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Posts Tagged ‘Noodles’

Oyster Mushroom Noodles

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 20 November 2022| 1 Comment »

Ixta Belfrage’s book, Mezcla, is full of genuinely new dishes with lots of flavour combinations that we’ve never tried before. These mushroom noodles are a great example. We used a mix of oyster mushrooms and ceps which worked well, but oyster mushrooms are definitely the way to go here. You can make the sauce ahead of time if you like.

Wine Suggestion: It’s not only mushroom season, but it’s Beaujolais Nouveau week too, so we had the luck of matching this dish with a bottle from our friend Chris. The Lapalu Beaujolais Villages Nouveau was smooth, dark fruited and earthy.

Oyster mushroom noodles – serves 2 as a main very generously

  • 200g fresh medium egg noodles (if you have dried egg noodles, cook them first)
  • 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest and 2 tbsp juice
  • 10g chives, finely chopped
  • 10g dill, picked from the stems
  • créme fraîche or sour cream, to serve

FOR THE MUSHROOMS:

  • 400g oyster mushrooms
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp fine salt

FOR THE SAUCE:

  • 40g unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
  • 2 onions, very finely chopped
  • ¾ tsp caraway seeds
  • 1¼ tsp fine salt
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely grated
  • 500g chicken stock or veg stock
  • 2 ½ tsp English mustard
  • 5 tbsp double cream

Preheat the oven to 200C fan/220C.

Tear the mushrooms in half. Line a large baking tray with parchment, add the mushrooms, oil and salt and toss with your hands, then spread out over the tray. Roast in the oven for 22-25 minutes, stirring halfway, or until golden-brown and starting to crisp at the edges. Set aside.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Put the butter, oil, onions, caraway seeds and ¾ tsp of fine salt into a large sauté and put over a medium heat. Gently fry for about 12 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft and caramelized. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, you are looking for deep golden-grown but not burned or crispy. Remove half the onions onto a plate and set aside. Add the garlic to the pan and fry for 1 minutes, stirring, then remove the pan from the heat.

Add the stock, mustard, cream, ½ tsp of fine salt and lots of black pepper to the pan with the onions. Stir, then add half of the roasted mushrooms. Return to a medium heat and cook for 4 minutes. Stir the noodles into the sauce and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly and the noodles are hot.

Stir in the lemon juice and half the herbs. Transfer to a warm platter and top with the rest of the herbs, the lemon zest and the mushrooms and onions that you set aside before. Spoon over some crème fraîche or sour cream and finish with olive oil and black pepper.

(Original recipe from Mezcla by Ixta Belfrage, Ebury Press, 2022.)

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Chicken & Soba Noodle Stir-Fry

Posted in Asian, Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 17 May 2022| Leave a Comment »

In our house almost anything will be eaten if it’s mixed with noodles (though not mushrooms sadly … but we’re working on it). Any leftovers of this will make a popular lunchbox too.

Chicken & soba noodle stiry-fry – serves 4

  • 800ml chicken stock
  • 400g chicken breasts
  • 200g dried soba noodles
  • 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • a thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
  • half a red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 carrot, peeled and finely shredded
  • 150g green beans, trimmed
  • 150g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
  • 1½ tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • a small handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped

Bring the chicken stock to the boil in a pot, then add the chicken breasts and cook for 20 minutes. Make sure they are completely submerged in the stock. Remove the chicken breasts, shred with two forks and set aside.

Add the noodles to the chicken stock and cook according to the pack instructions. Remove the noodles from the stock with tongs and set aside, reserve the stock.

Heat the oil in a wok, then stir-fry the ginger, chilli and garlic for 30 seconds. Add the onion, carrot, green beans and mushrooms and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes.

Add the shredded chicken, the noodles, 50ml of the reserved stock, the soy sauce and the sesame oil. Toss to combine and heat through. You can add a little more stock for moisture if you need.

Divide between warm bowls and scatter the coriander over the top.

(Original recipe by Nadine Brown in Olive Magazine, May 2021.)

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Pork Chow Mein

Posted in Asian, Food, Pork, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 31 January 2022| Leave a Comment »

It’s Chinese New Year tomorrow so we thought we’d post some dinner inspiration for the year of the tiger. This is a good crowd-pleaser and definitely better than take-away. It’s simple too, just prep everything before you get your wok on.

