Author: Sophie

Pad thai chicken

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So quick, so noodlycrunchyfreshtangysweetsavoury, so so tasty! Feeds 2

  • 250g wide rice noodles
  • 50ml tamarind paste
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 spring onions, sliced lengthways and cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 1 chicken breast, sliced into very thin pieces
  • 1 carrot, cut into 2 inch lengths and julienned
  • 100g crispy tofu pieces
  • Handful of beansprouts
  • Large handful roasted unsalted peanuts, crushed into coarse meal/small pieces
  • Fresh coriander, chopped
  • Couple of lime wedges

Word to the wise – do ALL your prep beforehand because this one moves fast once you start!

  1. Cook the noodles for 2 mins less than the packet says and then drain, rinse in cold water and leave them submerged in cold water until you need them (or soak them in cold water for an hour – I am never this organised)
  2. Combine the tamarind, water, fish sauce, sugar and lime juice
  3. Heat 1 tbsp veg oil in a wok, swirl it round and add the egg. Cook without breaking up for a couple of mins, then flip it for a moment and tip it out of the wok. Cut it into small pieces
  4. Re-heat the wok scorching hot, add the other 1 tbsp oil. Add the garlic and spring onions, stir together briefly
  5. Add the chicken and stir cook for 1 min. Then add the tofu pieces and julienned carrot, stir cooking for 2 mins more
  6. Turn the heat down to medium, add the drained noodles and stir in, then pour in the tamarind sauce
  7. Continue to cook and stir until the noodles are soft and the sauce has mostly been absorbed
  8. Stir through the bean sprouts and half the crushed peanuts
  9. Serve immediately in 2 big bowls, topped with fresh coriander, the rest of the crushed peanuts and a lime wedge on the side. Tuck. In.

Sloppy joe

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Super-gross name, but nonetheless delicious. In the US, you put this super-savoury mince inside a burger bun. But why stop there? Load it onto jacket potatoes, or use it as a topping for pasta or rice. Just choose your carb and add this to it! Long list of ingredients, but short list of instructions. Happy days

  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 green pepper, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 250g minced beef
  • ½ beef stock cube
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 200g passata
  • 250g cooked lentils (I like beluga or puy lentils because I’m fancy AF, but anything will do really)
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 3 shakes worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp cider vinegar
  • ½ tsp cayenne
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp sage
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Heat the veg oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat
  2. Add the onion, green pepper and garlic and cook, stirring now and again, until soft
  3. Turn the heat up and add the minced beef, break it up in the pan while you stir it until it’s brown
  4. Add the beef stock and tomato puree and continue to cook until everything is deeply bronze and starting to get sticky
  5. Pour in the passata, lentils and all the rest of the ingredients. Add about 200ml water, stir it all together and bring to a bubble
  6. Simmer over a low heat for 30-40 mins, stirring occasionally. And then you’re done. Use it as you please.

Satay chicken

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It’s the chicken that matches this sauce! Also just eat it on its own because it’s ridiculously delicious.

  • 1.5kg chicken thighs, cut into small pieces
  • 3 tbsp veg oil
  • 3 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 tsp turmeric
  • 1½ tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 3 tbsp light brown sugar
  1. Whizz together the marinade ingredients (everything but the chicken)
  2. Pour the marinade over the chicken pieces, mix well and leave in the fridge for at least 6 hours
  3. Thread onto bamboo skewers and grill on high until cooked through and just starting to catch around the edges
  4. Serve with delicious nutty satay sauce, sticky rice and a pineapple and cucumber salad

Miso butter roasted carrot pasta

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Silky, savoury and bright orange, this is just the thing when you want a comforting pile of pasta but you aren’t feeling like tomato- or cheese-based sauce (I know, when does that ever happen?!) This is really good though, especially if you can get carrots with the leaves still on and make carrot-top pesto too!

  • 500g carrots
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp salted butter
  • 2 tsp white miso
  • 3 cloves confit garlic
  • Freshly grated parmesan
  • Toasted flaked almonds
  • Carrot-top pesto (whizz up chopped carrot leaves, parsley, olive oil, confit garlic, parmesan, almonds, a pinch of salt)
  1. Slice the carrots, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper
  2. Roast until soft and brown round the edges (oven at 180 for 40 mins or air fryer on roast for 20)
  3. When the carrots have about 10 mins left, cook the pasta in salted boiling water
  4. Tip the carrots into a bowl or blender jug and use a hand blender to puree with 200ml of past water, plus the butter, miso, garlic. