Shrimp stir fry

Serves

4

Timing

Preparation: 10 mins
Cooking: 5 mins

250g/8oz rice noodles
450g/1lb frozen raw shrimps or prawns
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
200g/7oz beansprouts
250g/8oz baby spinach
2 small leeks, trimmed and cut into diagonal strips
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2.5cm/1 inch piece root ginger, peeled and grated
1 tbsp groundnut oil
1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and chopped
1 tbsp sesame seeds
3 tbsp soy sauce
½ glass white wine
2 tbsp honey

Method

1 In a wok heat the oil and, when hot, add the broccoli, ginger, leeks, garlic and shrimps, three quarters of the spring onions, the beansprouts and baby spinach. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

2 In the meantime soak the rice noodles as prescribed on the packet.

3 Mix together the soy sauce, honey and white wine and add to the wok. Continue to cook for a further minute.

4 Serve the noodles in individual bowls and top with the stir fry.

5 Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and the remaining spring onions.

Dr Clayton says

Quick, delicious and very nutritious.

Shrimps and prawns (especially freshwater ones) contain betaine, a methyl group donor which can reduce levels of the toxic metabolite homocysteine, thereby reducing the risk of heart attacks and Alzheimer’s.

Both spinach and broccoli are good sources of Vitamin K, essential for healthy bones; lutein, which protects the eyes; and Vitamin C, which may help to prevent cancers; as well as dietary fibre.

Spring onions and leeks contain the flavonoid quercitin, which has anti-inflammatory and cardio-protective properties. They also contain prebiotic fibres, other dietary fibre, and some of the same cholesterol-reducing and anti-cancer sulphur compounds that are found in garlic.

Ginger provides ginger flavonoids which have marked anti-inflammatory properties and are particularly useful to sufferers from arthritis. These flavonoids are also probably cardioprotective.

Beansprouts are a good source of B vitamins and dietary fibre, with some Vitamin C.

Dr Clayton says

highlights the benefits from the main ingredients in each recipe, and the symbols show how those foods can reduce major health threats. The more symbols, the stronger the protection.

Heart disease