Special fried rice with prawns & chorizo,#Chinese recipes

 A fusion dish that merges Spanish paella with Asian egg fried rice - a great way to get kids to eat vegetables

Ingredients

• 100g basmati rice or long-grain rice
• 85g frozen peas
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 50g finely diced chorizo, bacon or ham
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 3 spring onions, sliced on an angle
• ½ red pepper, deseeded and chopped
• good pinch five spice powder
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 100g beansprouts (optional)
• 50g peeled prawns
•   Prep: 10 mins Cook: 18 mins
  Easy
  Easily doubled
   

  Method

  1. Boil the rice following pack instructions, adding the peas for the final min. Drain.
  2. Heat half the oil in a wok. Pour in the egg and stir-fry until scrambled. Tip onto a plate and set aside.
  3. Wipe the wok with kitchen paper, then heat the remaining oil. Toss in the meat, garlic, spring onions and pepper, and stir-fry until the pepper starts to soften. Add the five-spice, rice, peas and soy, then stir-fry for 5 mins more. Finally add the beansprouts, if using, the egg and prawns, and stir-fry to heat through.

#Pea, mint & spring onion soup with Parmesan biscuits

 

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• knob of butter
• ½ bunch spring onion, sliced, plus a few extra to serve
• 1 potato, cut into small dice
• 1l hot vegetable stock
• 900g frozen petits pois
• ½ small bunch mint, leaves picked, plus a few extra to serve
• 85g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), very finely grated
•   Prep: 20 mins Cook: 25 mins
  Easy
  Serves 6 
   

  Method

  1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy based pan. When foaming, add the spring onions and potato. Gently fry without colouring for about 5 mins. Stir in the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins or until the potato is tender.
  2. Stir in the peas, bring to the boil again, then cook for about 3 mins until they are just done. Remove the pan from the heat, add the mint leaves and whizz in a blender or food processor until smooth.
  3. To make the Parmesan biscuits, heat the grill to high. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and divide the grated Parmesan into 6 long strips. Grill for 1 min or until the cheese has melted and is lightly golden. While still warm and a bit flexible, release the biscuits from the baking parchment with a palette or cutlery knife, then cool until firm.
  4. To serve, heat the soup and divide between 6 bowls. Scatter with mint and sliced spring onions, if you like, and serve with the Parmesan biscuits on the side.

#Rhubarb & ginger syllabub

A traditional creamy pudding with delicious fruit compote stirred through - a quick and indulgent dessert

Ingredients

• 400g rhubarb, cut into small cubes
• thumb-sized piece piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 75g caster sugar
• 100ml white wine
• 100g light mascarpone
• 300ml double cream
• 50g icing sugar
• 2 pieces crystallised ginger, finely chopped
•   Prep: 20 mins Cook: 5 mins
  Easy
  Serves 4 
   
   

  Method

  1. Put the rhubarb, root ginger, sugar and white wine in a pan, bring to the boil and simmer on a low heat for 4-5 mins until the rhubarb has softened. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
  2. In another bowl, whisk the mascarpone, double cream and icing sugar to soft peaks. Remove 4 tbsp cooled rhubarb and mash with a fork, then fold into the cream mixture.
  3. Divide the rest of the poached rhubarb between 4 glasses, reserving a bit. Spoon over the cream mixture, then top with a few pieces of crystallised ginger and the rest of the rhubarb. Can be chilled for several hours before serving.

