by Tom Kerridge
4 Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large non-stick wok over a high heat until smoking. Add half the chicken, with half the Szechuan peppercorns, and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until it is browned all over and just cooked. Remove and set aside on a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken and peppercorns (but don’t use any more oil).
5 Once all the chicken is cooked and set aside on a plate, add the remaining oil to the wok and return to a high heat. When it is smoking, add the carrots, mangetout and sesame oil and stir-fry for 1 minute.
6 Add the spring onions, noodles, peanut sauce and chicken to the wok, along with a few tablespoonfuls of the reserved noodle cooking water, and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes. Add half the peanuts and mix well. Serve in warmed bowls, topped with more peanuts, cucumber julienne and a drizzle of chilli dressing.
Peanut chicken stir-fry noodles
Asian-style glazed chicken thighs
This is a great way to cook succulent chicken thighs. The sweet and sticky Asian glaze is off-set by the quickly pickled cucumber, and using ready-cooked wild rice makes this a really easy midweek supper.
Serves 4
720 calories per serving
8 skinless bone-in chicken thighs
For the Asian glaze
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
4 tbsp honey
2 tbsp sesame oil
4 garlic cloves, grated
2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, finely grated
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
For the cucumber pickle
1 cucumber, very thinly sliced
5 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1½ tbsp golden caster sugar
To serve
2 x 250g pouches ready-cooked wild rice mix
2 spring onions, finely sliced
A small handful of toasted sesame seeds
Steamed tenderstem broccoli
1 Preheat the oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7.
2 For the Asian glaze, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
3 Pour the glaze into a small oven dish, lay the chicken thighs in the dish and turn them to coat all over in the glaze. Cook on the middle shelf of the oven for 20–25 minutes (the chicken won’t be completely cooked at this stage).
4 Meanwhile, for the cucumber pickle, combine the ingredients in a small bowl and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
5 Take the dish out of the oven and spoon the glaze evenly over the chicken thighs. Return to the oven for 10–15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Meanwhile, heat up the pouches of rice mix, following the packet instructions.
6 Transfer the glazed chicken to warmed plates and scatter over the spring onions and sesame seeds. Drain the cucumber pickle and divide between the plates. Serve with the rice and tenderstem broccoli.
Asian-style glazed chicken thighs
Turkey schnitzel with green slaw
This is like a giant chicken nugget! So, if your kids only want to eat nuggets, then here is your chance to make your own. The crunchy slaw includes soured cream for a little sharpness, which works well with the richness of schnitzels. You could also try making the slaw with carrots, fennel or even thin slices of apple in place of kale and spinach.
Serves 4
555 calories per serving
4 thin turkey breast escalopes, about 120g each
2 large free-range eggs
60ml milk
150g brown breadcrumbs
30g Parmesan, finely grated
30g white sesame seeds
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
3 tbsp light olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the green slaw
½ white cabbage, finely shredded
40g kale, stems removed, finely shredded
40g spinach, finely sliced
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
4 tbsp mayonnaise
3 tbsp soured cream
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
To serve
Lemon wedges
1 Preheat the oven to 150°C/Fan 130°C/Gas 2.
2 Season both sides of the turkey escalopes with salt and pepper. In a shallow dish, lightly beat the eggs with the milk. In another dish, mix the brown breadcrumbs with the grated Parmesan, sesame seeds, chopped parsley and a little seasoning.
3 Dip the turkey breast escalopes, one at a time, into the beaten egg, then into the breadcrumb mixture to coat all over.
4 To make the slaw, toss the cabbage, kale, spinach and chopped parsley together in a large bowl. For the dressing, mix the mayonnaise, soured cream, mustard and wine vinegar together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, then add to the shredded veg and toss to mix; set aside.
5 Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. When it is hot, add two of the escalopes and fry for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden. Remove and drain on kitchen paper, then transfer to a baking tray and place in the oven to keep warm. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in the pan and cook the other escalopes in the same way.
6 Serve the turkey schnitzel straight away, with the green slaw and lemon wedges to squeeze over.
Turkey schnitzel with green slaw
Five-spiced duck salad
The punchy Asian flavours in this fresh-tasting salad cut through the richness of the duck. Cooking duck breasts is quite different from cooking chicken breasts, as they have a layer of fat, which you want to render out slowly so the skin crisps up nicely. You could use chicken breasts instead of duck here, but be careful not to overcook them as they are lean and can easily dry out.
