flower#

spring#

Chinese-Stir-fried pork with ginger & honey#

Ingredients

• 2 nests medium egg noodles
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 250g/9oz pork tenderloin, cut into bite-sized pieces
• thumb-sized piece ginger, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 green pepper, deseeded and sliced
• 100g mange tout
• 1 tsp sesame seed
•   Prep: 15 mins Cook: 10 mins
  Easy
  Serves 2 
  
  

  Method

  1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the noodles following pack instructions. Meanwhile, mix the cornflour with 1 tbsp water, then stir in the soy sauce and honey, and set aside.
  2. Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat. Add the pork and cook for 2 mins until browned all over. Add the ginger, garlic, pepper and mangetout, and cook for a further 2 mins. Reduce the heat, then add the soy and honey mixture, stirring and cooking until the sauce bubbles and thickens. Divide the drained noodles between 2 bowls. Top with the pork and vegetables, and finish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Chinese-Hoisin wraps#

 

Ingredients

• 200g cooked turkey or chicken, cut into strips
• 4 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 flour tortillas
• ¼ cucumber, deseeded and shredded
• 4 spring onions, trimmed and finely shredded
• good handful watercress
•   Prep: 5 mins Cook: 5 mins
  Easy
  Serves 2 
  
  

  Method

  1. Heat the grill to high. Mix the turkey or chicken with half of the hoisin sauce so that it’s coated, then spread out onto an ovenproof dish and grill until sizzling. Warm the tortillas under the grill or according to pack instructions.
  2. Spread the tortillas with the rest of the hoisin sauce, then use to wrap up the turkey or chicken with the cucumber, onions and watercress. Cut in half and enjoy while still warm.

Chinese-style braised beef one-pot#

 

 

Ingredients

• 3-4 tbsp olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• good thumb-size piece fresh root ginger, peeled and shredded
• 1 bunch spring onions, sliced
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
• 1½ kg braising beef, cut into large pieces (we used ox cheek)
• 2 tbsp plain flour, well seasoned
• 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 2 star anise (optional)
• 2 tsp light muscovado sugar (or use whatever you've got)
• 3 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry
• 3 tbsp dark soy sauce, plus more to serve
• 500ml beef stock (we used Knorr Touch of Taste)
• steamed bok choi and steamed basmati rice, to serve
•   Prep: 10 mins Cook: 2 hrs - 2 hrs, 30 mins
  Easy
  Serves 6 
  
  

  Method

  1. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large, shallow casserole. Fry the garlic, ginger, onions and chilli for 3 mins until soft and fragrant. Tip onto a plate. Toss the beef in the flour, add 1 tbsp more oil to the pan, then brown the meat in batches, adding the final tbsp oil if you need to. It should take about 5 mins to brown each batch properly.
  2. Add the five-spice and star anise (if using) to the pan, tip in the gingery mix, then fry for 1 min until the spices are fragrant. Add the sugar, then the beef and stir until combined. Keep the heat high, then splash in the wine or sherry, scraping up any meaty bits. Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2.
  3. Pour in the soy and stock (it won’t cover the meat completely), bring to a simmer, then tightly cover, transfer to the oven and cook for 1½-2 hrs, stirring the meat halfway through. The meat should be very soft, and any sinewy bits should have melted away. Season with more soy. This can now be chilled and frozen for up to 1 month.
  4. Nestle the cooked bok choi into the pan, then bring to the table with the basmati rice straight away and tuck in.

Chinese-Sea bass with sizzled ginger, chilli & spring onions#

Ingredients

• 6 x sea bass fillets, about 140g/5oz each, skin on and scaled
• about 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• large knob of ginger, peeled and shredded into matchsticks
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3 fat, fresh red chillies deseeded and thinly shredded
• bunch spring onion, shredded long-ways
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
•   Prep: 15 mins Cook: 10 mins
  Easy
  Serves 6 
  
  

  Method

  1. Season the fish with salt and pepper, then slash the skin 3 times. Heat a heavy-based frying pan and add 1 tbsp oil. Once hot, fry the fish, skin-side down, for 5 mins or until the skin is very crisp and golden. The fish will be almost cooked through. Turn over, cook for another 30 secs-1 min, then transfer to a serving plate and keep warm. You’ll need to fry the fish in 2 batches.
  2. Heat the remaining oil, then fry the ginger, garlic and chillies for about 2 mins until golden. Take off the heat and toss in the spring onions. Splash the fish with a little soy sauce and spoon over the contents of the pan.

Fruity flag traybake#

Ingredients

• 100g butter or baking spread (Stork for cakes), softened, plus extra for the tin
• 175g self-raising flour
• 50g ground almonds
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 4 large eggs
• 225g caster sugar
• 125ml full-fat Greek yogurt
• zest 2 lemons

For the butter icing

• 175g butter, softened
• 350g icing sugar, sieved

To decorate

• 300g raspberries
• 175g blueberries
•  
  Prep: 45 mins Cook: 30 mins
  Easy
  Cuts into 15 squares
  
  

  Method

  1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter and line a 30 x 20cm traybake tin with baking parchment. Measure all the sponge ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix together using an electric hand whisk until smooth. Spoon into the tin and level the surface.
  2. Bake for 25-30 mins until lightly golden and the top of the cake springs back when pressed with your finger, and the sides of the sponge are shrinking away from the sides of the tin. Carefully lift the sponge out of the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Remove the baking parchment.
  3. To make the icing, tip the butter into a bowl and whisk using an electric hand whisk until light and fluffy. Add half the icing sugar and whisk again until incorporated. Add the remaining sugar and whisk again until smooth. Spread the icing over the top of the cold cake.
  4. To decorate, place a double row of raspberries across the centre and down the length of the cake to make a cross. Next, place a single row diagonally from each corner to the middle. Now fill in the empty spaces with blueberries. Cut into squares to serve.

