pad thai style veg... with rice! Veg Month hits the jackpot.

vegan pleasure in a bowl

Stir fried pad thai style veg:

I have committed to a month of being a vegetarian, inspired by Wendy, who is keeping a blog recording her meals day to day. As I love eating lots of herbs, I have parsley, coriander, mint and dill in the house. Purchase of a sweetheart cabbage, the pointy kind, and the idea of an ersatz pad thai came to mind, but the rice noodles have all been eaten, so I moved swiftly on to stir fried veg with coconut rice.

The most tricky part of this meal is the slicing and chopping. It is a refreshing and filling dish bursting with flavour. I like to have a kick of chilli in with the veg, but it isn’t for everyone. 

If you can’t be bothered toasting peanuts, you can substitute roast salted peanuts, but if you do, leave out the soya sauce, or you will have salt overload.

The flavours are fresh and zesty, and the combination is very satisfying.

This is enough for one very hungry person, or two not so hungry. Increase the cabbage, egg and peanuts to make it serve more. 

Ingredients

·         ½ pointed cabbage sliced very fine, including stem
·         ½ Onion finely sliced
·         1 large carrot, sliced finely
·         2 cloves Garlic chopped finely
·         ½ “ Ginger chopped finely
·         1 tbsp soya sauce
·         1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
·         1 lime, ½ as juice, ½ to serve
·         1 egg
·         Large handful raw peanuts, toasted and crushed or chopped
·         Small bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped fine, including the stems (wash it first)
·         Sprig of mint leaves, chopped fine
·         oil

Rice

Dessicated coconut

Method

• Cook the rice according to preference, together with the coconut.
• Mix the lime juice, soya sauce and chilli sauce in a bowl and set aside.
• Heat a wok or large frying pan on a medium heat, and once hot add a slug of oil
• Put garlic, ginger, onions, cabbage, carrot, onion, chopped herbs and half the crushed peanuts into the wok and cook for a minute, stirring all the time.
• Add some water, a couple of tablespoons and cook for another minute, stirring
• Push the vegetable mixture to one side and crack the egg into the free area of the pan, stirring the egg, letting it cook through, then mix the egg through the veg
• Add the soya sauce, chilli sauce and juice from ½ lime, stir through and turn off the heat.
• Sprinkle over the remaining crushed peanuts and serve with a lime wedge and the cooked coconut rice

Chicken Teriyaki - sticky fried chicken with stickier sauce

I lifted this recipe from Chow, a brilliant website that has all sorts of useful videos and tips. It seems a little obsessed with cocktails, which in my book pander to a fantasy drink cabinet, because reading the list of ingredient makes me bemused. Who has all that stuff to hand? I don’t even keep tonic water. In a moment of enthusiasm three years ago I went out and bought angostura bitters, only to realise that it was just one component part of the cocktail I wanted to make. I never got around to buying what I needed to put the thing together. I fully expect that bottle to last me my whole life, I am sure I will move house several times with it, fondly imagining the times when I will have all the ingredients I need to make the perfect cocktail such as the Boothby, in the house at the same time. Meanwhile, I find myself occasionally unscrewing the lid and taking a little sniff, to remind me what the hell is in that bottle. In saner moments I recognise that this is what might be called a companion ingredient – I keep it for company, rather than for use. No doubt my kidneys are grateful to my maintenance of an aspirational but incomplete cocktail cabinet, and I can still dream. 

Back to food – my pantry ingredients are more regularly replenished – this is pseudo teriyaki but it is not ersatz teriyaki, as it delivers on flavour. The endorsement of the lovely Kitty, daughter who shuns the home-cooked anything, gives it the flavourful thumbs-up. This is a finger-licking dish, as somehow the sauce gets everywhere. The chicken is pan-fried before the sauce is added, it has a gentle heat from the pepper and the sticky sauce is wonderful with plain rice. 

A quick review of teriyaki recipes that might be thought of as more authentic, finds mirin, sake and sugar putting in an appearance, alongside fresh ginger. Some include different kinds of oil and marinading as part of the process. Some like to cook the chicken with skin on, making it nice and crisply, but I use skinless chickens. Simpler and less fat. This recipe substitutes a bit of bashing about for marinading, and uses honey and soy sauce for the teriyaki. I dilute the soy sauce so that it isn't too salty. In total it takes about 15 minutes. I like it with rice, some green salad and sliced cucumber.

