Kitchen Hero

SERVES 4

1 THUMB-SIZED PIECE OF FRESH ROOT GINGER, PEELED AND FINELY CHOPPED

1 RED CHILLI, DESEEDED AND FINELY CHOPPED

2 GARLIC CLOVES, PEELED AND FINELY CHOPPED

1 PORK LOIN FILLET (ABOUT 500G/1LB 2OZ), VERY THINLY SLICED

2 TBSP DARK SOY SAUCE

1 TBSP OYSTER SAUCE

1 TBSP HONEY

1 TSP FISH SAUCE (NAM PLA)

JUICE OF ½ LIME

2 CARROTS, PEELED AND FINELY SLICED

3 RED PEPPERS, FINELY SLICED

150G (5OZ) SUGAR SNAP PEAS, SLICED ON THE DIAGONAL

6 SPRING ONIONS, CUT INTO FAT SLICES ON THE DIAGONAL

1–2 TBSP SUNFLOWER OIL

FRESHLY COOKED RICE OR NOODLES, TO SERVE (OPTIONAL)

Divide the ginger, chilli and garlic evenly between two bowls.

Add the pork slices and 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce to the first bowl, tossing to combine.

Add the oyster sauce, honey, fish sauce, lime juice and remaining soy sauce to the second bowl and whisk to combine. Add the carrots, peppers, sugar snap peas and spring onions, tossing in the dressing until thoroughly coated.

Heat a little sunflower oil in a large wok or frying pan over a high heat, add the pork and the marinade and fry for 2–3 minutes until cooked through. Remove from the wok and set aside.

You may want to add another drop of oil to the pan at this point. Add the dressed vegetables and fry for 3–4 minutes until tender but with still a bit of bite to them. When the veggies are ready, throw the pork back into the wok and toss to combine.

Serve straightaway as it is or with some rice or noodles.

BAKED TRAY OF SHELLFISH WITH LEMON, CHILLI AND GARLIC

I created this simple but, let me tell you, highly impressive little dish for a romantic New Year’s Eve dinner a few years back, and it went down a storm. It does of course help if your partner loves shellfish. If you haven’t cooked shellfish before, don’t be scared to have a go, as this dish is a great way to try it for the first time, alongside the more familiar flavours of garlic, chilli and lemon. You can use any shellfish you want, so feel free to experiment and don’t panic if you can’t get them all.

SERVES 2

250G (9OZ) LIVE MUSSELS (ABOUT A HANDFUL)

250G (9OZ) LIVE CLAMS (ABOUT A HANDFUL)

4 TBSP BUTTER, SOFTENED

6 TBSP OLIVE OIL

A FEW FRESH THYME SPRIGS

4 GARLIC CLOVES, PEELED AND FINELY CHOPPED

1 RED CHILLI, FINELY CHOPPED

6 CRAB CLAWS

4 SHELLED SCALLOPS

6 LARGE RAW PRAWNS, UNPEELED

SEA SALT

JUICE OF 1 LEMON, PLUS EXTRA TO SERVE

LEMON WEDGES, TO SERVE

CHOPPED FRESH FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY, TO SERVE

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas mark 6.

Place the mussels and clams in a sink filled with cold water and scrub away any dirt or beards. Discard any shells which are open at this point and which don’t close when tapped on a hard surface.

Place the butter, olive oil, thyme, garlic and chilli on a plate and mash together with the back of a fork.

Arrange the shellfish on a large baking tray and coat with the butter mixture as well as you can. Sprinkle with a little salt and the lemon juice. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes until all the shellfish are cooked. Discard any shells that are still closed.

Serve with an extra squeeze of lemon juice, lemon wedges and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Balsamic Roast Peppers

This is one of my mum’s specialities. She is the queen of the quick dinner and, despite working full time while we were kids, she always managed to have a hot tasty meal on the table in 30 minutes, come hell or high water. ‘So you’d better bloody eat it!’

SERVES 4

110G (4OZ) FRESH WHITE BREADCRUMBS

50G (2OZ) READY-TO-USE SUN-DRIED TOMATOES, ROUGHLY CHOPPED

3 TBSP PESTO (SEE STRETCH YOUR MEALS) (#litres_trial_promo)