Chinese Shrimp & tofu Soup

Heat 1tbsp oil in wok, add 2 cloves minced garlic & 2” piece of minced ginger & stir til lightly browned. Stir in a hanfdul shrimp & fry til cooked, remove & set aside. Pour a quart of chicken stock into wok & btb. Reduce heat to med, add 8ox small diced tofu & 4tsbp peas, season with salt/pepper. Lower heat to simmer. Mix 1tbsp cornflour with a little water to pake thin paste then add to wok, simmer until clear & thickened for about 1 min. Stir shrimp back into soup & serve.

Homemade Tomato Chutney

Heat 1tbsp oil in a small pan, add half a chopped shallot, 2 medium chopped tomatoes & 1 crushed galic clove, cook about 6 mins til softened. Add 1tbsp blasamic vinegar & 1tsp brown sugar & cook 5 mins more or until chutney has caramelised slightly. Serve with:
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Chinese Egg Soup

In a large saucepan bring to boil: 2 cups chicken stock, half a cup of frozen green peas, mushrooms, & carrots. Slowly add 1 beaten egg to the boiling mixture stirring constantly. Serve hot toppped with chopped green onions.

Thai Sweet Chilli Fish with Couscous

Thai Sweet Chilli Fish with Couscous

Using any fish, remove & discard skin & cut fish into inch cubes & place in a dish & coat well with a mixture of 4tsp sweet chilli sauce, quarter each tsp chinese all spice powder & ground ginger & 2tbsp lime juice, refridgerate whilst you prepare:

Small dice: half a celery stick, 1 spring onion, one inch slice of each red, yellow & green sweet peppers, large mushroom.

Layer ingredients in a frying pan without oil as follows:

small diced veg above, a handful of small cut frozen green beans; a tbsp frozen peas; scattter cubed fish & drizzle sweet chilli mixture all over; 4 tbsp couscous. Pour a small cup of chicken stock on top ensuring couscous is moistened. Bring to boil on hob, stir, turn off heat, cover with a lid & leave for 10 minutes. Arrange small sliced cucumber around the edges of a plate, small slice tomatoes & place on top of cucumber with couscous mixture in middle to serve.

For flavour variations coat fish with:

1tsp each cinnamon, garlic powder, onion flakes, rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes.
Or
1tsp each paprika, turmeric, coriander; pinch of each cumin & chilli powder
Or
2tbsp soy sauce, 1tbsp tomato puree & rice vinegar & a pinch of sugar
Or
2tbsp fish sauce, 1tbsp mint, lime juice & coriander
Or
1tbsp mixed herbs, 2tbsp worcester sauce, 1tbsp runny honey, 1tbsp english mustard & lemon juice

Soy glazed Chicken with steamed greens

Skin 3 chicken drumsticks or thighs & make 2 long slice cuts in each so they will soak up juices. Heat 1tbsp oil in a wok & place chicken in turning just to seal meat. Place finely chopped garlic, ginger & red chilli with seeds (amount to your taste) on top of chicken & a handful of finely diced spring onions then 2tbsp dark soy sauce & 2 tbsp water.  Place lid on wok & turn heat down to simmer for 10 mins.

Place washed veg in order: a handful of chopped kale; arrange evenly on top: 1 diced celery stick, small florets of broccoli & 1 asparagus stick (cut into 4) & a handful of  sliced green beans into a steamer.  If using microwave steamer cook for 5 mins for al dente or 6 mins if you prefer well cooked veg.

Arrange washed uncooked baby spinach leaves on a plate, top with cooked veg then chicken mixture.  Drizzle with warmed runny honey, extra chopped chilli & raw spring onions to garnish.

If you like even more healthy greens serve with a salad – cut cucumber & spring onions into bite size pieces & dress with a mixture of  1 clove garlic, 1 deseeded chopped chilli, 1tbsp each of rice wine vinegar, light soy sauce & sesame oil with half tsp sugar.

Turkish Bulghur Wheat Kofte

Put half cup bulghur wheat in a bowl & pour on enough hot water to just cover it & leave for 15 minutes. Add 0.75lb lean minced lamb, 1 large grated onion, 1 finely chopped green pepper, 1tsp crushed red pepper flakes, 1.5 tsp cumin, 0.5 cup fine chopped flat leaf parsley, 3 crushed garlic cloves, one third cup of fine chopped mint or 1.5tbsp of dried mint or basil, 2tbsp olive oil, salt & ground pepper. Use golf ball sized pieces of the mixture to shape in oval patties. Either grill until both sides are crispy or cook both sides in a lightly oiled pan. Sandwich one pattie between 2 large spinach leaves or rolled up in a lettuce leaf etc to eat as finger food.

Corned Beef Hash (tasty rib sticker)

A main meal for 2 or snack for 3:

Cut 1 small leek & 1 small red onion into mini rings & microwave for 2 mins with 1tsp oil. Peel & small dice 3 medium potatoes & place over leek/onion mix together with half a small tin of corned beef which has been cut into one inch cubes.

Add 1tbsp worcester sauce, 1tsp english mustard, white pepper, one quarter pt of hot beef stock & microwave with lid on for 10 mins. Drain the tomato sauce from a small tin of  branston baked beans (discard the sauce or keep to enrich home-made tomato sauces) then stir beans only into the potato mixture (if you want steamed veg, place any washed leafy green veg in microwaveable steamer on top of main bowl) & cook for 5 more mins regardless. Use a potato masher or fork to loosely mash all of cooked mixture & stir together. Serve on top of veg if made.

Alternative: reserve large dessertspoonful of cooked mixture to serve on a baked potato next day with grated cheese on top; or why not put it in some pastry for a tasty pie.