This one is for all the pressed-for-time mamas who just want to feed their family something nutritious that doesn’t need all afternoon on the stove. I like shortcuts and I love Asian cooking. One of the local grocery stores sells ready-to-heat udon and ramen noodles. Something about the chewiness of udon just does it for me. What makes this recipe awesome is that you can add what you have in your veggie tray – there is no right or wrong way to do it. Now that the kids know this is possible, I have had to keep this recipe in the regular-loop.

Hope you like it, too!

Ingredients:
750g deboned chicken thigh or breast, sliced into flattened cubes
Cornflour to dip the chicken in after it marinates

For the Marinade
25ml Sweet soy sauce
25ml Dark Soy sauce
10ml Sesame oil
A deseeded chili
A thumb-sized piece of Fresh Ginger

For the stir-fry
Quarter cup of sesame seed oil
2 large carrots, sliced into thin strips
Two cups of Cabbage, sliced
Half a cup of Onion, sliced
Two bulbs of garlic, finely chopped
Thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
1 cup of mushrooms, sliced
2 cups of Spinach or Bok Choy, rinsed and sliced
Fresh chillies to taste

For the sauce
1 cup Housin sauce
Quarter cup normal soy sauce
Half cup sweet soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chicken stock powder
1tbsp cornflour

Prepared udon noodles (see package instructions)
Bean sprouts to serve (optional)
Chilies to serve (optional)

Method:
Marinade the chicken for around one hour.

Heat the oil. Once you have dipped the chicken in the flour, pop it into the pan in the oil. Make sure the pan is not crowded. Your chicken needs to cook over high heat and quickly – that way it stays moist.

Remove your chicken from the pan, add a bit more oil if necessary and add all your veggies except the spinach and mushrooms. Once the veggies are just about sautéed but still crispy, add the spinach and mushrooms. Prepare the noodles.

Combine all the sauce ingredients to make your stirfry sauce. Add your chicken back to the pan with the veggies. Add the sauce and cook for five minutes. Add in the prepared noodles and stir to combine. Cook for another minute or two, and add a little water if your stirfry is too dry.

Serve your stirfry with some fresh chili and bean sprouts on top.

Enjoy with loved ones!