mee goreng (vegan or with chicken)

savory, spicy and tasty, based on Malaysian/Indonesian recipes, this is a quick dish to cook

NB the marinade can be omitted if you don't have time. Cut everything up and cook the noodles before you start

for 2

• marinade:

2tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1.5 tbsp dark soy sauce 
2 tbsp ground nut oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

• sunflower oil
• 125g extra firm tofu, drained well, cut into about 12 thin bite sized pieces
• 100g broccoli or cauliflower, sliced 
• ½ onion, cut into thin wedges
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 red chilli, thinly sliced into rings 
• 1 pak choi, sliced across
• 150g rice noodles, cooked as packet instructions
  
• additional soy sauce
• additional chilli paste or sauce, depending on taste
• coriander leaves (or flat parsley)
  
• 25g roasted cashew nuts, roughly chopped

•  (optional): 1 pre cooked roast chicken breast, sliced
  

Mix the marinade ingredients together and place the tofu and broccoli/cauliflower into it.  Leave to marinade for at least an hour.

Remove and separate the tofu and broccoli and set aside the marinade.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok and fry the tofu for 1–1½ minutes on each side, or until crisp and lightly browned, turning carefully. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper. 

Fry the broccoli/cauliflower and onion in the same pan and cook over a medium-high heat for 6–8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds more. 

Add the tofu, (chicken if used), the marinade, noodles and pak choi and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes more, or until the noodles are hot and the leaves have wilted.

Taste and add most of the chilli pepper, soy sauce and additional chilli paste to suit your taste, cook for 1–2 minutes more, stirring and tossing all the ingredients until hot. 

Scatter with the few remaining chilli pepper rings, cashew nuts and coriander leaves and serve.

tom kha gai (thai hot and sour soup with prawns)

 really delicious asian flavours in this authentic tasting recipe

For 4

• 2 limes
• 5cm piece galangal or ginger, peeled, roughly chopped (or 2 tsp prepared ginger)
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled (or 2 tsp prepared ginger)
• 2 stalks lemongrass
• small bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 1-2 shallots, peeled, quartered
• 2 medium red chilli
• 10 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 litre boiling water
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 400ml coconut milk
• 3 tbsp naam pla (fish sauce)
• 8 tiger or king prawns, shelled, de-veined
• 2-3 handfuls mushrooms: your choice, eg shiitake, enoki, but any are ok, sliced small if they are large
• 100g/3½oz soba (rice) noodles
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 0.75 l boiling water
• small handful basil leaves (thai basil if you can get it)
• small handful cress or eg alfalfa sprouts

1. Zest the limes, then squeeze and retain the juice.
   

2. Make a paste, by blending in a food processor until smooth:

• lime zest, galangal or ginger, garlic, one of the lemongrass stalks (roughly chopped), coriander, shallots, one of the chilli, roughly chopped, half the kaffir lime leaves

3. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the paste over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes.

4. Stir in the coconut milk and naam pla and throw in the other lemon grass, sliced into several pieces and the rest of the kaffir lime leaves.

5. Pour in the boiling water, and crumble in the stock cube.

6. Add the prawns, and allow them to cook in the broth for 3-4 minutes, or until the prawns have turned pink and opaque.

7. Add the mushrooms, and continue to cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

8. Meanwhile cook the soba noodles in a large pan of boiling water following pack instructions, then drain.

9. To serve, add the juice of the limes to the soup and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more lime juice if you think it needs it.

10. Divide the drained noodles between four bowls, and ladle over the soup. Garnish with basil leaves, cress, and the other chilli, finely sliced.

Vietnamese chicken noodles

light but deliciously savoury one pot meal

in the Vietnames tradition, you could serve with crusty baguette

for 2

• vegetable oil
• 1 shallot sliced
• 2 garlic cloves sliced
• 1cm piece ginger sliced
• 2 star anise
  
• 1 tsp dried cinnamon
  
• 1 tsp coriander seeds (or powdered)
  
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
  
• 1/2 tsp pink peppercorns (or black)
• 1/2 tsp flaked red chilli
  
• 1 tbsp naam pla (fish sauce)
  
• 0.75 litres good quality fresh chicken stock
• 1 large chicken breast (raw or pre-roasted)
  

• 150g rice noodles
• thinly sliced vegetables on an angle, eg
  

4 spring onions

1 carrot
1/2 leek

few mushrooms

• garnish: picked coriander leaves, mint leaves, mung bean sprouts

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan on medium heat and gently cook the shallots and garlic until caramelised and golden brown (about 4-5 mins).
2. Add the spices, fish sauce, chicken stock and (if raw) chicken breast. Cover with a lid and bring to a very gentle simmer for about 15 mins. Should reduce to about 0.5 litres.
   
3. Meanwhile, cook the noodles, following pack instructions, until just cooked through (do not over-cook). Drain and divide between (warmed) serving bowls.
4. Discard the spices by straining (if preferred). Shred the chicken. Return soup to the pot, add the chicken and bring to a boil. Season to taste with more fish sauce if needed.
5. To serve, ladle piping hot soup and chicken into bowls of noodles, and top with sliced veg and garnish. Serve with a lime wedge to squeeze over, and more fish sauce and chilli to taste.