My Virgin Kitchen: Delicious recipes you can make every day

2. Put the mirin, soy, sugar, garlic and ginger into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat and cook until thickened and sauce-like, about 5 minutes.

3. Put the pork tenderloin into an oven dish that will hold it snugly and drizzle the sauce over the top and down the sides. Cook in the oven for 40 minutes, basting two or three times during cooking.

4. While the pork is cooking, prepare the rice. Beat the egg and 1 teaspoon of the soy sauce together. Heat half the sesame oil in a wok and scramble the egg until just cooked. Remove from the pan and put to one side. Heat the remaining oil in the wok over medium-high heat and stir-fry the pak choy for 3–4 minutes until it starts to brown but retains some crispness. Tip the spring onions and rice into the pan, toss and stir then return the egg to the pan. Toss everything together with the remaining soy sauce.

5. Once the pork is cooked, remove from the oven and cut into thick slices. Serve with the egg-fried rice, drizzled with the sauce from the pan.

VIRGIN TIP

Check the pork is cooked through by cutting into the thickest part and making sure there’s no pink remaining.

CHORIZO & SPINACH SCRAMBLED EGG BAGELS (#ulink_23820e52-5265-53da-a206-e73964429810)

A delicious mouthful of tangy chorizo alongside spring-oniony scrambled eggs and spinach is a great way to start the day. The ingredients are minimal and it’s all made in a flash, so it’s a really good filler to get you going in the morning, but also works well for lunch or in the evening. A proper no-hassle recipe.

READY IN 10 MINUTES

SERVES 4

8 eggs

splash of milk

4 spring onions, sliced

4 bagels

200g cooking chorizo, diced

knob of butter, plus extra for spreading

4 large handfuls of baby spinach

salt and pepper

1. Beat the eggs and milk together in a bowl, season with salt and pepper then stir in the spring onions.

2. Preheat the grill while you slice the bagels in half. Put the bagels under the grill and toast the cut side.

3. Meanwhile, place a frying pan over a medium-high heat and cook the chorizo until it’s browned and crisp. Turn off the heat and tip away the excess fat but keep the chorizo in the pan.

4. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low-medium heat, tip in the eggs and stir. While the eggs are scrambling, put the spinach in with the warm chorizo, return to a medium heat and toss. Let the spinach wilt while you butter the bagels and stir the scrambled eggs. The eggs should be only just set.

5. Put the buttered bagels on plates, top with the chorizo and spinach then spoon the scrambled eggs on top.

VIRGIN TIP

This meal is super-quick but everything happens at once so you need to be organised and have everything laid out ready at the start. Keep an eye on the bagels as you do not want them to burn (you could also toast them in your toaster).

LAMB KEBABS WITH SESAME FLATBREAD (#ulink_af0ca229-ab99-50d2-a479-da0cc4d74158)

I love the ease of this recipe; I think that’s what makes me feel good about it. That pleasing comfort of knowing that you’ve got a sneaky recipe up your sleeve to rely on. Marinated lamb with a quick fix accompaniment alongside (a sort of food hack really) using ready made flatbreads/chapatti but just taking them up a notch with mustard and sesame seeds – winner!

READY IN 30 MINUTES, PLUS MARINATING TIME

SERVES 4

90ml tikka masala curry paste

300ml natural yoghurt

1 lime, zested

6–8 sprigs of coriander, leaves and stalks roughly chopped

700g lamb leg, cut into bite-size chunks

mixed salad leaves, to serve

FOR THE BREAD

2 tsp black mustard seeds

2 tsp sesame seeds

40g butter

8 paratha, chapatti or flatbreads

1. Mix together the curry paste, yoghurt, lime zest (save the lime for squeezing later) and the coriander. Add the lamb pieces to the bowl and stir so everything is coated. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

2. When you are ready to cook, prepare the butter for the flatbreads. Heat the black mustard and sesame seeds in a small dry frying pan over a medium heat. When they pop and become fragrant remove from the heat and add the butter to the pan. Allow it to melt and combine with the seeds.

3. Thread the marinated lamb on to 8 skewers while you preheat a griddle pan or grill – or even a barbecue. Cook for 2–3 minutes on all sides until they are browned on the outside and slightly pink in the centre.

4. While the kebabs are cooking, put a large frying pan over a low heat and warm the flatbreads through, one at a time. Once each is warmed, brush with the seedy butter and keep warm in a low oven.

5. Serve the kebabs and flatbreads with the salad leaves and a squeeze of lime juice.

VIRGIN TIP

If you are using wooden skewers soak them in water for about 30 minutes before using; if you forget, wrap a little foil around the exposed skewer to prevent it burning.

LAMB & GINGER POTSTICKER DUMPLINGS (#ulink_6c6a0360-5aaf-5f17-98f2-9dfa2ddb14f5)

I’ve tried dumplings a couple of times in my life, but only in various Asian restaurants over here – obviously the dream has to be to head out to Asia and try some in situ. The last dumplings I had were a delicious lamb and ginger combination that I’ve replicated here as a starter with a little tweaked plum sauce. I think you’ll love them – enjoy!

READY IN 25 MINUTES