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Stirfry Chicken with Shirataki Noodles – a 5:2 Diet Recipe:
There’s something rather fishy about the idea of noodles with no calories. Actually these DO have calories but, just 5 calories per 100 grams, so almost not worth bothering about. And, they do smell a little fishy when you open the packet. They are sold in a weird kind of liquid – and it’s not not noodles that smell fishy but the liquid which is used to preserve them. Anyone who uses London-Unattached as a resource for 5:2 diet recipes will know that I’ve I’ve posted about shirataki or konjac noodles before, but as I’ve been using them I’ve learnt a few useful lessons that I’d like to pass on. And I hope you’ll find them as useful as me.
Today’s recipe is for a simple 5:2 diet stirfry that I’ve made for several years. I’ve adapted it a bit to help with some of the issues I’ve found using shirataki noodles and I’ve also prettied it up with some coriander flowers. But that has more to do with the fact that my coriander plant has seeded. You could use strips of spring onion or sesame seeds instead if you haven’t neglected managed to get your coriander plant to flower yet.
Here are four useful tricks that will help you enjoy these VERY useful noodles
- Soak them and rinse them very well. The sort I have (which came from Holland and Barrett) seem to be best suited to being put in a large bowl, covered with about a litre of boiling water and left for five minutes. Then drained off in a sieve and rinsed with another litre or so of water.
- What ever dish you are using the noodles for, make sure you have plenty of liquid sauce. The noodles themselves are flavourless so you need to stir them in at the end of cooking and mix them well with the rest of your stirfry, rather than making a pretty nest
- Shirataki noodles are fine and slippery. You need smallish pieces of vegetables and meat or fish to mix into the dish, or you’ll end up with big clumps of noodles.
- Consider making a sauce that is just a bit stronger than you might normally use. The tasteless noodles need a bit of extra kick, whether that is from chilli, soy or herbs and spices.
- 100 g Chicken breast
- 150 g Shirataki noodles
- 2 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- 1 Shallot Peeled and finely sliced
- 1 bunch Watercress Around 150 grams
- 1 teaspoon Light low salt soy sauce
- 1 Chilli De-seeded and finely chopped
- 1 piece Fresh ginger about 2cm/1inch peeled and finely chopped
- 1 handful Fresh Coriander chopped
- 1 teaspoon Sesame seed oil
- 1 tablespoon Mirin or wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Honey
- Slice the chicken breast into thin strips and marinade in the soy, garlic, ginger and mirin for 20-30 minutes
- Boil a kettle of water and soak the noodles in hot boiling water for 5 minutes, while you make the stirfry
- Heat the oil in a wok till just smoking
- Aadd the chicken, shallot, garlic, chilli and ginger. Reserve the soy/mirin liquid for later
- Stir fry for 1-2 minutes over a high heat
- Reduce the heat slightly and add in the watercress. Stir fry for one further minute
- Meanwhile, drain the noodles and rinse through with more boiling water
- Add the drained noodles and the soy/mirin mixture to the pan then stir in the honey and coriander
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste and garnish with fresh coriander flowers.
I’ve used watercress here. It was something of an experiment, but one that worked rather well, though a whole bag of watercress was really only just enough. You could substitute baby spinach or pak choi if you prefer – or a mix of the two. The good thing about most leafy green vegetables is that they have virtually no calories, so this dish works really well for the 5:2 diet. By using zero calorie noodles, there’s enough ‘room’ to make a really good sauce by including a little honey and by frying in sesame oil, both of which I think make a big difference to the taste of the dish. And, you know, this dish is low enough in calories (about 250 calories in total including the noodles) to eat the lot yourself if you are very hungry…or share and have a side salad.
The noodles do mean that you can adapt most of your own stir-fry recipes for the 5:2 diet without too much effort. Just check the calories and avoid adding large quantities of pre-made stir fry sauces which can really wreck your diet – most of them will add around 100 calories per serving!
My other recipes with shirataki noodles include a spicy seafood stirfry and this beef stirfry. And I have an adapted sweet and sour chicken recipe which uses stevia to sweeten the sauce and would also work well with shirataki noodles for a 5:2 diet fast day. Good luck with your dieting. My next fast day is Sunday and I’ll be hoping to come up with something yummy to make for my own supper then.