Wine Suggestion: an umami laden southern-French red, like the schist laden Domaine Cébène Faugères à la Venvole. Textural and velvety Grenache with hints of Syrah plums and gravelly Carignan; loads of flavour but not too much weight.

Pork chow mein – serves 4

  • 500g pork fillet
  • 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  • 200g dried medium egg noodles
  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar
  • 2 tsp cornflour
  • 4 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp mirin or dry sherry
  • 1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
  • 1 large carrot, cut into very thin strips
  • 25g fresh ginger, peeled and very finely sliced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, very thinly sliced
  • 6 scallions, sliced
  • 50g frozen peas
  • 225g tin water chestnuts, drained and sliced

Trim any fat and sinew off the pork, then cut in half lengthways and cut into thin slices. Put into a bowl and add the five-spice powder, ½ tsp sea salt and black pepper, then set aside.

Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the noodles acording to the pack instructions, then drain and rinse in a sieve under running water until cold, then toss with a 1 tbsp of vegetable oil and set aside.

Mix the sugar and cornflour together in a bowl and gradually stir in the soy sauce, mirin and 100ml water, then set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a wok. Add the pork and stir-fry over a high heat for 2 minutes or until browned. Scoop out and set aside.

Add another tbsp of oil and stir-fry the pepper and carrot for 2 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, scallions, peas and water chestnuts and stir-fry for 2 minutes more until just softened, then scoop out onto a plate.

Pour the last tbsp of oil into the wok and add the noodles. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until some have turned crispy and brown. Add the meat and veg back into the work and toss everything together for 1-2 minutes, or until well mixed and hot.

Stir the soy and mirin mixture again and pour it into the pan. Continue tossing for 1-2 minutes or until hot and glossy. Serve straightaway.

(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ Meat Feasts by Si King and Dave Myers, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2015.)

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Stir-fry Duck with Coconut Milk, Thai Basil & Noodles

Posted in Asian, Duck, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 14 September 2021| Leave a Comment »

Thai basil can be hard to come by for us but they sometimes have it in our local farm shop which inspired us to cook this delicious duck dish by Neil Perry.

Wine Suggestion: A dry, but fruit forward Pinot Gris was our first thought, but tried the Domaine Bott-Geyl’s Pinot d’Aslace Points Cardinaux, which was to hand, and were delighted with it’s playful nature and depth to match the dish. A blend of all the Pinot grapes, including Pinot Noir this has a vibrant freshness and focus as well as roundness and layers of texture; altogether a good food wine.

Stir-fry duck with coconut milk, Thai basil & noodles – serves 4

  • 600g boneless duck breasts, with skin on
  • 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 stem of lemongrass, pale part only, thinly sliced
  • 1 long red chilli, thinly sliced on the diagonal
  • 80ml vegetable oil
  • 1 large white onion, halved and thickly sliced
  • 320ml coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp tamarind paste
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • 20g crispy fried shallots (shop bought)
  • a large handful of Thai basil leaves
  • 200g dried rice vermicelli or other rice noodles, cooked and drained (to serve)

Put the duck onto a board, skin side down, and cut into 5mm slices. Put the duck slices into a bowl and add the garlic, lemongrass and chilli. Mix well with your hands.

Heat 60ml of vegetable oil in a wok until smoking. Stir-fry the duck in batches for 1-2 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add more oil if needed, then add the onion and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until light golden. Return the duck to the wok, then pour in the coconut milk and bring to thte boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the fish sauce, oyster sauce, tamarind paste, sugar and sea salt. Simmer for another few minutes, then check the seasoning.

Garnish with fried shallots and Thai basil and serve over noodles.

(Original recipe from Neil Perry’s Good Cooking, Murdoch Books, 2016.)

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Chiang Mai curried noodles

Posted in Asian, Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , on 30 April 2021| Leave a Comment »

These curried noodles have a sourness that we particularly like and the whole dish is power-charged with flavour.

Leave the chicken thighs whole, or cut them in half if they’re big, they’ll stay nice and tender. The curry paste also makes much more that you need but will keep in the fridge for a month, or longer in the freezer. You can of course just buy a paste either.

Wine Suggestion: Despite all the powerful flavours in this dish there is a wine match that works superbly – Dry Tokaji, particularly if the wine is a blend of Furmint and Hárslevelu. Ch. Dereszla Tokaij Dry was at hand, and despite the title is actually off-dry. The Furmint being crisp and creamy with hints of mango and the Hárslevelu, which translates as lime-leaf, bringing a complimentary aromatic lime and peach character. These grapes on their own also work really well with the food so don’t worry if you find a wine with just one of these varietals.

