sugar snap and beansprout noodle laksa
SERVES 6 – 8 · VEGETARIAN (IF MADE WITH SOY SAUCE)
Laksa is an Southeast Asian dish consisting of noodles either in a coconut-based curry soup (as here) or in a ‘sour’ fish-based soup. The vegetables add a bit of crunch, so it’s important that they remain as fresh-tasting as possible and are not overcooked. For a completely vegetarian dish, substitute the fish sauce with soy sauce.
150g (5oz) fine rice noodles
2 red chillies, deseeded and roughly chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2.5cm (lin) piece of root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 stick of lemongrass, outer leaves removed, roughly chopped
50g (2oz) coriander, leaves and stalks torn
Juice of 1–2 limes
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 × 400ml tins of coconut milk
700ml (1¼ pints) vegetable stock (see page 326)
1–2 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla) or soy sauce
250g (9oz) sugar snap peas, halved lengthways
150g (5oz) beansprouts
8 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced at an angle
1 Place the noodles in a large bowl, pour over boiling water to cover, so that it comes up to about 2.5cm (1in) above the noodles, and leave to soak for 3–4 minutes or until soft. Drain well.
2 Meanwhile, place the chillies, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, coriander (reserving a few leaves for scattering over the dish) and juice of one of the limes in a food processor (or use a pestle and mortar) and blend to a paste. Heat the sesame oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat and fry the chilli paste for 3 minutes. Add the coconut milk, stock and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce or soy sauce. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3 Add the sugar snap peas and beansprouts and simmer for a further 2–3 minutes or until almost cooked but still a bit crunchy. Check the taste and add more lime juice or fish/soy sauce if necessary.
4 Divide the noodles between warm bowls, ladle the hot soup over and scatter the sliced spring onions and reserved coriander leaves on top.
Variation
Chicken noodle laksa: Use chicken stock rather than vegetable stock and substitute the sugar snap peas and beansprouts with 550g (1lb 3oz) thinly sliced raw chicken breast, legs or thighs, cooking for 5 rather than 3 minutes.
Broccoli, olive and Parmesan salad
SERVES 2 · VEGETARIAN
This is a really easy dish to prepare, highly nutritious and perfect for a quick lunch. It’s unusual to have broccoli in a salad of this style, but it combines beautifully with the olives and Parmesan. Serve the salad as a side dish with barbecued food or with toasted or grilled bread drizzled with olive oil, bruschetta style.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
225g (8oz) broccoli or purple sprouting broccoli, cut into florets
1–2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ lemon, for squeezing
8–10 black olives, stoned and chopped
2 tbsp grated Parmesan or Parmesan shavings
1 Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the broccoli and blanch for 3–4 minutes, so that it stays crunchy. Drain well.
2 While still warm, arrange on plates, drizzle over the olive oil and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Scatter over the olives and Parmesan, add a good twist of pepper and serve.
Summer garden salad
SERVES 4 · VEGETARIAN
A fabulously simple salad. The dressing is based on an old-fashioned recipe and is wonderful served with fresh ingredients plucked straight from the garden.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 eggs
4 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tsp soft light brown sugar
2 tbsp lime or lemon juice
1 small cucumber, finely sliced
8 small plum tomatoes, halved
Small bunch of spring onions, trimmed and sliced
15g (½oz) bunch of mint, leaves only
75g (3oz) watercress leaves, any thick stalks removed
1 Bring a saucepan of salted water to a rolling boil and carefully add the eggs, cooking them for 6–7 minutes or until semi-hard boiled. Drain and immediately cool under cold running water to stop them cooking. Peel off the shells and cut the eggs in half.
2 In the meantime, start making the dressing. Pour the olive oil into a small frying pan on a medium heat, add the garlic and fry for about 30 seconds until golden brown. Remove from the heat and leave the oil to cool completely.
3 Place the sugar and lime or lemon juice in a large bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. Scoop out two halves of egg yolk from the whites and add to the mixture, mashing them down with the back of a spoon. Roughly chop the whites and reserve for serving. Add the cooled oil and garlic, season with salt and pepper and vigorously whisk everything together to form a smooth, thick dressing. Check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.
4 Put the cucumber, tomatoes and spring onions into a large bowl and pour over the dressing. Add the mint and watercress and toss all the ingredients together.
5 Pile the salad onto plates, arrange two egg halves on top of each, scatter over the reserved chopped egg whites and serve.
Middle Eastern spiced lamb koftas with dips and spicy pittas
SERVES 4
