Sunday, 18 March 2012

Singapore Noodles

I think I had first tried these at a restaurant in Ealing one time when I was visiting Tom. They are so tasty and I think will become a regular for us. Tom went as far as to say they are the best he's had! I used a bit more curry powder (the madras stuff from NY) and put lots of sliced fresh chillies on top. I cut them so they are round and big (not little prices throughout) because I think its nice to have spice here and there but not all throughout. We had it with both the pork and shrimp but think I would try it with chicken and shrimp next time. I read somewhere to use japanese soy sauce instead of the typical chinese so I got some of that. I don't know if it really makes a difference but I think it tastes less salty. Also all the stores were sold out of bean sprouts so I used a bag of stir fry veggies that had bean sprouts, cabbage, onion, red pepper and carrots and I think that worked out really well. The lime is a nice addition too. Highly recommend!


Singapore noodles

The perfect Friday night dish - and easily adapted for vegetarians too

Difficulty and servings

Easy
Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 250g rice vermicelli noodles
  • vegetable oil
  • 150g pork fillets , cut into strips
  • 12 raw peeled tiger prawns , fresh or frozen
  • garlic cloves , crushed
  • 2cm piece ginger , grated
  • onion , cut into thin half moons
  • red pepper , sliced
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 300g beansprouts
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 bunch fresh chives , chopped
  • eggs , beaten
  • 2 red chillies , sliced
  • limes , quartered

Preparation and cooking times

Total time
Ready in 40 mins

Method

  1. Soak the noodles following the packet instructions and drain. Heat some oil in a wok and fry the pork until it is browned and just cooked through, tip onto a plate. Add the prawns and fry until cooked. Rinse out the wok.
  2. Add a little oil to the wok and fry the garlic and ginger until light brown. Add the onion and pepper and cook until just beginning to soften, then add the spices and cook for a minute. Add the bean sprouts, noodles and about 2 tbsp water and toss everything together.
  3. Add the soy sauce, some seasoning and chives and stir for another minute. Push the noodles to one side of the wok and drop in the eggs. Cook, stirring for 1 minute then stir through the noodles.
  4. For the veggies, turn half the noodles on to a large plate. For the non-veggies, toss the pork and prawns through the rest and tip onto a separate plate. Serve both with sliced chillies sprinkled on top and lime wedges to squeeze over.

Per serving (veggie)

276 kcalories, protein 9.9g, carbohydrate 41.7g, fat 8.9 g, saturated fat 1.7g, fibre 2g, salt 2 g

Thursday, 15 March 2012

Chicken Curry

I was craving curry this week but didn't want to pay for curry take away so decided to try and make one. This recipe is so easy and tasty. I added red peppers and broccoli but you could really add any kind of veg. I used frozen spinach but think I would have preferred it with fresh. I also used Patak's madras curry paste. Its so good that even Jamie oliver uses it. The yogurt adds a nice creaminess and flavor. You'll be happy to know we both like coriander now too! We had it with a bit of pilau rice and nan bread. 
Very quick chicken curry

A super quick and tasty curry for those who love Indian spices but don't have time to spend hours in the kitchen
Ingredients
  • oil for frying
  • onion , chopped
  • 2 tbsp curry paste , such as Madras
  • tomatoes , chopped
  • 4 skinless chicken thighs or thigh fillets
  • 100g young spinach
  • 4 tbsp plain yogurt
  • a handful of coriander
  • basmati rice or naan bread, to serve

Difficulty and servings

Easy
Serves 2

Preparation and cooking times

Total time
Ready in 30 mins

Method

  1. Heat a little oil in a deep non-stick frying pan (with a lid) and add the onion. Fry for about 3 minutes until tender then stir in the curry paste and fry for a minute. Add the chicken and tomatoes and a splash of water, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Stir in the spinach until it just wilts then stir in the yoghurt and coriander. Season. Serve with rice, naan bread or a salad.

Per serving

362 kcalories, protein 43.3g, carbohydrate 14g, fat 15.1 g, saturated fat 2.9g, fibre 3.6g, salt 1.28 g