Stir Fry Veg with Cashew & Sweet Chilli

I have been trying to be really good recently and made a conscious decision that I wasn't going to make a chocolate cake or bake a batch of cookies unless I was sure that there would be more than me to indulge in the chocolaty goodies. Something that isn't always advantageous to my willpower is the fact that I tend to keep my presses packed with every sort of ingredient. Then the thought of some baked treasure can become a reality in a very short space of time. I really love to bake and making a dish nice and quickly is definitely one great benefit of becoming confident in the kitchen. So I've been trying out some 'healthy' recipes when I feel the urge to bake. A slice of homemade soda with a drizzle of jam is always the better choice for an afternoon snack and can be enjoyed guilt free. But so many 'healthy' dishes can actually be made quite effortlessly. With some really nice fresh ingredients, a healthy meal can be spectacular. When I'm trying to cut down on the calories my frying pan has to be pushed to one side and the reliable wok becomes my old reliable. For the best part of the year I have a great supply of fresh vegetables from our garden, otherwise I normally buy organic. Luckily most are veggie fans in our house with stir fry veg being the cooking method of choice.

Stir Fry Veg with Cashews & Sweet Chilli 
For a real oomph to my stir fry veg I add a few extra little ingredients. This can make me doubt whether my dinner is really low in fat! I'm a huge fan of smoked paprika as it marries well to any meat and is perfect for spicy wedges, but it is also fantastic sprinkled on veg before stir frying. Just before serving I like to add a handful of cashew nuts and a couple of tablespoons of a sweet chilli sauce or jam. To serve a spoonful of crème fraiche and some chopped coriander makes it a meal fit for a king! If I'm trying to be extra good I leave off the crème fraiche but a little dollop on top just before serving adds such a lovely creaminess to the dish that I really cant resist. There are plenty of reduced calorie crème fraiche in stores which have lots of flavour without all the calories.This is such a quick dish to make, it's perfectly healthy and most importantly it is super tasty.

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red pepper, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1/2 courgette, sliced
125g mushrooms
1 teasp smoked paprika
sea salt & freshly ground pepper
50g toasted cashew nuts
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce/jam
100g medium noodles, cooked
60g crème fraiche
handful fresh coriander

Method
1. Heat a wok, add the olive oil and all of the prepared vegetables.
2. Sprinkle over the smoked paprika and season with a little sea salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
3. Stir fry over a high heat for about 5-7 minutes, stirring all the time, until the vegetables are cooked.
4. Add the cashew nuts and stir in the sweet chilli sauce.
5. Take the wok off the heat and stir in the cooked noodles, coating them well with the sauce.
6. Divide between two plates and top with a spoonful of crème fraiche and some chopped coriander or sprinkle over a little smoked paprika.

One of my favourite ingredients, Smoked Paprika.