Stir-fry your way through summer

Do you want to rid yourself of oil dripping, fat-laden dishes? The answer is stir-fried cooking — it is quick, nutritious and delicious. This summer indulge in this healthy style of cooking to minimise calorie intake and maximise flavour.

Stir-fried Vegetables

The recommended daily allowance for calories is 2,000-2,800 for adults and 2,200-2,500 for all those above 50, this meal contains a nutritious
balance of 110 calories per serving.



Ingredients:

Carrot- 1 - small and peeled

Mushrooms- 100 grams - sliced

Zucchini- 1 medium

Capsicum - ½ medium - green or red

Onion - 1 medium - finely sliced

Oil- 2 tablespoons

Ginger - 1 tablespoon - julienne

Chicken stock - ¼ cup

White sugar - 2 teaspoons

Soy sauce - 2 teaspoons

Wine vinegar - 2 teaspoons - or you could use cider vinegar

Oyster sauce- 1 teaspoon

Sesame oil- ½ teaspoon

Spring onion- ½ cup - julienne

Corn flour - 1 teaspoon

Water - 2 teaspoons 4 to 6

 

Method:

Cut carrot and zucchini in half lengthways and then finely slice them diagonally.

Remove seeds and membranes from pepper and cut into fine slices.

Dissolve the cornflour in the water and set aside.

Heat oil in a hot wok until the surface seems to shimmer slightly.

Add carrot, onion and ginger and stir-fry for 1 minute.

Add zucchini, mushrooms, pepper and sugar and stir-fry for 1 minute.

Pour in the chicken stock, soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce and sesame oil and stir-fry

for a further minute or until the vegetables are just tender.

Re-stir the corn flour/water mixture and add to the sauce, stirring quickly to thicken.

Toss in spring onion, stir-fry for 10 seconds, then remove from heat.

Transfer to a large bowl and serve immediately.

Stir-fried Prawns with Mushrooms and Basil

When prawns and mushrooms are
added to the recipe, the calorie count is 201 per serving.

 

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil - 3 tablespoons

Garlic cloves - 3 crushed

Raw prawns - 175-225 grams or 6-8 ounces peeled

Button mushrooms - 175 grams or 6 ounces - cut into small chunks

Fresh chillies - 3 - remove seeds and chop finely

Light soy sauce -  1 tablespoon

Sweet soy sauce - 1 tablespoon

Oyster sauce - 1 tablespoon

Basil leaves - 1 tablespoon

Chicken stock - 15-30 milliliter or 1-2 tablespoons

Cucumber - thickly sliced to garnish

Spring onions - thickly sliced to garnish



Method:

Heat a wok or a large deep frying pan until hot.

Add the oil and garlic to it and fry for a few seconds.

Add the prawns and stir-fry until they have turned pink.

Add the mushrooms and red chillies and stir-fry for another few seconds.

Add the light soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, oyster sauce and fish sauce and turn everything over once or twice.

Add the basil and the stock and toss for a few seconds.

Serve on steamed Thai jasmine rice, garnished with the cucumber and spring onions.

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, July 31^st,  2011.