Ingredients

½ cup soy sauce with ¼ cup water

¼ cup honey

1 ¼ tsp peeled, grated fresh ginger (from about a thumb length piece), grated very fine

500g (about four large boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs) the breasts will need pounding…

Freshly ground black pepper

4 teaspoons vegetable oil

If you like, serve with two spring onions (scallions to some), thinly sliced

Method

• Make the sauce first: Heat through the soy sauce, water and honey, bringing it to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often until the honey has completely dissolved, about 5 minutes (alternatively use the microwave, for one minute, stirring after 30 seconds)
• Remove from heat and add the ginger, stirring to combine and set aside
• If using chicken breasts, place them on a cutting board and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet, frying pan or rolling pin. Gently pound them to a 1/2-inch thickness. Cut each in half so you have pieces roughly the same size. (If using chicken thighs, no need to pound or cut.)
• Season both sides of the chicken with pepper.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat until shimmering and add the chicken in a single layer, and cook without poking for around 3 minutes. Then flip and cook the second side until equally browned, about 3 minutes more.
• Reduce the heat to medium, slowly pour in the reserved sauce, and cook, turning the chicken occasionally to coat in the sauce, cooking through for around another 3 minutes.
• Take the chicken out, shaking any sauce back into the pan, and put it onto a cutting board. I like to cover the chicken with a bowl to keep the juices in.
• Keep cooking the sauce until it has thickened slightly, about 3 minutes more, then turn off the heat.
• Slice the rested chicken crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces and put it on a serving dish. Drizzle over the sauce and sprinkle the sliced spring onions over the lot.

Forgive me - paella

Paella is an all in one dish, full of flavour, and very impressive on the table. The paprika and garlic flavours give a light punch, with a squeeze of fresh lemon giving a lovely zingy edge. Saffron gives a pale buttery yellow colour...  turmeric can be substituted, but a very small amount, the flavour of saffron is light and turmeric in too large a quantity may leave a slightly bitter taste.

Rice dishes like paella and risotto can end up like a savoury rice pudding if you’re not careful. So I looked at an assortment of recipes carefully. As usual I’ve made a combo of several, and cooked what’s sometimes called free-style paella. It mixes chicken, chorizo and prawns. What is particularly nice about this recipe, is that you can do most of the cooking in advance.

I made a vast amount, to fit in my long owned but never used paella pan, 60cm across. The principle is the same whatever size pan you use. Of course, when cooking on gas, a smaller pan makes things easier. I doubt you'll have any leftovers.

If you use skinless chicken thighs, you can buy it off the bone, or get it with bones in and use them to make stock. You don’t want any skin, so use this and the bones to make stock if you like, or use bouillon if you like.

I marinaded the chicken in garlic, paprika and lemon the day before. I didn't marinade the prawns... but might next time.

Paella rice is round, like risotto rice. Delia Smith gives the lowdown on rice here http://www.deliaonline.com/ingredients/ingredients-a-z/ingredients-p-r/Rice.html. Like any specialist rice, you can buy very expensive types or medium expensive: I opt for the latter because I’m a cheapskate and a culinary vandal. Disculpeme, lo siento etc… remember, paella is easier to make than you might think.

I’m giving a quantity you can make in a large frying pan for four. If you’ve got a good size paella pan, scale it up and enjoy yourself.

INGREDIENTS

150g piece chorizo, halved lengthways and sliced

4 large chicken thighs, skin removed, boned and cut into large chunks
12 large prawns, or as many as you want to include

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

Pinch of saffron (about 15 threads)

1 tbsp smoked sweet paprika

300g paella or risotto rice

1 glass white wine

1 litre chicken stock (and a bit), hot

1 red peppers and 1 yellow peppers, deseeded and sliced

75g frozen peas (a mugful)

1 tin chopped tomatoes (or 3 large fresh ones, chopped)

1 bunch (min 25g pack) chopped flatleaf parsley, stems discarded

1 lemon cut into wedges, to serve

Marinade for chicken

1 tsp paprika

Large pinch salt

Generous grindings black pepper (I sometimes use mixed red/pink/green/black peppers)

1 clove garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

METHOD

Cut the chicken thighs into large pieces (put skin and the bones aside if you have them), mix with marinade and set aside, leave for at least an hour, or overnight.