Mango, lime & blackberry bombe#

 

Ingredients

• 2 x 200g punnets blackberries
• 250g icing sugar
• 2 x 425g cans mango in syrup, juice reserved
• grated zest and juice 4 limes
• 142ml carton double cream
• 285ml carton double cream
• 2 crushed bought brandy snaps, to serve
•   Prep: 30 mins Plus freezing
  Easy

  Method

  1. Put the blackberries in pan with 4 tbsp of the sugar, add a splash of water then cook until the berries have softened. Rub through a sieve. Cool then freeze in a plastic container until slushy, stirring every now and then.
  2. Whizz the mango with 75ml of its syrup and 2 tbsp icing sugar until smooth, then freeze in a container until slushy as above.
  3. Stir the rest of the sugar with the lime zest and juice. Beat the cream with 3 tbsp of the remaining mango syrup until it forms soft peaks, then beat in the lime mixture. Freeze in a container until semi-frozen.
  4. Line a medium Pyrex basin with cling film then beat all three icy mixtures and spoon alternately into the bowl to make rippled layers. Return to the freezer until solid.
  5. To serve, pull out of the bowl and strip off the cling film. Put on a plate, scatter with the crushed biscuits and leave for 30 mins to soften in the fridge before eating.

   

Breakfast smoothie#

 

Ingredients

• 1 small ripe banana
• about 140g blackberries, blueberries, raspberries or strawberries (or use a mix), plus extra to serve
• apple juice or mineral water, optional
• runny honey, to serve
•   Prep: 5 mins
  Easy
  Serves 1 
  
  

  Method

  Slice the banana into your blender or food processor and add the berries of your choice. Whizz until smooth. With the blades whirring, pour in juice or water to make the consistency you like. Toss a few extra fruits on top, drizzle with honey and serve.

Cheap-as-chips veggie pizza#

 Ingredients

• 200g carton passata
• pack of 5 large Middle Eastern flatbreads
• ½ x 750g bag frozen spinach, defrosted
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 3 balls mozzarella, patted dry and torn
• 5 medium eggs
• freshly grated nutmeg
• small bunch basil
• shaved parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), to serve
•   Prep: 15 mins Cook: 25 mins
  Easy
  Makes 5
  
  

  Method

  1. Heat the oven to as high as it will go. Spread 1-2 tbsp of passata over each flatbread. Squeeze as much water as you can from the spinach (this will prevent your pizzas from being soggy), then scatter on top, leaving a gap in the centre. Divide the garlic and mozzarella between the pizzas, seasoning generously as you go.
  2. You will probably only be able to bake 2 pizzas at a time. So put 2 on a baking tray, carefully crack an egg into the middle of each, and season with nutmeg and some of the basil. Bake for 7 mins until the cheese has melted and the egg is cooked to your liking.
  3. Repeat with the remaining pizzas and ingredients. Serve, garnished with a little more basil and some Parmesan. Cut into slices and share between everyone.

Veggie breakfast bakes

 

 Ingredients

• 4 large field mushrooms
• 8 tomatoes, halved
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 200g bag spinach
• 4 eggs
•   Prep: 15 mins Cook: 30 mins
  Easy
  Serves 4 
   

  Method

  1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the mushrooms and tomatoes into 4 ovenproof dishes. Divide garlic between the dishes, drizzle over the oil and some seasoning, then bake for 10 mins.
  2. Meanwhile, put the spinach into a large colander, then pour over a kettle of boiling water to wilt it. Squeeze out any excess water, then add the spinach to the dishes. Make a little gap between the vegetables and crack an egg into each dish. Return to the oven and cook for a further 8-10 mins or until the egg is cooked to your liking.

Pearl barley, bacon & leek casserole

 Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 leeks, thickly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 300g pearl barley
• 4 carrots, cubed
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, plus extra to serve
• 1l chicken stock
• 300g Savoy cabbages, shredded
• 200g lean bacon joint, cooked, chopped into small pieces
•  
  Prep: 10 mins Cook: 40 mins - 45 mins
  Easy
  Serves 4 
   

  Method

  1. Heat a large pan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil and cook the leeks for a few mins, then add the garlic and cook for just 1 min more.
  2. Add the pearl barley, carrots and mustard, then pour over the chicken stock. Season with plenty of ground black pepper and simmer for 20 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the cabbage with the bacon, and cook for 5-10 mins until cabbage is wilted and tender. Serve with extra Dijon mustard on the side.

Red lentil & squash dhal

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 400g butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2cm (prepared weight)
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 1.2l chicken stock
• 1 heaped tbsp mango chutney
• 300g red lentils
• small pack coriander, roughly chopped
• naan bread, to serve
•  
  Prep: 15 mins Cook: 40 mins
  Easy
  Serves 4 
   

  Method

  1. Put the oil and the onion in a saucepan, and cook for 5 mins. Stir in the garlic and cook for a further 1 min, then stir in the spices and butternut squash. Combine everything together.
  2. Tip in the chopped tomatoes, stock and chutney, and season well. Bring to the boil, then gently simmer for about 10 mins. Add the lentils and simmer for another 20 mins until the lentils and squash are tender. Stir in the coriander and serve with warmed naan bread.

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