Hot spicy prawns, vegetable stir fry ... more Chinese New Year deliciousness

 Gung Hay Fat Choi ... more Happy Chinese New Year.  Loving it!

I am not practised in chinese cooking, but I do give it a go now and again.  I was proud of tonight's dishes.  The spring rolls were from a chinese supermarket - they should be fried (deep fried or shallow fried is less important) and not baked for good tasty crispiness.

Dip in sweet chili sauce.

Jasmine rice - cooked according to packet instructions.

Spicy prawns

Spring onions
Garlic
Chili Flakes
Peanut oil

Stir fry spring onions in peanut oil.
Add prawns and spices, toss about for a couple of minutes.

Vegetable stir fry

Peanut oil
Spring onion
Celery
Red pepper
Carrots
Courgette
Mushrooms
Garlic
Ginger
Chili flakes
Chinese 5 spice
Chinese rice wine
Rice vinegar
Tomato ketchup
Light soy sauce
Pak choi
Beansprouts
Toasted sesame oil

1.  Prepare all veg and cut into bite sized pieces.
2.  Heat peanut oil in wok.
3.  Add spring onions, then hard veg, then spices, tossing all the time.
4.  Splosh in wine and vinegar - then tomato ketchup and soy sauce to taste.
5.  Just before serving toss in pak choi leaves, beans sprouts and a tiny hint of sesame oil.

I preferred this to the noodles earlier in the week, but both were delicious.

Chili and garlic squid, black bean vegetable, noodle, stir fry

Chinese New Year - and into the year of the sheep we go.

So, tonight we had garlic chili squid and a black bean, vegetable and noodle stir fry.

Noodles are traditional for a long life, I believe.  Rice noodles, in our case, to keep it all gluten free.




Chili and garlic squid

Peanut oil
Squid tubes - cut into rings
chili flakes
Crushed garlic
spring onion
salt
cornflour
water

1.  Cut squid tubes into rings, mix with chili, garlic and chopped spring onion.
2.  Make a batter (quite liquid) from cornflour and water.
3.  Dip squid into batter and fry in hot oil.

Scoff!

Black bean and vegetable noodle stir fry

Peanut oil
Black bean paste
Garlic paste
Fennel
Spring onions
Pak choi
Radish
Japanese mushrooms
bean sprouts
soy sauce
Chinese rice wine
Tomato ketchup
Water
Rice noodles

1.  Prepare all the vegetables, chopping into bite sized pieces.
2.  Heat oil in the wok, add spring onion and black bean paste.
3.  Stir fry, add veg ... from harder to softer, so they cook in time.
4.  Meanwhile cook noodles according to packet instructions.
5.  Taste veg and add soy sauce, rice wine and ketchup to taste.
6.  Add a little water if it's looking dry.
7.  When noodles are ready, drain and add to veg.
8.  Sprinkle chopped spring onions over the top.

Dipping sauce

Soy sauce
peanut oil
sweet chili sauce

Mixed to taste

Oh ... I am so full ... roll on the year of the sheep.

Leek and fennel risotto

Quite late home.  Cold again, but mostly salady things in the veg box - but you can do all sorts of things with a risotto.

Olive oil
Leek
1/2 fennel
Celery
Garlic
White rice
White wine
Stock
Frozen peas
Grated parmesan
Salt and black pepper
Roccolo

1.  Sautee chopped leek, fennel and celery in olive oil.
2.  After a couple of minutes add crushed garlic, and continue to sautee gently.
3.  Add a mugful of white rice, and turn over in the oil.
4.  Chuck in white wine and some stock.  Simmer, add more until the risotto is nearly done.
5.  Add frozen peas and cheese.  Simmer gently.

Season and top with roccolo.

Leek and mushroom savoury pancakes

 Pancake day!  But neither of us like sweet stuff much, so, I picked some tasty stuff from the veg box and some halloumi .. and these were the best pancake day pancakes ever.

Gluten free pancakes

Gluten free flour
Egg
Natural yogurt
Soya milk
Peanut oil




Leek and garlic mushrooms

Olive oil
1 leek
Mushrooms, sliced
Crushed garlic
Butter

Salad

Baby salad leaves
Baby rocket
Radish
Spring onions

Roasted beetroot
Roasted cherry tomatoes

Fried halloumi

1.  Start with the pancakes - make the batter.
2.  Then gently with the veg sweated down in oil and butter.
3.  Make the pancakes, keep warm.
4.  Fry the halloumi.
5.  Put everything on the table, and let people assemble their own.

Delicious.

Cauliflower and butter bean casserole, with rice

Rich, flavoursome and tasty - and healthy too.

Olive oil
1 leek
Garlic
Celery
Carrots
Cauliflower
Mushrooms
Mixed herbs
Passata
Butter beans
Black olives
Frozen peas

Rice

Grated cheddar

1.  Sautee chopped leek, chopped celery and peeled and chopped carrots with the garlic in olive oil.
2.  When a bit soft, add florets of cauliflower and chopped mushrooms.
3.  Add a sprinkling of mixed herbs, passata and water.
4.  Put the lid on, and cook through for about 20 minutes.
5.  Add butter beans, peas and sliced olives.  Continues to cook.  Season.

When it's done, serve with rice and grated cheese.

Delicious - and healthy, and a veg box victory.