• Prepare your stock, with a slug of white wine, adding the saffron once you have taken it off the heat, to infuse
•  Put a large, deep frying pan on a medium heat
• Add the chopped chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until some of the oil has been released
• Remove and set aside, leaving fat in the pan
• Cook the diced chicken in the chorizo fat for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until coloured on all sides
• Remove, leaving fat in the pan and set aside with the chorizo
• Pour a little olive oil into the pan, and add the onions and peppers, until they soften, about  5 minutes
• Add the garlic and paprika, together with a handful of chopped parsley, and cook for about a minute
• Add the tinned tomatoes and cook for another minute, stirring
• Add the rice and mix gently with the veg, until it’s mixed with the veg and oil

PREPARE IN ADVANCE UP TO THIS POINT IF YOU LIKE

you’ll have the meat, the stock and the rice mixture ready to go

• In the pan over a medium heat, stir the rice mixture gently, add the hot stock and simmer for ten minutes, stirring occasionally
• Return the chicken to the pan, pushing it into the rice mixture, and cook for 5 minutes, adding a little more stock or hot water if necessary
• Season and gently stir in the chorizo, thawed peas, and prawns the chorizo and the rest of the parsley
• Continue to cook for about 5 minutes (or until the prawns are cooked) without stirring – a little stickiness on the underside adds to the flavour

Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over

Eat

Easy, delicious, gluten free pork, lemon and thyme stuffing

You would think there was a big market for gluten free food, especially at Christmas. Yet all I could find in the local supermarket was gluten free chocolate macaroons. But what I need is stuffing. So I bought some pork and bacon and set to making my own.


My local butcher does do gluten free sausagemeat, however I wanted to make some without any imitations of flour or bread in it. So I bought some loin chops and some unsmoked bacon to put together with rice and herbs. 

In this stuffing the lemony tang is nicely balanced with the sweetness of the pork. It is a good match for the richness of roast chicken and potatoes. It's also a  As usual the dilemma is how to avoid overeating. 


By the way, there's no egg in this stuffing either, all the sticking together is done by stirring and the rice.

pork loin

Pork, thyme, lemon and parsley stuffing

ingredients

330g pork loin (that's two large chops, with fat)

160g unsmoked back bacon

2 onions

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp dried thyme (or half tbsp of fresh thyme)

zest and juice of one lemon

1/2 mug rice

2 handfuls flaked rice

two healthy pinches of Maldon sea salt

2tsp mixed peppercorns (red, green, black)

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

method

• Cook the rice, stir in zest of lemon and pepper - it'll look like it's covered in ash, but the smell is delicious. Set aside.
• Mince or finely chop the pork and bacon.
• Finely chop onion and garlic, and fry on low heat until translucent, then stir in herbs.
• Mix all ingredients together.



diced pork and bacon ready for mincing 

• Roll into balls and chill for several hours before cooking.

Cook on oiled baking tin for 30m, or until brown at 375°F/190°C/Gas mark 6.

Makes 14 balls, could be 15.

These balls can be made ahead and frozen - add 10m to cooking time if you are cooking from frozen. 

mince old style or with a food processor

notes

• The fat of the pork and bacon keeps the balls moist while cooking. If you think the port is lean, drizzle with olive oil or put a dab of butter on them before cooking. 
• Wrap the balls in bacon if you like, that keeps them moist too.
• the rice flakes make the balls nice and sticky, but you can just use a bit more cooked rice and blitz it with the meat.

This stuffing goes well with roast chicken, such as best roast chicken.


I'm going to try them in a tomato sauce soon.


Aha! in tomato sauce they are great, with rice and a sprinkling of parmesan. Extra pepper.

warming winter supper

This snowy weather is making everything look lovely, and causing us to wrap up warm. I'm sitting and typing in four layers with a scarf, because I'm not keeping the central heating on all day. I like to think I look poetic, although to the more critical eye I may look like a rather tall pile of unruly laundry.

Anyway, less heating from the outside concentrates the mind on heating from the inside, and of course cooking can keep you warm! Supper tonight: one pan coconut dhal, rice, ginger potatoes and cabbage stir fry. 

All the dishes for this supper can be made separately, this combo is for the greedy if there are few of you. It's a vege feast, you could of course add a nice bit of meat, chicken skewers maybe? The recipe for one pan coconut dhal is here.

Also I do love using lime juice, I love the look of limes. Still, I'm not shy of using the bottled kind. If you have no lime use lemon, the result is slightly less perfumed but still good.

I like to have a little fresh salad on the side too, chopped tomato, onion, cucumber, sprinkle of cumin, grind of pepper and salt, squeeze of lemon and pinch of sugar. Add chopped coriander if you want, too. I know there are people who feel it's an overwhelming flavour, so if you're one of them, don't. If you're one of them you probably won't be interested in most of the recipes on this page. I'm not one of them.

Recipes to follow:

Dry fried ginger potatoes

Cabbage stir fry

Rice