which is a shame. If you visit a Chinese supermarket, do look out for it.
I love my fried rice – this is the perfect dish to accompany stir-fried meat or vegetarian dishes. The earthy mushrooms are full of flavour and the tabasco gives this dish a delicious lift. If you don’t like tabasco you can leave it out or add a few finely diced spicy-sweet pickled peppers.
Egg and shiitake mushroom fried rice with tabasco
SERVES 2
2 tablespoons groundnut oil 2 eggs, lightly beaten 100g/31/2oz chestnut mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms, sliced
75g/3oz frozen green peas
200g/7oz steamed jasmine rice or cooked basmati rice
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 pinch of ground white pepper
a few splashes of tabasco sauce
1 Heat a wok over a high heat and add 1 tablespoon groundnut oil. Add the beaten eggs to the wok, stir to scramble, then remove and set aside.
2 Heat the remaining groundnut oil in the wok and add the mushrooms. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the frozen peas and stir-fry for less than 1 minute. Add the rice and mix well until the rice has broken down.
3 Return the egg to the wok and stir through, then season with soy sauce, sesame oil and a pinch of white pepper. Just before serving, season with tabasco sauce to taste.
Chilli chicken stir-fry with plenty of sauce is an easy, delicious recipe you can make at home without the use of bought-in sauces. It is chilli, tangy and sweet with plenty of heat from the ginger. Add some cooked noodles and the results are fabulous.
Chilli chicken with noodles
SERVES 2
150g/5oz dried yellow shi wheat flour noodles
groundnut oil
250g/9oz skinless chicken breast fillets, sliced
1 courgette, sliced into strips
1/2 red pepper, deseeded and sliced into strips
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 large spring onions, sliced
lengthways
FOR THE SAUCE
4 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped
2.5cm/1 inch piece of fresh root ginger, peeled, sliced and finely chopped
1 medium red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1/2 red pepper, deseeded and sliced into strips
2 tomatoes, sliced
5 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon soft light brown sugar
1 Place all the ingredients for the sauce into a blender and blitz.
2 Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain, then run them under cold running water and drain again. Drizzle with a little groundnut oil and put to one side.
3 Heat a wok over a high heat and add 1 tablespoon groundnut oil. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until it starts to turn brown. Add the courgette and red pepper and stir-fry together for 1 minute. Add the sauce and bring to the boil.
4 Add the cooked noodles and stir well to combine. Season with the soy sauce, garnish with the spring onions and serve immediately.
Ching’s tip
This sauce is equally delicious served with steamed jasmine rice.
I usually like to kick off ‘takeaway’-themed dinners at home with a nourishing bowl of ‘egg flower’ drop soup. This was one of the very first dishes my mother taught me – it’s a great way to pack all the nutrients you need into a one-pot, easy-to-make dish. I like it with plenty of spinach, too, for an extra health boost. This soup is not only good if you’re watching the waistline, but it also tastes delicious. Omit the dofu and seaweed if you are not a fan. In Taiwan, takeaway restaurants offer steaming bowls of soup like this one to accompany your meal.
‘Egg flower’ drop soup
SERVES 2
3 ripe tomatoes, sliced (see step 1)
500ml/18fl oz hot vegetable stock
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
a dash of sesame oil
1 pinch of ground white pepper
1 tablespoon cornflour blended with 2 tablespoons cold water
1–2 sheets nori (dried seaweed), shredded
200g/7oz fresh silken dofu, diced into 1.5 x 1.5cm/1/2 × 1/2 inch chunks
1 large handful of spinach
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 If you want to skin the tomatoes before slicing, cut a cross at the base of each one. Plunge them into a pan of boiling water for less than 1 minute, then drain – the skin will peel off easily. Finely chop the flesh, discarding the hard centre. However, most of the nutrients are underneath the skin so I don’t bother – also the dish is even quicker to prepare.
2 Add the tomatoes to the hot stock in the pan. Pour the whisked eggs into the broth, stirring gently. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper and blended cornflour and mix well.
3 Add the nori to the broth, followed by the dofu and heat for less than 1 minute.
4 Add the spinach and let it wilt slightly, then add the spring onions. Serve immediately.
This is my simple and healthy version of sweet and sour pork and will be unlike anything you have tasted in a Chinese restaurant. I hope it’s one you will love to cook time and time again. Instead of the crunchy batter, the crunchy roasted soya beans give texture and flavour.
Sweet and sour pork
SERVES 2
2 pork loin chops or steaks
2 tablespoons groundnut oil
light soy sauce
a dash of Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry
ground white pepper
salad leaves