Category: Pak choi

Red thai broth with king prawns and noodles

October 28, 2015
When you are under the weather, or you don’t have much energy to make anything, this is the perfect meal for you. However you do need to be able to take on a little spiciness with this one.
With this recipe, you’ll be able to have something homemade and with those classic thai flavours in there it will fight against a cold.  Im no Doctor, obviously, but when I’m ill a broth always fixes me. It’s so nice to have, its like a warm hug.

 I’ve made this recipe even easier with a little cheats way of using a ready made paste just to be less time consuming. You can even shred cooked chicken through instead of using prawns.

  This spicy bowl of goodness is even great just on a cold evening to warm up your cockles. So get slurping those noodles with chopsticks so you have the lovely broth to look forward to at the bottom.

  
Red thai broth with king prawns and noodles:






Ingredients:
(Serves 2)
  • 4 spring onions ( white ends chopped, green ends sliced diagonally )
  • A thumbnail size piece of fresh ginger finely diced
  • 1 garlic clove finely diced
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 level tbsp thai red curry paste ( I bought mine from Wang Fung Hong in Leicester )
  • 800ml of homemade Chicken stock or 1 chicken gel stock pot in 800ml water
  • approximately 14 Frozen raw King prawns, defrosted
  • 75g Rice noodles ( cooked to packet instructions )(From Wang Fung Hong )
  • 1 tsp of coconut cream
  • a few leaves of pak choi sliced lengthways 
  • a good handful of bean sprouts ( Wang Fung Hong )
  • A handful of fresh coriander chopped

Method:
  • Fry off the white end tips of the spring onions for a minute, add the garlic and ginger, stir and cook for a further minute. 
  • Add your paste and then add a little water to allow not to stick and stir. Add the stock and bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes.
  •   Turn down your heat a little and add in your prawns. Cook for 4 minutes. 
  •   Then turn your heat back up a little and add in your pak choi and noodles and cook for a further 2 minutes. 
  •   Add in your bean sprouts and green ends of your spring onions and cook for a further minute. 
–  Serve into bowls and sprinkle with chopped coriander.




  

  

Easy king prawn and egg fried rice

October 14, 2015
There is something I find quite comforting with a fried rice dish. In British takeaways or restaurants we tend to order it as a side dish but I find it a great supper in-itself. 
  I feel sometimes people are a little unsure and daren’t try to cook Chinese favourites at home but they really are easy to do.
   The key to a successful fried rice is to always make sure your rice is cooked and cooled down to cold before frying it in the wok, else hot rice to a hot pan just will stick together. My recipe is done from scratch or you could cook your rice the day before.
  I have used King Prawns but you could substitute to Chicken, turkey or Pork.
  This is a delicious meal that only takes 15 minutes to do, so is perfect when you need to get food on the table fast. Just don’t forget the chopsticks!

Easy king prawn and egg fried rice:


Ingredients:
  • 250g Long grain rice 
  • 2-3  tbsp Rapeseed oil ( can burn quickly, just be careful ) or use vegetable, or groundnut oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
  • A thumbnail size of fresh Ginger grated
  • 2 eggs 
  • 2-3 Spring onions chopped (save some for on top at the end)
  • a few leaves of green pak choi chopped 
  • tbsp of light soy sauce or superior light ( found in Chinese supermarkets. Mine was from Wang Fung Hong in Leicester )
  • tbsp of Oyster sauce ( Wang Fung Hong )
  • cracked black pepper to season


Method:
  • Cook rice to packet instructions. In a sieve or fine colander under cold water rinse the rice until all cold, not sticky and no water at all. Pop aside.
  •   Heat a little oil in your wok and once hot pop in your scrambled eggs, just folding in the wok until almost cooked, do not scramble vigorously.Then place aside in a bowl.
  •   Place some oil in your wok again and start to fry off some of your spring onions, pak choi, stir, then add in garlic and ginger for only about 30 seconds.
  •   Pop in your sauces to your veg, stirring, then add in your Rice, stir or toss all around the wok allowing the sauce to coat your rice. Add in your prawns and cook for a couple of minutes.
  •   Then stir in your cooked eggs from before, stir and add some pepper to season. 
–  Once all is perfectly hot, serve into bowls and place on some finely chopped spring onion. 




