesn’t mean low-flavour, and the sauce means your taste buds won’t feel deprived. It’s popular with picky eaters too – my kids loved it because the colours made them feel they were ‘eating the rainbow’.
Prep time: 30 mins approx
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
500g boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 onion, red or white
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 carrot
1 head of broccoli
1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
2tbsp honey
75g peanut butter
50ml soy sauce
50ml water
1tbsp vegetable oil
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Method:
First, prep your ingredients. Finely slice the onion and garlic cloves. Chop the peppers and carrot into matchsticks. Separate the broccoli into florets. Cut the chicken into thin strips. Juice the lemon, removing any pips.
Put the garlic slices, peanut butter, soy sauce, water, honey and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk together until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan. Add the chicken and cook for a few minutes to seal. Add the vegetables and then pour over the sauce. Simmer for a few minutes, stirring all the time – you want the vegetables to be tender but not too soft. If the sauce is too thin, add a little cornflour to thicken; if it’s too thick, loosen with more water.
It should be ready after around ten minutes. Serve with your choice of rice or noodles, or eat as it is.
Tips & Variations
You can use any combination of vegetables according to your preference or what’s in season. Courgette (zucchini), green beans, red or white cabbage, sugar snap peas and asparagus all work equally well. Make sure larger vegetables are cut into matchsticks or evenly sized pieces; leave those such as asparagus spears or mangetouts whole.
If you’re short of time, prepare the vegetables a day ahead and store them in Ziploc bags in the refrigerator.
You can use cooked chicken if you prefer. Simply cook the vegetables first and add the chopped or shredded cooked meat towards the end to heat through.
Make chicken stir-fry wraps with any leftovers for a delicious packed lunch.
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