Chiang Mai curried noodles – serves 4

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 75g red curry paste (you can use a bought one, or make the recipe below)
  • 2 tsp mild curry powder
  • 50ml tamarind purée (we make this up using a block of tamarind – put 30g in a small bowl then pour over a little boiling water. Mash with a fork then push through a sieve. You will be left with the seeds which you can discard)
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar or soft brown sugar
  • 400ml tin coconut milk
  • 100ml chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • juice of 2 limes
  • 700g boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut them in half if they’re huge but otherwise leave whole)
  • 300g egg noodles
  • coriander leaves, shredded scallions and chopped red chillies to garnish

FOR THE PASTE:

  • 2 Mexican dried chillies e.g. ancho/pasilla/gaujilo
  • 4 lemongrass stalks, inner part only, finely chopped
  • 75g small shallots
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 20g ginger, chopped
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 Thai red chillies, seeded
  • 1 tbsp coriander root or stems
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin

TO MAKE THE PASTE:

Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chillies, cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 15 minutes until very soft, then drain.

Put the soaked chillies into the small bowl of a food processor with all the remaining ingredients and 90ml water. Blend for a few minutes until very fine – you can add a little more water if needed. Scrape into a sterilised jar and keep in the fridge for up to a month or freeze.

TO MAKE THE CURRY:

Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Add the curry paste and fry for 5 minutes. Add the curry powder, tamarind and sugar. When the sugar has melted, add the coconut milk, stock, fish sauce, soy and lime juice. Bring to a gentle simmer and add the chicken pieces. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

Meanwhile, boil the noodles for about 4 minutes or until al dente. Drain the noodles and divide between deep bowls. Ladle the curry over the noodles and top with the coriander, scallions and some chopped red chilli.

(Original recipe from My Asian Kitchen by Jennifer Joyce, Murdoch Books, 2018.)

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Gok’s Easy Noodles

Posted in Food, tagged , , , , , , on 28 July 2020| Leave a Comment »

Gok's Traditional Noodles

This is a favourite in our house; easy to whip up and wholesome and tasty. Think of it as proper pot noodle with no “E” numbers, just honest ingredients. Using homemade stock takes this to the next level, but we also really enjoy it with bought stock pots or cubes.

Easy traditional noodles – serves 2

  • 1 litre fresh chicken stock
  • 4cm piece of ginger, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
  • 100g wonton noodles or thin egg noodles
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 2 scallions, finely sliced

Bring the stock to the boil. Add the ginger and simmer gently for about 5 minutes.

Add the noodles and cook for about 4 minutes or until just tender. Remove the noodles from the pan with tongs and divide between the 2 bowls. Drizzle the noodles with the sesame oil and mix well.

Add the oyster sauce and light soy sauce to the stock and warm through.

Ladle the hot broth over the noodles and sprinkle with the scallions.

(Original recipe from Gok Cooks Chinese by Gok Whan, Michael Joseph, 2012.)

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Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms & Spring Onions

Posted in Asian, Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 4 December 2018| Leave a Comment »

Noodles with shiitake mushrooms & scallions

We can think of nothing nicer to eat than a bowl of slurpy noodles. Perfect for a speedy lunch or snack.

Wine Suggestion: a friend has suggested that there are brilliant saki matches for dishes like this that play with the umami but we’ve not tasted enough to suggest which one. However, we really liked a couple of wine options: a Lustau dry Oloroso, a Deux Montille Rully Blanc or a Tyler Pinot Noir from California. In each case they have a wonderful textural vibrancy that this dish needs.

Udon noodles with shiitake mushrooms and spring onions – serves 2

  • 125g dried egg noodles
  • 1½ tbsp sesame oil
  • 1½ tbsp groundnut oil
  • 200g shiitake mushrooms, finely sliced
  • 6 scallions, finely sliced on the diagonal
  • few coriander springs, leaves picked
  • 2½ tbsp nam pla (fish sauce)
  • 2½ tbsp soy sauce

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, salt generously and cook the noodles for the time given on the pack. Drain and run under cold water, then stir through a few drops of sesame oil and groundnut oil to stop them from sticking.

