Talking about student life and the return of many of our children to schools, colleges and universities, we were having a discussion with friends about easy ways for students to cook healthy food while away from home.  One way my children loved to cook is by using a wok.  It can be quick, healthy and so simple. Of course you can also send them off with a microwave too.

With such an array of Woks available today from electric woks to hob top woks, including flat bottomed woks there is one to suit every cook. Cooking with a wok requires the minimum amount of oil, the secret to wok cookery is to obtain a high heat and only place your ingredients in to the wok when the wok is hot and at temperature. If this is done the length of time to cook is short and the majority of the time is spent actually preparing the ingredients.

Take a Pork, Ginger and Salad onion Stir Fry for instance, this dish is fragrant and aromatic, and ginger root just partners pork perfectly.  This dish can be prepared in about 15 minutes and cooked in 10 minutes.

So are you ready? lets go. You will need - olive oil 1 tablespoon, 225g lean british pork loin or fillets cut into thin strips, 1 garlic clove peeled and crushed, 2cm root ginger peeled and finely sliced, 6 salad onion sliced, 50g baby sweetcorn, 1 227g can pineapple chunks drained, 50g green beans sliced and 4 tablespoons of oyster sauce.

Remember, the secret is in the preparation. Make sure all your ingredients are about the same size. For example if you are using different vegetables in your dish, if you have cut one vegetable bigger than the other then one might be over cooked and the other under cooked. So practice your slicing and preparation and have your noodles ready with your plates to serve too.

To make - heat the oil in your wok until very hot. Stir fry your pork for 3 to 4 minutes until cooked. Then add the garlic, ginger, salad onions, baby sweetcorn, pineapple chunks and green beans and cook for about 2 to 3  minutes. Add your oyster sauce cooking for a further 1 to 2 minutes until heated through and serve immediately with noodles of your choice. 

Quick, easy and full of taste and ready in no time at all.

I think the ken hom tao 36 cm carbon steel wok is great to start with and big enough for inviting friends around to share your superb cooking skills and fabulous stir frys with. It is a family sized wok with a durable non-stick xylan coating suitable for all hob types except induction and dishwasher safe with a 1 year guarantee.

How are your students looking to cook while away from home?