Chicken & cashew nut stir fry

For this super-quick dish, strips of chicken flavoured with coriander and lime are tossed with a colourful medley of vegetables and toasted nuts. Choose organic chicken if possible. Serve with buckwheat or wholewheat noodles.

SERVES: 4
PREPARATION TIME: 10 minutes
COOKING TIME: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 60g heaped cashew nuts
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 450g/1lb skinless chicken breast fillets, sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
• 4 spring onions, sliced
• 100g/3½oz mangetout, trimmed
• 1 pak choi, leaves separated
• 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and sliced into strips
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced into strips
• 150g/5½oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 4 tbsp chicken stock
• juice of 1 lime
• 2–3 tbsp tamari
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

• Lightly toast the nuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring, and set aside.
• Put the egg into a large bowl, add the cornflour and a pinch of salt, and whisk to combine.
• Add the chicken and coat with the egg mixture.
• Heat a frying pan or wok with the olive oil over medium heat.
• Stir-fry the chicken for 4–5 minutes until golden, then remove with a slotted spoon.
• Add the spring onions and stir-fry for a few seconds.
• Add the mangetout, pak choi and peppers, and stir-fry for 1 minute or until just softened.
• Add the chicken, mushrooms, stock, lime juice and tamari to taste.
• Simmer for 1 minute or until the mushrooms have softened.
• Stir in the nuts and coriander, then season with salt and pepper before serving.
• Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

PER SERVING: Protein 34.9g, Carbohydrates 17g of which sugars 8.2g, Fat 12.9g of which saturates 4.2g, Kcals 323

HEALTH BENEFITS: Chicken is an energizing food, rich in B vitamins and protein and low in saturated fats. It is an excellent source of the cancer-protective B vitamin, niacin, which helps to protect components of DNA.