Heat the oils over a high heat in a wok or frying pan. Add the mushrooms and cook until starting to soften. Add the scallions, nam pla, soy sauce and noodles. Heat stirring until the noodles are glazed with the sauce.

Serve sprinkled with the coriander.

(Original recipe from Leiths How to Cook by Claire Macdonald and Jenny Stringer, Quadrille, 2013.)

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Rainbow Noodle Salad

Posted in Food, Healthy, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 19 April 2017| Leave a Comment »

Rainbow noodle salad

A healthy salad for lunchboxes and a good use for red cabbage which always seem impossible to get through. If you have a mandolin it will make short work of shredding the vegetables.

Rainbow Veg Noodle Salad – serves 2

  • 50g medium egg noodles
  • sesame oil
  • juice of ½ a lime
  • 1 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
  • ½ a red pepper, thinly sliced
  • ¼ of a small red cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 50g sugar snap peas
  • 1 scallion, sliced
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet, then rinse under cold water and drain well.

Whisk 2 tsp of the sesame oil, the lime juice, peanut butter and rice wine vinegar together in a large bowl. Add a splash of boiling water if the dressing appears too thick.

Add the noodles, carrot, pepper, cabbage and sugar snaps and toss to coat.

Divide between 2 containers and scatter with the scallion and sesame seeds.

(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, February, 2014.)

 

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Chicken Noodle Laksa

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, Soup, tagged , , , , , , , on 18 September 2016| Leave a Comment »

Easy laksa

Rice noodles often get forgotten in the back of our larder. Much better to use them up in a soup or laksa like this one which is substantial enough for a main course. This recipe is gluten-free – the only reason we’re telling you that is because from now on we are going to add a gluten-free tag to any recipes that are gluten-free. So very soon you will be able to search JonoandJules for gluten-free recipes.

Wine Suggestion: We quite often plump for a Riesling when eating aromatic Thai dishes but have found another gem that works superbly for this hot, spicy, creamy, coconut dish: Alsace Pinot Gris. Often overlooked the richer styles favoured in Alsace provide a counterpoint to the heat and bring spices and texture of its own to the mix. For this dish we had a Bott-Geyl Points Cardinale, which is a Pinot d’Alsace, that is a blend of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Auxerrois and Pinot Noir. We found it both elegant and rich with a fresh attractive fruit and a breadth of flavour to match the Laksa. We’re on the lookout for more Pinot Gris and dishes to try now after the success of this match.

Chicken Noodle Laksa – serves 4

  • 2 chicken breasts, sliced into strips
  • 100g medium rice noodles
  • 3 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 6 scallions, finely sliced
  • 2 x 400g tins coconut milk
  • 2 tsp Thai fish sauce
  • 1 lemon grass stalk, bashed
  • juice of ½ lime
  • coriander leaves, to serve

FOR THE PASTE:

  • 6 scallions, sliced
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
  • 4cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 3 tbsp peanut butter
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp light muscovado sugar

Make the paste by putting all the ingredients in the small bowl of a food processor or mini food processor and whizz until finely chopped (if you don’t have one of these you can grind them with a pestle and mortar).

Spoon 2 tbsp of the paste into a bowl. Add the chicken strips, season well with salt and pepper and stir until evenly coated with the paste.

Put the rice noodles into a shallow dish and pour over boiling water from the kettle to cover. Leave for 10-15 minutes or until softened. Drain and refresh under cold running water, then snip into short lengths with kitchen scissors and set aside.

Heat a large frying pan or wok over a high heat. Add 2 tbsp of sunflower oil and when hot, tip in the chicken and fry quickly for about 3 minutes or until nicely coloured and just cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Heat the rest of the oil in the same pan, then add the scallions and the remaining paste and fry for a minute. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce and lemon grass. Bring to the boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken to the soup and simmer for another 3-4 minutes. Divide the noodles between 4 deep bowls. Remove the lemon grass stalk from the soup and add the lime juice. Ladle the soup over the noodles and sprinkle with coriander leaves to serve.

(Original recipe from Mary Berry’s Foolproof Cooking, BBC Books, 2016.)

