Stir frying as mentioned in my previous blog ‘the wok increases sales of Ginger!’ is simple, quick and healthy making it a ideal cooking method in todays busy lifestyles which we all lead. By using minimum oil and cooking quickly the ingredients retain full flavour and their natural goodness and not forgetting less washing up too.

The main skill to wok cookery is in the preparation and this is the part which takes the most time, but you can adopt your recipes to follows the seasons using seasonal vegetables to become even more beneficial to your wallet with less cooking time so less gas or eletricity used, less washing up cuts sown the water meter usage and high nutirional value keeps you immune system and general health in good order throughout the seasons. What more benefits do you need? and whether your vegetarian or only eat fish you can add vegetables, meat, fish, shellfish or just spices or herbs the recipes are endless so lets get cooking!

One of my daughters favourites is Mushroom stirfry with rice. You will need (serves 4): 225g long grain rice, 2 tblsp olive oil, 1 onion chopped, 1 garlic clove crushed, 350g mixed mushrooms, 3 tblsp dry sherry, 2 tblsp worcester sauce, 3 tblsp chopped fresh parsley and seasoning.

Bring a large pan of water to boil and cook the rice as directed then drain and stand on one side. Heat the oil in your wok. Add the onion, garlic and seasoning and stur fry over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and stir fry for a further 3 minutes, pour in the sherry and worcester sauce and stir fry for about 4 minutes untill the mushrooms are tender. Toss the rice with the mushrooms then remove from the heat stir in the fresh parsley and serve immediately.

How about Sweet & Sour Vegetables ( if you like your meat just add a cooked meat of your choice to this recipe). You will need(serves 2): 1o0g egg noodles, 2 tblsp groundnut oil, 100g shredded white cabbage, 2 shredded leeks, 2 grated carrots, 2 tsp cornflour, 225g pineapple chunks, 2 tblsps dry sherry, 2 tblsp light muscovado sugar, 2 tblsp soy sauce, 1 tblsp tomato ketchup and seasoning.

Place egg noodles in a bowl and pour over boiling water and leave to soak for about 5 minutes. Heat the oil in your wok and add the cabbage, leeks and carrots and stir fry quickly for 2 minutes. Mix together in a bowl the cornflour with all the juice drained from the tin of pineapple chunks, sherry, sugar, soy sauce and tomato ketchup and blend until smooth. Stir the suace in to the wok add the pineapple chunks and mix thoroughly simmer gently for 3 minutes until the sauce thickens then toss in your drained noodles, season and serve immediately.