#Hot cross bun ring with spiced honey butter

Make these cinnamon-spiced fruit buns into a pretty centrepiece for your Easter table, and serve with a sweet butter

Ingredients

• 300ml whole milk
• zest 1 orange
• 50g butter, cubed
• 500g strong white flour, plus 140g for the crosses, and extra for dusting
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 85g golden caster sugar
• 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
• 1 large egg, beaten, plus 1 egg to glaze
• oil, for greasing
• 100g dried mixed fruit

For the spiced honey butter

• 200g salted butter, softened
• 1½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 4 tbsp clear honey
•  
  Prep: 45 mins Cook: 25 mins Plus rising and proving
  Moderately easy
  Makes 1 ring with 11 buns
   

  Method

  1. Warm the milk and orange zest in a small saucepan until steaming. Remove from the heat and add the butter, swirling the pan until the butter has melted and the milk has cooled to hand temperature.
  2. Mix the flour, cinnamon, sugar, yeast and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Pour in the milk mixture and the beaten egg, and mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture clumps together. Tip out onto your work surface and knead until smooth and elastic – the dough should bounce back when pressed with your finger. Transfer to a clean oiled bowl, cover with cling film or a tea towel and leave to rise for 2 hrs or until doubled in size.
  3. Dust your largest baking tray with flour. Tip the dough back onto your work surface and knead again to knock out any air bubbles. Add the dried fruit and knead to incorporate into the dough. Divide the dough into 11 equal pieces. Roll each lump of dough into a smooth ball. Arrange the balls on your tray in a ring, leaving a small gap between each one. Cover loosely with a piece of cling film and leave somewhere warm to prove again for a further 1 hr or until doubled in size, the buns should be just touching.
  4. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Brush the buns with a little beaten egg. Mix the remaining flour with enough water to make a thick paste, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle, or use a sandwich bag and snip off one corner. Use the paste to pipe crosses over the buns – this is easiest if you pipe in one big circle, then put a line across the middle of each bun. Bake for 25 mins until golden and cooked through.
  5. Meanwhile, make the spiced honey butter. Put the butter, spices and honey in a bowl and beat with an electric whisk until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. When the buns are cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 mins on the baking tray. Serve the bun ring warm with the butter in the centre for spreading. The buns will keep for up to 3 days in a tin or freeze for up to 3 months.

#Garlic roast lamb with hotpot potatoes

Ingredients

• 1.8kg part-boned leg of lamb
• 5 garlic cloves, sliced
• a few rosemary sprigs
• a few thyme sprigs, plus a few extra to serve
• 50g butter
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 400g pack diced mutton or lamb shoulder, finely choppped
• 2kg large potatoes, such as King Edwards, thinly sliced
• 300g carrots, sliced at an angle
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 700ml lamb or beef stock, plus 450ml (optional)
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• steamed green beans and wilted spinach with nutmeg (optional), to serve
•   Prep: 25 mins Cook: 2 hrs, 15 mins Plus resting
  Easy
  Serves 8 
   

  Method

  1. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Cut small pockets into the skin and flesh of the lamb by piercing it with the point of a sharp knife. Stuff each pocket with a slice of garlic, using 3-4 of the cloves, and a few leaves of rosemary. Stuff some more inside the lamb, with some thyme, where the bone has come from. Put in a roasting tin, season well and cover with foil.
  2. Melt half the butter in a large frying pan. Fry the onions, stirring frequently, until softened and golden. Tip into a second large roasting tin. Cook the chopped mutton or lamb in the pan until brown. Add to the onions in the tin, and toss with the potatoes, carrots, remaining garlic and herbs (chopped), 2 tbsp of the flour and some seasoning.
  3. Pour the stock into the frying pan, then add the Worcestershire sauce and the remaining butter. When melted and boiling, pour over the potatoes, cover with foil and bake with the lamb for 1 hr.
  4. Uncover both the lamb and the hotpot, and cook for 45 mins more until the potatoes are golden and cooked all the way through. Allow the lamb to rest for 15 mins before carving. Leave the potatoes in the oven (covered if starting to brown too much) until ready to serve.
  5. Drain the fat from the lamb’s roasting tin, reserving the juices. Put the tin on the heat and stir in the remaining flour. Pour in 450ml boiling water or stock and stir until thickened to a gravy. Cut the hotpot into 8 and lift onto warmed plates. Carve the lamb into thick slices and place on top, then spoon round a little gravy. Serve with the green beans and spinach – add a little grated nutmeg to the spinach, if you like.

Britney Spears#