Chicken and Broccoli Noodles

It has occurred to me that, despite this blog claiming to be all about "food and fitness", the "food" part has been woefully neglected. So, I have got a couple of recipes I would like to share with you. They are really easy, pretty healthy (well... there might be a couple of exceptions) and really tasty.

I know that the latest food industry scandal has left lots of people with a bitter taste in their mouths... but for me it just confirmed what I thought all along. You want to know what's going in your food? Learn to cook. It's surprisingly easier and cheaper than you think.

So, with that said, here's my first offering...

Chicken and Broccoli Noodles

This recipe has been adapted from 101 Low Fat Feasts by BBC Good Food. You know that one recipe book that you constantly refer to? Well, this one is mine (second only to my trusty Be-Ro book!) and I highly recommend you get yourself a copy. In the meantime, let me whet your appetite with this tasty dish...

You will need (serves 2)

• 2 nests of egg noodles
• 175g broccoli
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Thumb size piece of ginger, grated
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 2 chicken breasts, sliced and/or diced
• Bunch of spring onions
• 1.5 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 vegetable stock cube

This is what raw chicken looks like 

Some more of your ingredients (clockwise from top right): grated ginger, garlic, broccoli, spring onions

Quick word on your greens before we get started - in the case of the spring onions, it's very much a case of do what I say, not what I do. Last time I made this and took these pictures, I experimented with freezing my spring onions. It did not go well. In an attempt to defrost them, I added them early on in the cooking process, but unfortunately this made them all squidgy by the end :( . So, be sure to use fresh spring onions and add them fairly late on so they keep their crunch. However, I also used frozen broccoli, which worked out fine. However, if you want to use fresh, that's okay too.

Heat your oil in a wok (or a large pot) and add the ginger and garlic. Cook out for about 30 seconds, then add your chicken and cook until fully cooked (about 5 minutes depending on the size of your pieces).

I added my spring onions too - as I mentioned earlier, don't do that.

While that's cooking, make up your vegetable stock from the cube according to the instructions. Boil up some water in a separate pot, and add your noodles, broccoli and all but 100ml of your stock. Pop the lid on and cook for about 5 minutes.

Keep stirring your chicken while it is cooking. This is what it should look like when it is nearly ready:

When the chicken is cooked through, add the rest of the vegetable stock and soy sauce.

Nom.

The noodles and broccoli should nearly be ready now, so drain them and add to the wok with your lovely fresh spring onions.

Stir about for a minute or so to let the lovely sauce soak through everything, then serve.

GET IN MY BELLY

It's a really satisfying dish, and not too bad calorie wise, at 425 calories and 4g saturated fat. 

Let me know if you give it a go, and also let me know if you find a way to freeze spring onions without turning them into a squidgy mess!