It's finally March and the sun is trying to shine through right now. I've spent the week comfort eating while it rains outside, which has meant a lot of carbs, a lot of cheese and a lot of chocolate! With Spring around the corner I thought what better time to switch it up and a bit and introduce some fresh, healthy and flavour-packed dishes? So March is going to be Japanese month, with an exciting new Japanese dish every weekend of this month.
I'm starting off with teriyaki stir fry as I love the bold flavours. I love how quick and easy this dish is, without there being any compromise on taste. The base of this dish is a delicious teriyaki sauce - I like to make a larger batch of this sauce and freeze for a later date to make it an even quicker go-to option if I'm short on time.
So let's start with sauce. The great thing about this sauce is that it can be added to any veggies you like to spruce up your dish. It's fantastic in a simple stir fry - just add near the end so it doesn't burn, or use as a glaze on roasted vegetables. It can also be used as a dipping sauce.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Teriyaki sauce:
350ml water
85g dark brown sugar
70ml dark soy sauce
1tsp crushed garlic (1 large clove)
1 1/2 tsp crushed ginger
3 tbsp mirin
1tsp sesame oil
2tbsp cornflour, mixed with 1tbsp water
Stir fry:
2 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
400g beef (I'm using beef skirt, cut into slices) or 400g vegetarian protein (I'm using Plant Pioneers chicken-style pieces)*
1 red onion, sliced
2 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
100g mangetout
1 large red chilli, sliced
2 spring onion stems, sliced (optional)
4 servings egg noodles (I've used wholemeal, but you can choose your preference)
*If cooking both vegetarian and meat dishes, use 200g of each and divide the remaining ingredients between two pans (two servings of each).
Method:
First make the teriyaki sauce:
1. Combine the water, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and mirin in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Simmer for 4-5 minutes until it's thickened a bit and looks glossy.
2. Mix the cornflour with 1tbsp of water to make a paste and whisk into the mixture to thicken. Then whisk through the sesame oil.
3. Adjust the consistency with a splash of water if required, then set aside to cool to room temperature.
(This can now be stored in the fridge for about a week, or frozen in an ice cube tray for later use.)
Now for the beef, veggies and noodles. You can mix up the ingredients for this dish and use whatever you fancy or what's left in the fridge.
1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add the meat or vegetarian alternative and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the onion and carrots, stirring regularly to cook evenly. Cook for a few more minutes and meanwhile prep the noodles. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the noodles. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or to the packet instructions.
2. While the noodles are cooking add the mangetout and sliced chilli to the frying pan.
3. Once the noodles are cooked, drain and add to the frying pan. Add 6 tablespoons of the teriyaki sauce to the pan and stir to coat the noodles, meat and vegetables.
4. Serve with fresh spring onion.
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