Serves 4
435 calories per serving
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
4 duck breasts, skin on
For the salad
100g watercress, any tough stems removed
2 Little Gem lettuces, trimmed, leaves separated
½ cucumber, halved and sliced on an angle
12 radishes, thinly sliced
1 long red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
2 handfuls of beansprouts
4 ripe plums or peaches, stoned and cut into slim wedges
For the dressing
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp runny honey
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp light olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil
Juice of ½ lime
To finish
Mint and coriander leaves
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6.
2 Mix the salt and Chinese five-spice powder together in a small bowl. Pat the duck skin dry with kitchen paper, then score with a sharp knife and rub with the spiced salt.
3 Place the duck breasts skin side down in a large ovenproof frying pan, then place the cold pan over a medium-low heat. Cook for 10–15 minutes, or until the skin is golden and crisp. Spoon away some of the fat that is released.
4 Meanwhile, for the salad, mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.
5 For the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.
6 Once the duck skin is golden brown and crisp, transfer the pan to the oven for 3–4 minutes to finish the cooking. Remove the duck from the pan and set aside to rest on a warm plate while you dress the salad with the dressing.
7 Divide the salad between serving plates and scatter with mint and coriander leaves. Carve the duck into thick slices and lay on top of the salad. Serve at once.
Five-spiced duck salad
Crispy beef and pak choi noodles
Ginger and beef is one of my favourite flavour pairings and I love it in this healthier spin on the popular takeaway ‘crispy beef’. Pak choi has an amazing crunchy texture, which adds freshness, while the pickled radishes introduce a gentle acidity
to balance this colourful noodle dish.
Serves 4
710 calories per serving
For the crispy beef
400g beef topside, thinly sliced into strips
½ tsp Szechuan peppercorns, crushed
2 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil
6 tbsp cornflour
For the quick pickled radish
16 radishes, thinly sliced
2 tsp golden caster sugar
4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
For the stir-fry
5cm piece of fresh ginger, julienned
3 garlic cloves, sliced
4 spring onions, cut into 2.5cm lengths
2 long red chillies, sliced on an angle
½ tsp Szechuan peppercorns, lightly crushed
700g pak choi, leaves and stems separated, both roughly chopped
600g straight-to-wok egg noodles
4 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
3 tbsp water
100g shelled edamame beans
150g beansprouts
To finish
1 tbsp black sesame seeds
1 In a bowl, toss the beef strips with the Szechuan pepper and soy sauce and leave to marinate for 10 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, for the pickle, put the sliced radishes into a bowl with the sugar and rice wine vinegar. Mix well and set aside.
3 Heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable or groundnut oil in a large wok over a high heat until the oil is smoking. Add the cornflour to the beef and toss to mix.
4 Add one-third of the beef to the wok and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate. Repeat with the rest of the beef, using the remaining oil, transferring each batch to the plate once it is cooked.
5 Add the ginger and garlic to the oil left in the wok (from cooking the beef) and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the spring onions, red chillies, Szechuan pepper and pak choi stems and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes.
6 Add the egg noodles to the wok with the Shaoxing wine, both soy sauces, sesame oil and water. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes and then add the pak choi leaves, edamame beans and beansprouts. Stir-fry for another 2 minutes until everything is cooked.
7 Serve in warmed bowls, topped with the crispy beef, pickled radishes and sesame seeds.
Crispy beef and pak choi noodles
Rib-eye with broccoli and salsa verde
Cooking steak can feel daunting but at some point you just have to jump off and give it a go! With the griddled broccoli and amazing herby flavours from the salsa verde, this is a lovely, hearty summertime meal – and you definitely won’t miss the chips!
Serves 2
1085 calories per serving
2 rib-eye steaks, about 200g each
300g new potatoes, halved
1 tbsp vegetable oil
150g tenderstem broccoli
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salsa verde
1 long green chilli
1 small garlic clove, peeled
A large handful of parsley leaves
A large handful of basil leaves
A large handful of sage leaves
A large handful of oregano leaves
½ shallot, roughly chopped
½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
4 salted anchovy fillets
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
80ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 Take the steaks out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to bring them to room temperature.
