Fast Food in My Kitchen

Fast Food is my favorite food. No, you don't have problems with your eyes, that's what I've written.
But only if it's homemade.
My Fast Food is easy and quick to cook, very tasty, healthy, inexpensive and fills well.
No chemicals added, low salt, no sugar. If you aren't happy with gluten in your foot, you can have it without gluten.

Chinese like recipes

Some of my recipes are based on a couple of very simple Chinese recipes learned while in Beijing, China in 1984.

A few tools, some Chinese ingredients plus "mise en place" are essential for success.
The tools you need:
- a wooden cutting board and a good sharp knife to cut meat and vegetables.
- a wok or, at least, something shaped approximately like a wok. The bowl-shape is important because it helps you control the heat as you cook. Things toward the bottom will cook faster and hotter than things around the edges.
- a wooden spoon
- a watch
- a  few bowls

In French, "mise en place" means "everything in its place". It's very simple.
Before starting cooking fast food, have all tools and ingredients in front of you. Like in a TV cooking show.
Don't turn the fire on until every last ingredient is sliced, diced and ready to be thrown in.
Put the watch somewhere in front of your eyes.

Meal No 1 - Sauted Shredded Chicken

Ingredients for one portion
- oil (canola oil, peanut oil, sun flower oil or olive oil)
- optionally, half an egg white and a spoonful of rice flour or starch or cornstarch dissolved in a bit of water

MEAT
- chicken breast, no skin, no bones
VEGETABLES
- scallion
- garlic, 2-3 cloves

SAUCE
- a pinch of ginger powder or fresh ginger shredded
- half a cup with stock
- 2-3 spoons of white wine
- pinch of salt
- optionally, MSG, just a pinch

Step 1. Cut the meat into fine shreds (1 inch).
Step 2 (optional) Mix the egg white with the the starch in a bowl. Put the meat in and mix lightly.
Step 3. Shred the scallion into 1 inch pieces. The total volume of the scallion should equal the volume of chicken.
This means for each handful of chicken shreds you should have a handful of scallion.
Step 4. Mix the stock with the wine, salt and ginger. Add MSG, if you wish.
Step 5. In a wok, heat three spoons of oil over moderate heat. Be sure it's not hot otherwise the chicken will be too tough. Add the chicken and stir it lightly until the shreds are completely separate. This will take a couple of minutes. When just done (meat is becoming light brown), remove and drain. Set aside.
Step 6. Heat the wok and add a bit more oil. When hot, put in the garlic. Stir-fry until garlic starts to change color. Remove quickly the garlic.
Step 7. Put in the rest of the vegetables. Stir-fry lightly over high heat until they change color, but no more than 2 minutes!
Step 8. Add the stock mixture. Set the heat to low. Add the meat and stir lightly. Transfer to plate and serve.

Now here comes the best part of the story.
This dish can be varied substituting some of the ingredients. Also you can cut the meat and vegetables into squares, very fine slices, cubes, chunks, shreds, any shape as long as all are the same in size (around 1 inch).

Try these combinations

- MEAT:chicken breast, VEGETABLES:garlic sprouts, SAUCE: ginger, stock, white wine, salt, optionally MSG
- MEAT:chicken breast, VEGETABLES:mushrooms, garlic, SAUCE: soy sauce, stock
- MEAT:lean pork, VEGETABLES:red bell peppers,  SAUCE: chilli sauce

- MEAT:lean pork, VEGETABLES:eggplant , celery cut into 1 inch pieces, bell peppers cut into 1 inch squares, SAUCE: soy sauce and stock or a tomato sauce.
You have to prepare in advance the eggplant and add it at the very end, together with the meat.
Cut the eggplant into 1 inch cubes, spread with salt and leave it for  20 minutes, drain.
Stir-fry the eggplant over high heat in 3 spoons of oil,  remove from the wok, drain.
- MEAT:chicken breast, VEGETABLES:soy sprouts and/ or bamboo shoots, SAUCE: soy sauce, stock, optionally MSG
- If you're left with some yolk, add 1-2 more eggs, beat them well, make an omelette and when almost ready, add some soy sauce and simmer for a minute.

I call all these "The 7 Meals Recipe". You can have them for a nice lunch, dinner or even a party, with or without rice or pasta.

These recipes are excellent for South Beach Phase II and can be adapted for Phase I or gluten-free, if you skip Step 2.

More tips
My wok will never be in flames, I don't cook at high temperatures. I can't risk it, I know myself too well :)
This way, I can use safely olive oil for frying, for more flavor.
Read this article, for further information on frying with olive oil.
Dispelling the Myths of Frying with Olive Oil
http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/whats-cooking-with-olive-oil/frying-with-olive-oil/30470
Fried food 'fine for heart' if cooked with olive oil
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16691754

Fried potatoes

Well, what about fried potatoes? Fast Food without fried potatoes? Kids will cry, husband will protest etc...
Well, no fried old big potatoes for me but I sometimes cook them for my family. I prefer red (or pink?) potatoes and take care to use fresh sunflower oil each time.

However, from April till June, we have the "new potatoes", small, fresh and delicious. Don't peel them!
I confess, I eat a handful of them,  boiled or fried, once or twice  a week. They don't have too much starch and glycemic load is low. To obtain even a lower glycemic load, I boil them 15-20 minutes and let them cool for 24 hours, before adding them to salads or frying them for 5 minutes.
Don't eat much, just a handful. Best eaten with yogurt and dill or parsley and a bit of garlic.

Of course they are not on the list for South Beach Phase II or I. But it's a traditional vegetable in my country, I've tried it and it hasn't affected my diet yet. On the contrary, best months so far for my diet seem to be May and June. However, if you don't live in Europe (European potatoes are less starchy) and you are on diet, you shouldn't eat potatoes. But you can cook my delicious Potato Salad for your family. Try to find a less starchy variety of potatoes.

Here is my New potato salad:

- 3-4 small new potatoes per person
- a handful of scallion, fine chopped
- a few spoons of olives
- 2-3 spoons olive oil
- 2-3 spoons balsamic vinegar
- your favorite herb, finely shredded. I like parsley.
- optionally, a handful of pickled mushrooms, pickled peppers, or a can of sardines or some marinated fish, shredded.
- optionally 1-2 hard boiled eggs

Put the small potatoes in hot salted water, over low heat. Don't peel them.  Let them boil for 15-20 minutes or until they are tender. Drain immediately and put in cold water for a couple of minutes.
Cut in slices and add the balsamic vinegar. Cover and let rest until lunch or dinner.
Or let them in the fridge for 24h, for a lower GL.
Put them in a large bowl and add the scallion, finely chopped, the olives, the olive oil. If you wish, add some pickled mushrooms or marinated fish or a can of sardines. Stir gently.
Decorate with parsley, red peppers and the hard boiled eggs.

Last but not least, you can't have a fast food menu without burgers. Keep in touch, I'll post more Fast Food healthy recipes.