Posts

Recipe simple paleo stir fry-min

Recipe: Simple Chicken Stir Fry

Sometimes it's nice to make something simple and easy for dinner. And it doesn't get much easier than a stir fry.

Whilst you can buy packets of ready to use vegetables to throw into a pan – don't do this! Where I live a packet of pre-prepared veggies is upwards of about $7.50 a kilo. Or you can buy your vegetables individually. I get carrots for about $1 a kilo and cabbage for about $3 a head. Cheaper, probably fresher and only the nice bits. The only difference is that the prepacked veg are drier which is better for stir frying. I just use a cheese cloth to remove the excess liquid from my freshly grated veg – and save lots of money in the process.

Recipe simple paleo stir fry-min

 

 

Recipe: Simple Chicken Stir Fry
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Sometimes it’s nice to make something simple and easy for dinner. And it doesn’t get much easier than a stir fry. Whilst you can buy packets of ready to use vegetables to throw into a pan – don’t do this! Where I live a packet of pre-prepared veggies is upwards of about $7.50 a kilo. Or you can buy your vegetables individually. I get carrots for about $1 a kilo and cabbage for about $3 a head. Cheaper, probably fresher and only the nice bits. The only difference is that the prepacked veg are drier which is better for stir frying. I just use a cheese cloth to remove the excess liquid from my freshly grated veg – and save lots of money in the process.
Ingredients
  • Large spoonful of coconut oil
  • Chicken breast (free range, obviously)
  • 2 carrots
  • Half a head of cabbage
  • Dash coconut aminos
  • Sea salt
Instructions
  1. Melt the coconut oil in a pan over a medium heat
  2. Cut up the chicken as you like it (strips or diced) and throw into the pan
  3. Grate the vegetables in a food processor*, or using an old school grater. In a clean tea towel or cheesecloth, wring out the excess liquid. I used cabbage and cauliflower – but throw in whatever you have!
  4. Once the chicken starts to look golden and is cooked through, add in the grated vegetables.
  5. Add the dash of coconut aminos for flavouring and season to your taste. You can also add in some herbs and spices if you want to change it up.
  6. *I usually prepare a lot of veg to take make enough for several meals. If you’ve got the food processor out, you might as well get good use out of it!

Recipe Garlic and Tamarind Chicken Thighs-min

Recipe: Garlic and Tamarind Chicken Thighs

If you’re looking for a ‘stir fry’ recipe with maximum flavour, look no further. This recipe is quick, easy, and comes with incredibly deep and complex flavours. Garlic, Tamarind, Mushrooms, Fish Sauce, Peppers, Shallots and Ginger all work in harmony and make this stir fry incredibly unique. As you’ll know if you've used tamarind before, it can be very sour – so if you’re cooking with it, you’ll need a little sweetness just to balance it out. I find a 1:1 ratio works well, but you may need to adjust this depending on your palate.

The key to this recipe is the gentle cooking. Don’t go mad and raise the heat too high, or the garlic will burn and turn bitter.

Recipe: Garlic and Tamarind Chicken Thighs
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 4 skinless and boneless chicken thighs, diced
  • 3 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 3cm chunk root ginger, finely chopped
  • 4 shallots, finely sliced
  • 1 green pepper, deseeded and sliced
  • 1 red pepper, deseeded and slices
  • 8 mushrooms
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • 2 tsp tamarind paste
  • 2 tsp raw honey
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)
  • Handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
Instructions
  1. ) Gently heat the coconut oil in your largest wok. Add the chicken thighs, garlic, ginger and shallots, and cook gently for around 10 minutes, until the chicken is browned and the shallots start to caramelise. Add the peppers and mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes.
  2. ) Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a saucepan. Add the tamarind, honey, fish sauce and sesame, and mix together until thoroughly combined. Keep on the heat for a few more minutes, until it starts to reduce down. Taste, and adjust to your liking.
  3. ) Check the chicken is thoroughly cooked through. Add the tamarind sauce to the pan, and toss the ingredients together. Serve garnished with a little fresh coriander.

Next on my list is using fresh tamarind fruit, rather than the paste. I’d love to know if you've ever tried it, and how it turned out!

Recipe Garlic and Tamarind Chicken Thighs-min

Szechuan Pepper and Lime Beef Stir Fry with Steamed Pak Choi paleo diet recipe lunch dinner-min

Recipe: Szechuan Pepper and Lime Beef Stir Fry with Steamed Pak Choi

Szechuan pepper has to one of the most fun ingredients to cook with. Nicknamed ‘the tongue numbing flower pepper,’ this pepper is delightfully floral and leaves a distinct tingle in the mouth. It is also known to enhance certain taste receptors, often making the foods around it taste slightly sweeter! It works great with other spices like star anise, or in this case, Chinese 5 spice.

Szechuan Stir Fry Ingredients:

  • 500g lean beef strips
  • 1 red capsicum (bell pepper), deseeded and chopped into strips
  • 1 zucchini (courgette), thinly sliced
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 2 tsp freshly ground Szechuan pepper
  • 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 400g pak choi
  • Juice of 1 lime

Stir Fry How To:

1)     Heat a little oil in a frying pan to a medium heat. Brown the onions, then add the zucchini and red capsicum and stir fry for a minute or so until softened. Set aside.

2)     In a bowl, combine the Szechuan pepper, 5 spice and ginger with the crushed garlic and lime juice to make a marinade. Toss over the beef, coating well.

3)     Raise the heat of the pan to high. Throw in the beef and stir fry for a couple of minutes – ideally, it will be cooked medium when served.

4)     While the beef is cooking, wash the pak choi and separate the leaves. Lightly steam over some boiling water for 2 – 3 minutes.

5)     Return the vegetables to the pan, add the lime juice, and fry for another minute or so (longer if you like your beef more well done). Remove from the pan, and serve with the steamed pak choi

What are your favourite stir fry ingredients?

Szechuan Pepper and Lime Beef Stir Fry with Steamed Pak Choi paleo diet recipe lunch dinner-min