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Chiang Mai Turkey Noodles

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 2 January 2016| 2 Comments »

Chiang Mai Turkey Noodles

We really meant to post this recipe before now, but we’re sure some of you still have a bit of turkey lurking in the freezer. Such a revitalising boost to the tastebuds after all the Christmas feasts. If the turkey is all done then try this the next time you have leftover roast chicken. Tone down the curry paste if you’re not so mad on the heat. The recipe comes from our obligatory Christmas cookbook which this year was ‘Food from Plenty’, by Diana Henry, and we highly recommend it!

Chiang Mai turkey noodles – serves 4 

  • groundnut or other flavourless oil
  • 1 onion or 6 shallots, sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tbsp red Thai curry paste
  • 400ml tin coconut milk
  • 200ml chicken stock (from a cube or stock pot is fine)
  • 350g leftover cooked turkey or chicken, in chunks
  • ½ tsp soft light brown sugar
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • juice of ½ lime
  • 400g egg noodles

To Serve:

  • 2 scallions, chopped fine on the diagonal
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and shredded
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
  • lime wedges

Put a tbsp of the oil into a saucepan and sauté the onions until golden. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes, then add the turmeric and curry paste. Stir for about a minute or until the spices are fragrant. Add the coconut milk and stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes.

Add the turkey and heat thoroughly.

Season with the sugar and fish sauce to taste (you may need to adjust the amount of lime/sugar).

Cook the noodles according to the pack. Divide between 4 bowls and spoon over the turkey and garnish with scallions, chilli and coriander. Serve lime wedges on the side.

(Original recipe from Food from Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchel Beazley, 2010.)

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Coconut, Noodle & Vegetable Soup

Posted in Asian, Food, Healthy, Soup, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 26 June 2013| 3 Comments »

We’re always on the lookout for low-calorie dishes for weeknights (so we can afford to redress the balance at the weekend!) This one was tasty and helpfully used up some of the bits and pieces we had in the fridge.

Coconut, noodle & vegetable soup – to serve 4

  • 1-2 tbsp Thai curry paste (use whatever colour you’ve got)
  • 1 tsp groundnut (or other flavourless oil)
  • 700ml vegetable stock
  • 300ml reduced-fat coconut milk
  • 200g thick-rice noodles
  • 200g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
  • 140g sugar snap peas, halved
  • 100g beansprouts
  • 1½ tbsp Thai fish sauce
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 3 scallions shredded
  • some mint and coriander leaves to serve (if you have some)

Put a large pot over a medium heat. Cook the curry paste in the oil for a minute until it starts to release its aroma. Add the stock and coconut milk and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in the noodles. Simmer for 7 minutes, then stir in the mushrooms and sugar snaps. Cook for another 3 minutes, then add the beansprouts, fish sauce and lime juice. Take the pan off the heat.

Serve in bowls with some scallions, mint and coriander.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Asian Pork Noodle Salad

Posted in Asian, Food, Healthy, Pork, tagged , , , , , on 12 July 2012| 1 Comment »

This is really quick and healthy, with nice fresh flavours.

Asian Pork Noodle Salad – to serve 2

  • 100g rice noodles
  • 2 stalks of lemongrass, chopped
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 200g lean minced pork
  • ½ tsp soft brown sugar
  • small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
  • small bunch mint, roughly chopped
FOR THE DRESSING:
  • ½ garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • ½ tbsp soft brown sugar
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce

Pour boiling water over the noodles and leave to soak according to the pack instructions. Drain and cool under running water.

Cook the lemon grass and shallots for a couple of minutes, then add the pork and cook until browned and cooked through. Stir in the sugar and stir to dissolve.

Mix the dressing ingredients together and toss with the noodles and pork, then add the coriander and mint and serve.

Drink with: a glass of Riesling – try with one of the slightly off-dry New Zealand styles.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Tuna tataki noodles

Posted in Asian, Fish, Food, tagged , , , , on 8 March 2012| 3 Comments »

Tataki is a Japanese way of preparing fish which involves searing it quickly, slicing thinly and serving with ginger that has been pounded into a paste.  This takes just 15 minutes to make and is fresh, tasty and healthy.

Tuna tataki noodles – to serve 2

  • 2 tuna steaks
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns, coarsely ground or cracked
  • 150g soba noodles, cooked according to the pack
  • 2 scallions, shredded
  • 1 tbsp groundnut oil
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • ginger grated to make 1 tbsp

Rub the tuna with the black pepper and sear in a hot non-stick pan for 1 minute on either side. Rest for a couple of minutes before slicing into strips.

Divide the noodles between 2 bowls and add half the tuna strips to each. Top with the scallions.

