Think clean eating recipes mean spending half your life slaving over the stove? Think again. Ching-He Huang brings you three clean eating recipes from her new book Eat Clean: Wok Yourself to Health that require little time, planning and effort
Protein-burst smoked salmon, spinach and chive egg-white omelette
- 1⁄2 teaspoon coconut oil 3 free-range medium egg
- whites, lightly beaten (save the yolks for another recipe)
- 40g/11⁄2oz smoked salmon slices
- 1 small handful of baby spinach leaves, washed and drained
- 1 small bunch of chopped chives
- 1 pinch of ground black pepper
- 1 sprinkle of paprika or gochugaru (Korean dried chilli flakes)
- 1⁄2 avocado, peeled, stoned and sliced
Heat a wok (or pan) over a high heat and add the coconut oil. As the oil starts to melt, swirl it around in the wok. Add the egg whites and cook, stirring to scramble, for 30 seconds, then let the egg set in a pancake shape.
Gently place the smoked salmon slices on the egg, then sprinkle over the spinach and chives. Season with black pepper, then gently fold over the omelette. Sprinkle with some paprika or dried chilli flakes and serve with the avocado. Eat immediately.
Raw Chinese leaf rainbow ’coleslaw’
- 1 small handful of shredded red cabbage, washed, drained and chilled
- 1 small handful of shredded kale, washed, drained and chilled
- 1 small handful of shredded Chinese leaf, washed, drained and chilled
- 1 small handful of mangetout, washed, drained, cut into julienne strips and chilled
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cashew or almond butter
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon toasted black and white sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon toasted sliced almonds
Place all the ingredients in a bowl, toss well to combine and serve immediately.
Herby Thai beef salad
- 1 sirloin steak, about 200g/7oz, fat trimmed off
- 1 pinch of Chinese five- spice powder
- 1 small pinch of ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon rapeseed oil
For the beef marinade:
- 1 spring onion, topped, tailed and sliced
- 1 lemongrass stalk, rough outer layers removed, stalk finely chopped
- 1⁄4 red onion, peeled and sliced
- 1⁄2 red bird’s-eye chilli, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed, peeled and finely grated
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1⁄2 teaspoon soft brown sugar
- juice of 1⁄2 lime
- 3 mint leaves
- 3 Thai basil leaves
- a few coriander sprigs
For the fragrant dressing for the beef:
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon low-sodium light soy sauce or tamari
- 1 lemongrass stalk, rough outer layers removed, stalk finely grated
- 1 teaspoon grated palm sugar
- 1 teaspoon chopped raw peanuts
- 1 teaspoon rapeseed oil 1 bird’s-eye chilli, sliced (optional, or on the side)
Put all the ingredients for the marinade in a mini food processor and pulse to combine. Pour onto a non- metallic plate, add the steak to the marinade, cover with a plate and marinate for up to 2 hours.
Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the fragrant dressing in a bowl and taste to adjust the seasoning.
Remove the steak from the marinade. Season well with five-spice powder and a pinch of white pepper. Heat the rapeseed oil in a grill pan or wok and cook the steak until medium-rare – about 3 minutes per side, depending on thickness. If the steak is thin, cook it for less time. Remove the steak from the pan and set aside to rest.
For the salad dressing:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin
- olive oil
- juice of 1⁄2 lime
- 1 small pinch of ground white pepper
For the salad:
- 1⁄4 red onion, peeled and
- thinly sliced into half moons
- 100g/31⁄2oz dinosaur kale
- (cavolo nero), washed, drained and finely shredded
- 1 small handful of Little Gem lettuce leaves, washed and torn
- 1 small handful of watercress and rocket, washed and drained
- 3 Thai basil leaves, finely shredded
- 1⁄4 cucumber, thinly sliced into half moons
- 1⁄2 spring onion, topped, tailed and thinly sliced into rounds
Combine all the ingredients for the salad dressing in another small bowl.
Layer the salad ingredients onto a plate and lightly dress with the dressing, using more as needed. Slice the rested steaks on the bias into very thin pieces. Lay the steak on top of the salad. Spoon some of the fragrant dressing over the beef and serve.
READ MORE: 10 best healthy cookbooks for 2015
Ching-He Huang is an Emmy-nominated international TV chef and culinary host. She began eating clean in 2011 when she started having allergic reactions to her diet.
Follow Ching on Twitter and Facebook.
Eat Clean: Wok Yourself to Health is the product of Ching-He Huang’s clean eating journey, featuring practical dishes for every day that cut the time and effort out of the clean eating lifestyle. It’s published by Harper Thorsons, with photography by Myles New.
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