Month: Jun 2024

Chicken wonton meatballs

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

A delectable naked wonton for when simplicity is more important than authenticity. A perfect addition to soups, noodles, egg-fried rice. If you’re feeling extra, eat them banh mi-style in a baguette with spicy mayo, pickled carrot, cucumber ribbons and fresh coriander. Or just have them plain in a lunchbox next to some sugar snap peas and sweet chilli sauce for dipping.

  • 400g minced chicken
  • 4 spring onions, roughly chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped
  • Small handful fresh coriander
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 3 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 egg
  • Veg oil
  1. With a hand blender or small food processor, puree the spring onions, garlic, ginger and coriander with athe soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar and white pepper
  2. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg and then add the aromatic puree you’ve just created, plus the chicken mince and cornflour
  3. Mix well. The texture is very odd, but trust the process
  4. Leave to stand for 15 mins to firm up a bit
  5. Heat a large frying pan with a swirl of veg oil and use a spoon to plop meatballs/mini-burgers into the pan
  6. Cook for a few mins on each side until golden and cooked through

Oh oh, you could also join the very trendy trend on tiktok and have this as a SMASH TACO (because I know about these things due to being Very Young and Hip of course). If you want to do this, it is delicious as well as being fashionable. Just follow all the steps up to #4 and then press the mixture in a thin-ish layer onto small soft tacos. And then press a coating of sesame seeds onto the top of the chicken (being careful not to contaminate your entire stock of sesame seeds with your chickeny hands). Cook them face-down in a large frying pan in a smidge of oil, and when brown flip them over and toast face-up briefly. Top with an artful drizzle of sriracha mayo, shredded lettuce, fresh coriander and fold in half to eat by the glow of your ring light.

Hot honey

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

Addictively spicy and sweet, this is gorgeous drizzled over cheese, preserved meat, grilled chicken. Or in fact just Greek yoghurt. Makes half a jar

  • 200g honey
  • 3 big red chillis
  • 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
  1. Put all the ingredients into a small saucepan
  2. Slowly bring to the boil – don’t let it erupt all over the stove – and simmer for 3 mins
  3. Pour into a jar, stick the lid on and leave it to cool
  4. Keep it in the fridge and use it on everything

After a week or so you can strain out the bits if you like. Or just leave them in for extra spiciness!

Chorizo broccoli pasta

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Inspired by James Acaster’s love of chorizo broccoli pasta and tweaked from Tom Kerridge’s recipe by the same name, this is the perfect weeknight supper. Flavour-heavy and difficulty-light. Feeds 2 hungry people

  • 250g pasta shapes
  • 1 tsp veg oil
  • 200g cooking chorizo, diced
  • 200g long stem broc, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped but not deseeded
  • 3 tsp capers, roughly chopped
  • 30g parmesan, grated
  • Handful parsley, chopped
  • Zest of ½ lemon
  1. Boil pasta in plenty of salted boiling water for as long as it needs
  2. While it cooks, heat oil in deep frying pan over medium heat and fry the chorizo until it starts to get crispy
  3. Add garlic and stir until fragrant
  4. Then add broccoli, chilli and capers, plus a splash of pasta water for the steam, and cook for 5 mins or so until broccoli is just tender
  5. Drain the pasta, retaining 250ml pasta water. Add the cooked pasta and about two thirds of the saved pasta water
  6. Stir together vigorously, add the parmesan and continue to stir until it emulsifies into a glossy orange sauce
  7. Season with lemon zest, plenty of black pepper and salt to taste (remembering that the chorizo, cheese and capers are already salty)
  8. Serve immediately, topped with the chopped parsley and more parmesan if you like

Banana oat muffins

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Perfectly soft and springy, moist and banana-y, not too sweet. The perfect breakfast!

  • 180g plain flour, plus extra for sprinkling
  • 80g rolled oats
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp ground flax seed
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 180ml milk
  • 80ml veg oil
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 ripe bananas, mashed
  1. Pre-heat oven to 190C fan (200C) and line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners
  2. Combine flour, oats, flax seed, sugar, baking powder, bicarb and salt in a medium bowl
  3. In a separate, larger bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, oil and vanilla, then stir in mashed bananas
  4. Add in the flour mixture and stir until just combined
  5. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cases, filling three quarters full. Sprinkle with some extra oats on each one
  6. Bake for 18-20 mins until golden and springy. Cool on a rack and then store in an airtight container