Listening to someone dismiss ‘fast food’ out of hand annoys me. Food should be fun and there has to be room in someone’s life for treats as well as healthy options – as long as treats don’t colonise daily eating patterns.

People are often too quick in their rebuking of ‘fast food’ without considering what it actually means. Fast food means…eh…food prepared fast. It may include the expected high fat, salt and sugar foods but there are also many, many, healthier dishes which fall under this title.

Omelettes and other egg dishes, pasta and curry pastes can be made, cooked and on the table quicker than it takes the ‘Man with the Van’ to deliver a take-away. There’s no secret to this. Simply having good staples in the fridge and dry larder and off you go.

 Here’s one of the teen’s favourites from when she was small.

Noodles with Spicy Pork
(4 servings)

Ingredients
1lb pork, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ inch ginger, minced
4 spring onions, sliced sideways
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 dessert spoon yellow bean paste
1 chilli, chopped finely – can use less
Dash of dark soy sauce
Sesame oil
A little chicken stock
Egg Noodles, medium (enough for four people – a full pack of Sharwoods, for example)

Method
1. Heat the oil
2. Lightly fry the garlic, ginger and spring onions for 2-3 minutes
3. Add the minced chili and mix
4. Fry the minced pork and fry until cooked
5. Add the rest of the ingredients
6. Cook the egg noodles, drain and toss in sesame oil
7. Add to the mix and coat completely.
8. Leave stand for 5 minutes