- 100 g Chicken breast
- 150 g Shirataki noodles
- 2 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- 1 Shallot Peeled and finely sliced
- 1 bunch Watercress Around 150 grams
- 1 teaspoon Light low salt soy sauce
- 1 Chilli De-seeded and finely chopped
- 1 piece Fresh ginger about 2cm/1inch peeled and finely chopped
- 1 handful Fresh Coriander chopped
- 1 teaspoon Sesame seed oil
- 1 tablespoon Mirin or wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Honey
- Slice the chicken breast into thin strips and marinade in the soy, garlic, ginger and mirin for 20-30 minutes
- Boil a kettle of water and soak the noodles in hot boiling water for 5 minutes, while you make the stirfry
- Heat the oil in a wok till just smoking
- Aadd the chicken, shallot, garlic, chilli and ginger. Reserve the soy/mirin liquid for later
- Stir fry for 1-2 minutes over a high heat
- Reduce the heat slightly and add in the watercress. Stir fry for one further minute
- Meanwhile, drain the noodles and rinse through with more boiling water
- Add the drained noodles and the soy/mirin mixture to the pan then stir in the honey and coriander
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste and garnish with fresh coriander flowers.
I may actually have to venture into H&B to look for these noodles. But even if I don’t I might try this with normal noodles, sounds lush.
Sounds really tasty and low calorie even better
This looks gorgeous & a winner with the amount of calories! x
Mmmm looks delicious! With love, Faye xx
I’m on a calorie controlled diet at the moment and this sounds better than any takeaway, making my mouth water, I WILL be trying this !
Absolutely delish!Must try this soon!
Love this – sounds so yummy – love how low in calories it is too!
This sounds yummy!
I sooo need to find ways of cooking noodles that don’t bust by belt size, my wife is Chinese, and you are perfect recipe source. Cheers!!
Very low in calories.Thanks for the recipe.
Love this one and a pretty sure you could use a Swiss Diamond Saute pan instead of a wok. Noodles are my easy snack when the kids are in bed and I don’t feel like cooking anything complicated.
This looks great, looking forward to trying it.
This looks soooo good. I have been thinking about trying the no-cal noodles/rice/pasta for a while but been put off by mixed reports. And just found out about the 5:2 diet today just before stumbling on your recipes so it must be fate! I agree about possibly adding mushrooms – bit more bulk for very few extra calories.
I’m off to check out all your other recipes now!
Sounds delicious, maybe a few shitake would add another dimension without too many calories? I have to admit to completely cheating of late on most of the healthy recipes and buying them ready prepared in little microwave pouches. Some work (mostly the spicy ones) and some don’t but if it means I can pop something in the microwave quicker than I could make a cheese sandwich at least I am winning!
I think doing whatever works for you is best! I like cooking my own diet food, but sometimes I have ready meals too!
I think this would work well with the Swiss Diamond Saute Pan.
This seems great for the amount of calories! Sounds and looks lovely!
Looks really yummy and one that I will want to try! Just 2 questions: How many calories for this recipe and does the recipe really only call for 1 teaspoon of chicken breast? Thanks!
ha, well spotted! no idea how that happened – I must have accidentally edited it! Calories, depends on the quantity of meat you use. It should be 100g of chicken and 150g of noodles, which is enough for 2 small portions or one large one. The calories are around 250 in total if you use skinless chicken breast!
ok corrected now, thanks for your help! The noodles only have 5 calories per 100g, so you can increase the quantity if you are hungry
That looks so yummy! Love noodles so will be trying this out!
Looks lovely – I especially like the corriander flowers 🙂
This looks awesome!!I can do this recipe! Like the idea of shrimp stirfry and how to use something other than sweet sour sauce . Have you tried using agave?
Also I agree with Jess.. but why not write a cookbook for 5:2 recipes?
Stevie
I adore the personal touch of flowers you stuck in there…have you ever thought of opening your own 5:2 restaurant?! I think you’d be brilliant at it!
I’ve still not tried these noodles and really must get onto it. Thanks for reminding me.
they are ok. Not a foodie ingredient, but they are VERY filling and (for me) no different to other noodles. I normally eat rice, but the shirataki rice is horrid, I think the noodles work because you can add them to a wok as you cook
A diet recipe is exactly what I need right now. Great post. Thanks.
I love the watercress in this recipe.
Rather than using the usual spring onion, this is such a brilliant idea !
Ooo, yum, will be trying this one! 🙂