Recipe: Stacie Stewart's Cashew Chicken with Courgetti & Coriander

"Here’s a dish no one will suspect came from a diet book. The courgette noodles add texture and volume with very few carbohydrates and calories. Loaded with healthy fats and protein, this is a perfect dish for entertaining as it’s so low calorie you can afford to have a small portion of pudding, too, or a small glass of wine" says Stacie, of this dish taken from her recent book release,  How to Lose Weight Well: The Complete Diet Plans.

Serves 2

Ingredients

80ml tamari or soy sauce

1 tbsp cornflour or arrowroot

2 garlic cloves, grated

400g boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4–5)

1 tsp olive oil

4 spring onions, thinly sliced

40g cashew nuts, lightly toasted then roughly chopped

2 courgettes, spiralized or julienned

FOR THE SWEET CHILLI DIPPING SAUCE

75ml maple syrup

50ml apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp dried red chilli flakes or 1 red chilli, finely chopped

1 tsp cornflour

salt and pepper

2 garlic cloves, crushed

100ml water

TO SERVE

a few coriander leaves

1 lime, halved

Method

1. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, spring onions, cornflour and garlic.

2. Chop the thighs into bite-sized chunks and add them to the marinade. Marinate for about 10 minutes, or cover the bowl with cling film and marinate in the fridge overnight.

4. In a wok or large frying pan, heat the oil over a high heat, then sauté the chicken mixture for about 10 minutes, or until cooked. Keep the heat medium-high and keep the chicken moving around the wok for a few minutes until the chicken is coloured.

5. Toss the cashews through the dish for a minute, then transfer to a large bowl and toss through the courgette noodles. If you like your noodles cooked, then add to the wok and sauté in the juices that are left in the pan. Serve with lime, coriander and the sweet chilli dipping sauce.

6. To make the sweet chilli dipping sauce, place all the ingredients in a saucepan, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes until thickened. Allow to cool, then store in the fridge.

PER SERVING:

FAT: 17.6g
PROTEIN: 53.6g
CARBS: 19g
FIBRE: 3.9g
CALORIES: 456kcal

Recipe extracted from How to Lose Weight Well: The Complete Diet Plans by Stacie Stewart  (Quadrille, £15) Photography © Louise Hagger