   

Chinese steamed Sea bass with Stir Fried Greens for Food Friday on BBC Leicester

January 20, 2015


One thing that I get asked a lot by people, especially Mums with children (Teenagers more) is how to create take away favourites at home.  If I am not mistaken, I do believe we are calling this a “Fake-away” .  I have always cooked Takeaway favourites at home particularly Chinese dishes for many reasons: 1, Healthier. 2, It’s being Frugal. 3, you know exactly what is in your food and 4, you can get the Children involved with you in preparing it.  I could go on. 
  So last Friday was my Slot for doing my regular Food Friday programme with Ben Jackson on BBC Radio Leicester.  I felt that I wanted to do a “Fake-away”dish that is super Healthy, Super quick and also fairly Cheap… Well it’s certainly cheaper than picking up the Phone and ordering a banquet! 
  It’s also January, you may want to loose a few pounds? Or just changing the way you eat? Get some more Fish into your Diet? It was Friday after all, so a healthier Fish Friday! 

   I felt I should share a dish I regularly cook for myself.  It has hardly any ingredients in it but is PACKED FULL of flavour. Plus this style of cooking is so easy to do and such a great interacting dish, by if you put this in the middle of the table, you can all get stuck in. It’s a great dish to do for an intimate dinner also where you just do not want to spend all night slaving over the stove, if you know what I mean! 
  Even though it may not look spectacular, it has been a real hit so far. Listen here to hear Myself showing Ben how to do this Quick, Simple, healthy dish.
  
By the way, Ben couldn’t wait to dive in as you can see by the pictures as I haven’t one with all the fish intact! Sorry! 

Chinese Steamed Sea bass with Stir fried Greens


Ingredients:

(For the Sea Bass)

–  1 whole Sea bass or Sea Bream
–  3 inch piece of Fresh Ginger Julienned (Sliced finely length ways)
–  5 spring Onions julienned (sliced Length ways)

(For the dressing)

–  2 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce (I used one specifically for Seafood) (I buy all my sauces from my local Chinese Supermarket Wang Fung Hong in Leicester)
–  2 Tbsp Dry Sherry ( I used Pedro Ximenex )
–  Juice of 1 clementine or half an Orange
–  2 Tbsp of Water

(For the Sir Fry Veg)

–  2 tsp Raw Organic Coconut oil ( I use Lucy Bee )or another oil you have but Coconut will add extra flavour
–  5-6 Leaves of Pak Choi
–  3 inch piece of cucumber Sliced length ways 
–  approximately 10 sugar snap peas Sliced Length ways
–  2 cloves of Garlic sliced (Chopped Roughly)
–  1/2 Red chilli Diced finely 
–  2 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce ( Wang fung Hong )
–  1 Tbsp Oyster Sauce ( Wang fung Hong)
–  2 Tbsp Water
– Pinch of caster Sugar

Method:

–  Preheat your Oven on a warming setting, about 100c

–  Take a Large Wok and fill with approximately 1/4 Litre of water and place a grid of some kind so you can place a plate on top or if you have a bamboo steamer…Even better! 

–  Turn the heat up high so your water will start to boil but not too Rapid.

–  Put in Half of your sliced Ginger and Spring onions into the cavity of the fish, score diagonal lines through the skin of the fish, about 4 but making sure you don’t go too deep.

–  Place the fish onto your Plate or Steamer and cover with a lid or in my case I used another Wok. Steam for about 10 minutes.

–  After 10 minutes place the rest of your Spring Onions and ginger on top and half of your dressing over the fish. Continue to stem for a further 5 minutes.

–  Once cooked and the flesh will just flake away, place into the oven on a large serving dish with the dressing, veg and juices to keep warm.

–  In the meantime Stir fry your veg in the Coconut oil and as the veg starts to cook down after a couple of minutes add your sauces, water and sugar.

–  Serve as it is on large dishes so people can dive in and you could also serve some Noodles and Boiled Rice if you wish.