Mix the rest of the ingredients together to form a paste and drizzle this over the tuna and noodles.

Wine Suggestion: Tuna is meaty fish but this dish is definitely not heavy so a light red wine, such as a Beaujolais would work well. Stick it into the fridge for a short time so it is slightly chilled and it will give the whole meal a zing.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food.)

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Sweet and sour turkey (prawn or chicken) noodle stir-fry

Posted in Asian, Food, tagged , , , , , on 30 January 2012| 2 Comments »

If you’ve heard of Jamie’s 30 minute meals, well this is one of Jono and Jules’ 10 minute meals!

We have finally used the last of our Christmas turkey from the freezer – we draw the line at eating turkey leftovers in February. If you’ve eaten all your turkey already you can easily substitute some cooked chicken or prawns instead.

Sweet and sour noodle stir-fry (with turkey, chicken or prawns) – to serve 2 

  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • a pinch of chilli flakes
  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 4 scallions, roughly chopped
  • 200g cooked turkey/chicken/prawns, chopped
  • 2 x 150g packs straight to wok thick udon noodles
  • 2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander

Mix the tomato purée, soy sauce, white wine vinegar, caster sugar and chilli flakes in a small bowl. Heat the oil in a wok or a big frying pan. Add the scallions and garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the turkey, chicken or prawns along with the noodles and stir to separate the noodles. Stir in the sauce and add a couple of tablespoons of water to thin the sauce a bit. Cover and cook for a couple of minutes or until everything is heated through. Sprinkle the coriander over before serving.

Wine Suggestion: Don’t have a top-quality Meursault as we found this didn’t really work – which was absolutely no fault of the wine! A better match would be a white wine with a little bit of sugar in it to complement the spicy flavours in the dish. Something like some Pinot Gris would work well (look for the sweetness indicators on the label if it comes from Alsace which is a great region for this grape).

(Original recipe from Sainsbury’s Magazine, January 2008.)

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Easy Thai Prawn Soup

Posted in Asian, Food, Shellfish, tagged , , , , , , , on 6 November 2011| Leave a Comment »

A really quick and easy week-night supper with bags of freshness and flavour. It’s also infinitely variable depending on what crunchy vegetables you may have to hand. We would have added a couple of sliced red chillies if we’d had some!

Spicy Prawn Soup – to serve 4

  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 300g bag crunchy stir-fry vegetables
  • 140g shitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 tbsp Thai green curry paste
  • 400g can reduced-fat coconut milk
  • 200ml vegetable or fish stock
  • 300g medium straight-to-wok noodles
  • 200g large, raw prawns

Heat a wok, add the oil, and stir-fry the vegetables and mushrooms for a few minutes. Take out and set aside, then tip the curry paste into the pan and fry for a minute. Pour in the coconut milk and stock. Bring to the boil, drop in the noodles and prawns, then reduce the heat and simmer for 4 minutes until the prawns are cooked. Stir in the vegetables and serve.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Healthy Thai Prawn Stir-fry with Ginger and Scallions

Posted in Asian, Food, Healthy, Shellfish, tagged , , , , , , on 27 May 2011| 2 Comments »

This tastes so much better than it looks and it looked really good on the plate when served, but by that stage we were so starved we ate it instead of taking pics! So much healthier than a Thai takeaway and dead-on tasty. The marinade is a really neat trick which we’ll definitely use again.

  • 200g raw, peeled tiger prawns
  • 1 green chilli, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, crush 1 and finely slice the other 2
  • a bunch of coriander, separate the leaves from the stalks and save both
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • juice of a lime
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp groundnut oil
  • 3 cm piece of ginger, finely slice and then shred it
  • 8 scallions, finely sliced
  • a red pepper, thinly sliced
  • 85g water chestnuts, sliced (we couldn’t find these and it was fine without them!)
  • 100g beansprouts
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • pack of egg noodles to serve
  • lime wedges
Whiz the chilli, crushed garlic, coriander stalks (snip them with scissors to make them small) and caster sugar in a small food processor. Add half the lime juice and the fish sauce and then pour over your prawns.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok, add the ginger and scallions and fry for a minute. Add the red pepper and fry for another minute or until it starts to soften. Add the water chestnuts and bean sprouts and toss until the sprouts start wilting. Add the soy sauce and plenty of black pepper and tip the lot into a serving dish.
Heat a bit of oil in the wok and toss your egg noodles until hot. They’ll pick up some of the juicy and crunchy bits from the veggies. Mix them into the serving dish with the vegetables.
Lift the prawns out of their marinade and cook in wok with the remaining oil for a minute or two or until they turn pink. Add the marinade and swirl it around in the wok to heat it. Tip everything over the vegetables and noodles. Add the coriander leaves and remaining lime juice before you serve. Put some lime wedges on the side of the plates.
Wine Suggestion: We had a glass of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc which went really well. The fruit was juicy and counter-acted the chilli instead of fighting against it which can happen. It was fresh and zingy.

