Midweek dinners call for simple and quick recipes that don’t require much effort but are filling and nutritious.

That’s why Jamie Oliver’s chicken noodle stir fry is ideal to have on hand for those days when you don’t fancy spending hours in the kitchen.

This recipe serves two and is so versatile it can be prepared with a variety of vegetables and different protein sources.

Sharing this recipe from his book '5 Ingredients – Quick & Easy Food' on his official website, the star chef said: “This recipe demonstrates the principle of cooking hard and fast. I’m using chicken here, but you could try prawns, salmon or tofu instead – the key is to get everything lined up in order of cooking time, adding the ingredients that take the longest to the pan first.

“I’ve paired my chicken with broccoli, but feel free to add more veg, or mix it up with what you’ve got. Have fun with it.”

Jamie Oliver's chicken noodle stir fry

Ingredients

30g unsalted peanuts

Two 120g free-range skinless chicken breasts

Two tablespoons black bean sauce

150g medium free-range egg noodles

200g tenderstem broccoli

Instructions

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and toast the peanuts, stirring frequently, until they're golden and fragrant. Once toasted, remove the peanuts from the pan and set them aside, keeping the pan on the heat.

While the pan heats up, make shallow cuts in the chicken breasts lengthwise, about one cm apart, cutting about halfway through the meat.

In a bowl, mix the chicken with one tablespoon each of olive oil, red wine vinegar, and black bean sauce until well coated. Cook the chicken in the hot skillet for three minutes per side, or until it is nicely charred and fully cooked.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the package instructions. For the last two minutes of cooking, add the trimmed broccoli (cutting any thick stalks in half lengthwise).

Once the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a cutting board. Using tongs, move the hot noodles and broccoli, with a bit of their cooking water, directly into the skillet.

Crush half of the peanuts in a mortar and pestle until finely ground, then add them to the skillet along with the remaining black bean sauce, stirring until everything is well combined. Divide the mixture onto plates.

Slice the chicken and arrange it on top of the noodle and broccoli mixture.

Sprinkle the remaining peanuts over the top, drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, and enjoy your meal.