2 Place the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10–12 minutes or until tender. Drain and keep warm.
3 Meanwhile, heat a large griddle pan over a high heat. Drizzle the steaks, along with the chilli and garlic for the salsa verde, with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Place them all on the hot griddle.
4 Cook the steaks for about 2 minutes on each side for medium-rare steak (allow an extra minute or two if you like it more well done). The chilli and garlic will take around the same time.
5 Transfer the steaks to a plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for a few minutes. Remove the seeds from the chilli, then roughly chop the chilli and garlic.
6 While the steaks are resting, lay the tenderstem broccoli on the griddle and cook for 3–5 minutes, turning frequently, until tender and lightly charred.
7 Meanwhile, put all the ingredients for the salsa verde, including the chopped garlic and chilli, in a food processor. Pulse to a chunky salsa, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
8 Slice the steaks and place on warmed plates with the potatoes and broccoli. Spoon on the salsa verde, making sure you cover the potatoes. Serve at once, with a salad on the side if you like.
Rib-eye with broccoli and salsa verde
Spiced lamb cutlets with Bombay aloo
Lamb cutlets are perfect for a week-night supper as they cook in no time, and they work really well with this gently spiced marinade. The Bombay aloo is a flexible side dish that is also good cold, as a twist on a classic potato salad.
Serves 4
645 calories per serving
675 calories with minted yoghurt
12 lamb cutlets
2 tbsp garam masala
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Bombay aloo
500g new potatoes
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chilli powder
400g tin chopped tomatoes
250ml water
A handful of coriander, finely chopped
For the minted yoghurt (optional)
A handful of mint leaves
150g Greek yoghurt (0% fat)
1 For the aloo, add the potatoes to a pan of boiling salted water and cook for 12–15 minutes, until tender.
2 Meanwhile, season the lamb cutlets with salt and pepper and place them in a bowl. Add the garam masala, lemon juice and oil, turn the cutlets to coat in the spicy mix and set aside to marinate.
3 Drain the potatoes, halve them and set aside. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5–10 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Lower the heat, sprinkle in the spices and stir for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes and 150ml of the water. Bring to a simmer, add some salt and pepper and simmer gently for 10–15 minutes until slightly thickened.
4 Meanwhile, heat a griddle over a medium-high heat. When hot, cook the lamb cutlets on the griddle in 2 or 3 batches for 3–4 minutes on each side, depending on their thickness. Remove to a warm plate and leave to rest under foil for a few minutes.
5 Meanwhile, for the minted yoghurt, if serving, blitz the mint and yoghurt in a small food processor until smooth. Season to taste with salt.
6 Add the potatoes to the tomato sauce along with the remaining 100ml water. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir through the coriander and taste to check the seasoning. Serve the lamb cutlets with the Bombay aloo, and minted yoghurt if serving.
Spiced lamb cutlets with Bombay aloo
Pork chops with peperonata
Everyone loves a pork chop and the peperonata served alongside brings a real freshness of flavour. It’s also an easy way of helping you reach your five-a-day.
Serves 4
740 calories per serving
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 peppers (mixed colours), cored, deseeded and cut into 1cm thick strips
4 thick bone-in, skin-on por
k chops, about 250g each
½ tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp paprika
2 large ripe tomatoes, diced
200ml water
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
300g green beans, steamed, to serve
1 Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick sauté pan (one with a lid) over a medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until starting to soften. Add the garlic and peppers, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2 Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat and add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Stand the chops in the pan, with the skin edge down, and fry for 5–8 minutes, or until the skin crackles and is crispy (use tongs to hold them if necessary).
3 Add the tomato purée to the peppers and onions and cook for 2–3 minutes, then stir in the paprika and cook for 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes and pour in the water. Cook, uncovered, for 15–20 minutes, until the peppers are softened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4 Once the skin has crisped, cook the pork chops for about 3–4 minutes on each side. Transfer the chops to a warmed plate to rest for a few minutes.
5 Serve the pork chops with the peperonata and steamed green beans.
Pork chops with peperonata
Chorizo and broccoli stalk pasta
Don’t throw away the stalks when you trim broccoli heads. The stalks are also full of flavour and have a satisfying crunch, so just cut off the really woody bits right at the end. Avoiding waste is satisfying, and makes for a cost-effective recipe.
Serves 4
555 calories per serving
500g dried orecchiette (or penne or fusilli) pasta