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Healthy satay stir-fry

Posted in Food, Healthy, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 26 January 2011| Leave a Comment »

This tasted way too good to be this healthy but it’s true and we have the calorie count to prove it (286 if anyone’s interested). Can all be thrown together in 15 minutes tops which is great on a week night.

Satay stir-fry to serve 4

  • 3 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
  • 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 300g pack straight-to-wok noodles
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • thumb of fresh root ginger, finely chopped
  • 300g pack stir-fry vegetables (we used M&S aromatic mix and added some sugar snap peas and sliced red chilli)
  • handful of basil leaves
  • 25g roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Mix the peanut butter, chilli sauce, 100ml water and soy sauce to make a smooth satay sauce (it will look a bit gross but don’t panic it works in the end).

Put the noodles in a bowl and pour boiling water over them, stir to separate and drain.

Heat the oil in a wok, then stir-fry ginger and the harder bits of veg for 2 minutes. Add the noodles and the rest of the vegetables and stir-fry on a high heat for another minute or two or until just cooked.

Push the veg and noodles to one side of the pan and pour the sauce into the other side, tilting the wok. Bring the sauce to boil and then mix everything together. Sprinkle basil and peanuts over to serve.

Eat and then lick the bowl.

Original recipe from BBC Good Food.

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The last Turkey recipe … for a while!

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, Soup, tagged , , , , , , , on 24 January 2011| Leave a Comment »

The turkey in the freezer is finally finished. We actually feel a bit sad… no more free food! So once again, if you have any leftover turkey from Christmas, here’s something else to do with it.

Inspired by Vietnamese Pho broth, which is usually made with beef. The recipe comes from BBC Good Food.

Asian noodle & turkey soup (feeds 4)

  • 1.5 litres turkey or chicken stock
  • a thumb size piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
  • 2 star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 cloves
  • 200g dried rice noodles, any sort
  • 2 limes, one juiced, one in wedges to serve
  • 2-3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 400g roast turkey, shredded
  • 100g bag of bean sprouts (we used a bit more than this)
  • bunch of coriander
  • bunch of mint
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 2 red chillies, sliced (seeds in or out whatever you prefer)

Heat the stock in a large pan and add the ginger and spices, then simmer for 10 minutes.

Soak or cook your noodles according to what it says on the pack, then drain and rinse.

Add the fish sauce and lime juice to the stock and taste for seasoning – add more fish sauce if you think it needs it.

Divide the noodles between 4 bowls, then top with the shredded turkey, beansprouts, herbs, scallions and chillies. Ladle the hot stock over the bowls and serve with the lime wedges.

Hey presto!

Wine suggestion: Go for a simple, fruity Sauvignon Blanc. We had a leftover glass from Trentino in Italy, which is better known for its Pinot Grigio, and it went perfectly.

 

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Quick n tasty!

Posted in Food, Healthy, Shellfish, Soup, tagged , , , , , , , on 30 November 2010| 2 Comments »

After a long day … made even longer by cold weather and snow delays … a simple and tasty soup that is all about freshness and flavour.

 

 

 

 

Quick prawn noodle soup (for one)

  • Boil 85g thick rice noodles for about 6 minutes or until al dente, then drain.
  • Put 500ml hot chicken or vegetable stock in a pan with a tsp of fish sauce, the juice of 1/2 a lime, a star anise & a pinch of sugar.
  • Bring to the boil and add the noodles and a handful of small raw prawns.
  • Warm through, then pour into a bowl and top with a handful of mint and coriander leave and some chopped red chilli.

(We don’t like talking about calories too much but this is only about 250 calories a bowl and has no saturated fat – we felt very good (and full) after eating it).

Click here for original recipe on BBC Good Food.

Jono & Julie

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