Simple Stir-Fries for Chinese New Year

This year the Chinese New Year falls on 10th February and it is the year of the Dragon.  If you fancy marking the day with an authentic Chinese dish, take a look at these three deliciously nutritious stir-fries from Tenderstem Broccoli. 

A little advice when cooking stir-fries…don’t overfill your wok as the vegetables will start to simmer not fry, making them soggy and not as crunchy as they should be. If necessary, cook in batches.

Stir-fried Prawns and Tenderstem with Oriental Seasoning

Stir-fried Prawns and Tenderstem with Oriental Seasoning

This takes about ten minutes to make from scratch! It’s healthy, delicious and a great alternative to a takeaway. Serve it with noodles or rice and a nice glass of white wine.

Serves 2 as a main course

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 6-8 minutes

You’ll need:

2 tbsp wok/stir-fry oil
1 long red chilli, halved, seeded and finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped or crushed
2cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
200g Tenderstem broccoli, sliced in half
200g raw peeled tiger prawns
100g oyster mushrooms, torn into bite-size pieces
100g beansprouts
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
2 tbsp runny honey
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
1 tbsp chopped coriander

What to do:

1. Heat a wok over a high heat and then add the oil. As soon as the oil is smoking, add the chilli, garlic and ginger to the wok. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds and then add the Tenderstem, prawns, oyster mushrooms and beansprouts. Fry for a few minutes, moving and tossing around in the pan to cook evenly.

2. Once the prawns are cooked through (pink in colour), add the soy sauce, rice wine or sherry and honey. Continue to stir-fry for a further minute or so until the Tenderstem is just becoming tender and everything is coated with the oriental seasoning.

3. Serve straight away scattered with sesame seeds if using and chopped coriander.

Lesley Waters Tenderstem Gingered Noodles with Crispy Duck

Tenderstem Gingered Noodles with Crispy Duck

“Tenderstem Broccoli is perfect for stir-frying, it’s rich in iron, vitamin C and folic acid – shorter cooking time means you lose fewer nutrients. Roasting the duck on a rack with salt will ensure that the skin goes really crispy.”

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

You’ll need:

4 duck legs
1 tsp salt
225g medium egg noodles
1 tbsp vegetable oil
200g Tenderstem broccoli, cut into 6cm strips
1 bunch spring onions, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into very fine strips
1 clove garlic, crushed
1.25cm (½ “) piece ginger, peeled & finely chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 large orange, juice only

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 210°C, 425°F, Gas 7.
2. Using a fork, prick the duck all over and lightly rub over 1tsp salt. Place the duck on a rack over a roasting tin and cook for approx. 1 hour 15 minutes until crisp and cooked. Alternatively, buy Chinese Crispy Duck Legs from the supermarket and follow the pack instructions.
3. Cook the noodles in boiling water according to the instructions on the packet, then drain, rinse and set to one side.
4. Using a sharp knife and fork, pull and chop the meat and skin from the duck legs and spread out on a baking tray. Return the shredded duck to the oven to keep warm.
5. Meanwhile, in a large wok, heat the oil. Add the Tenderstem broccoli, spring onions, carrots and stir fry for 2 minutes until vegetables are just cooked but still crunchy. Add the garlic, ginger, soy sauce and orange juice, toss in the noodles. Heat through and season to taste.
6. To serve, toss the duck through the noodles and pile into four dishes. Scatter over fresh coriander leaves (optional) and serve straight away.
7. These delicious Tenderstem broccoli noodles can be served with grilled tuna, griddled chicken or simply on their own with an addition of toasted sesame seeds.

Ginger Chilli Beef with Tenderstem

Ginger Chilli Beef with Tenderstem

Stir-fries are a great way to contribute to your 5-a-day. You don’t have to stick to the vegetable suggestions below – it might be that you have a few vegetables in your fridge that need using up.

Serves 2 generously

Preparation time: 35 minutes

Cooking time: up to 10 minutes

You’ll need:

1 piece of sirloin steak about 300g
1 red chilli, de-seeded
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 cm piece of root ginger, peeled
2 tbsp wok/stir-fry oil
200g Tenderstem, halved
100g baby corn, halved lengthways
½ red pepper, finely sliced
75g bamboo shoots
2 handfuls of beansprouts
1 bunch spring onions, sliced thickly
2 strips of cooked rice noodles
2 tbsp runny honey
2 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

What to do:

1. Cut the beef steak into wafer thin strips, removing any excess fat, and place in a bowl.

2. Either by hand, or in a small food processor, finely chop the chilli, garlic and ginger. Stir into the strips of beef and leave to marinade for about 30 minutes at room temperature.

3. Heat a large wok, and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Once it is almost smoking, add the beef and marinade, and stir-fry for a few minutes until the meat is cooked and has started to become golden. Remove from the wok and keep warm.

5. Return the wok to the heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Once it is almost smoking, add the Tenderstem, baby corn and red pepper. Stir fry for a few minutes, until the vegetables are starting to soften. Add the bamboo shoots, beansprouts, string onions and stir-fry for a minute or so before returning the beef and adding the noodles. Continue to stir-fry until the noodles are heated through.
6. Add the honey, rice wine or sherry and soy sauce. Cook and toss everything around in the pan for a minute to coat everything in the sauce and then serve onto plates. Scatter with coriander and serve.

All recipes by: www.tenderstem.co.uk

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Sally - Silversurfer's Editor

Mother of three grown-up daughters and a proud grandma too, I am the ultimate multi-tasker and am passionate about my role as Silversurfers Website Editor and Social Media Manager. Always on the lookout for all things that will interest and entertain our community. Fueling fun for the young at heart!

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