Preparing and cooking a delicious and nutritious meal during the week can be a laborious task, especially if you’re busy.
By the time you’ve finished work at 5pm and travelled home, you might not sit down for dinner until 7pm.
Rick Stein’s beef and shiitake chow mein is the perfect mid-week meal that can be made in less than an hour.
The recipe, which can be found on the BBC website, takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and between 10 and 30 minutes to cook.
Rick said of the recipe: “Toss together flash-fried sirloin strips, crunchy veg and ginger with a quick oyster and soy sauce dressing for a true taste of China.”
The recipe, which is from Rick Stein’s Food Stories, can be made in just five steps but preparation is key.
How to make Rick Stein’s beef and shiitake chow mein
Ingredients
400g/14oz sirloin steak, fat removed
one tbsp cornflour
generous pinch ground white pepper
One tbsp oyster sauce
125ml/4fl oz sunflower oil or vegetable oil, plus 1 tbsp
250g/9oz dried egg noodles (4 nests)
150g/5½oz beansprouts
Three spring onions, trimmed and shredded lengthways
100g/3½oz mangetout
100g/3½oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced
Three garlic cloves, chopped
15g/½oz fresh root ginger, peeled and grated or finely chopped
For the sauce
Half tsp sugar
One tbsp oyster sauce
Three tbsp soy sauce
pinch ground white pepper
Two spring onions, finely sliced on the diagonal (to serve)
Method
1. First, cut the sirloin steak into thin slices, put them in a bowl and combine them with the cornflour and the white pepper. Then, add two tablespoons of water, the oyster sauce and one tablespoon of sunflower oil.
2. In another bowl, mix together the ingredients for the sauce with 100ml of water. Set aside.
3. Next, cook the noodles according to the packet instructions before draining thoroughly. Heat 100ml of oil in a pan. Once hot, add the drained noodles and fry them until they are crisp. Remove them from the pan and keep them warm.
4. Add the rest of the oil to the pan and add the beef. Cook for two to three minutes. Next, add the vegetables, mushrooms, garlic and ginger and continue to stir-fry for a few minutes. Add the sauce and allow it to thicken up.
5. Once cooked, divide the noodles between the bowls, add the steak and vegetables and serve with chopped spring onions for added crunch.
