Hands up, if you spent the best part of December, overeating like a voracious glutton and drinking wine like a booze hag at Bingo?
Ummm… You can’t see this, but my hand is up too.
Hands up, if you spent at least a couple of nights during the holidays, lying in bed eating Smiths Originals at Midnight while watching a Sons of Anarchy marathon?
Yep, up again.
Hands up, if you did the bare minimum exercise over the festive period, because you were just way too busy, socializing, sleeping in and being lazy?
Is it wrong to put both hands up?
Since it’s well and truly January now, my extended (and shameful) yearly vacation from being my normal health conscious self, has come to a close. The jig is up.
I’m back at the Gym.
I’m back on water.
I’m backing off of my beloved salted crisps.
It’s time for nourishment. It’s time to right my numerous wrongs.
Vegetables. Clear broths. Lean meat.
My body is screaming for it, and I know I’m not alone.
This Festive Feast is all things healthy AND delicious.
It will lift your spirits while it tingles your taste buds.
And, it’s quicker and easier than a teenage boy on Prom night.
So, if like me, you hold the burning desire to slay that health crushing Christmas demon.
Or, perhaps you’re just feeling flat because you’ve spent the last 3 weeks drowning your immunity and energetic enthusiasm in alcohol…
Every day is a new Chapter.
And dear friends, this is the perfect place to start your book of Twenty-Fifteen.
Until next week xxx
- 300gms Eye Fillet Steak - sliced super thin *** see tip
- 440gms of fresh Udon noodles
- 1 long red chilli for serving
- Broth:
- 6 cups Good Quality Beef stock - Homemade is best, but if using bought make sure it’s salt reduced.
- 1 stick of Lemongrass - bruised
- 1 large red chilli - halved length ways, seeds in if you like it hot.
- 2 spring onions - white part only, green section reserved for serving
- 1 bunch of Coriander - stems and roots only, leaves reserved for serving
- 4cm Knob of fresh Ginger - julienned
- 1 large Garlic clove - thinly sliced
- 20gms sliced dried Shitake Mushrooms
- 2 heaped tbs White Miso Paste
- 2 tbs Light Soy Sauce
- Assortment of Asian Vegetables, I like to use the following:
- 1 bunch Bok Choy - Leaves roughly torn and stems sliced
- 1 bunch Chinese Spinach - Leaves roughly torn and stems sliced
- 1 pack fresh baby corn - cut into 3, length ways
- 1 bunch Asparagus - woody stems removed, then cut into 3, length ways
- Make a bouquet garni out of the Coriander stems, large halved chilli, lemongrass and spring onion whites by tying them all together well with a piece of butchers twine.
- In a large pot, place all the broth ingredients (including the bouquet garni) except the miso and soy sauce. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes.
- While the broth is simmering, place the noodles in a colander and run under warm water to separate, set aside until ready to use. Also, make a small salad out of the thinly sliced green section of the spring onion, the thinly sliced extra red chilli and the reserved Coriander leaves. Set aside until later for serving.
- Once the broth has infused, remove the Bouquet Garni, leaving the Mushrooms, Ginger and Garlic.
- Now, add the miso and the soy sauce. Stir well.
- Increase the heat and add the stems from the leafy veg, corn and asparagus. Cook for 2 minutes until they are tender crisp. Then add the noodles and leaves. Bring back to the boil and immediately take off the heat.
- Divide the vegetables and noodles between 4 large bowls. Place the thinly sliced Beef over the vegetables, then ladle over the hot broth (this will cook the meat). Garnish generously with the Coriander salad and serve with your favourite chilli sauce, then feel the self love people… Feel that internal, warming love!
- *** Tip: To make it easier to slice the beef, place it in the freezer for an hour to firm it up.
- *** Tip: To make this meal Gluten Free, replace the Udon with a GF option and use Tamari instead of light Soy.
- *** Tip: You can make this fab soup even quicker, just reduce the simmering time of the stock. I give it 30 minutes to really infuse, but it will still taste amaze after 10 minutes if that’s all ya got.
Leave a Reply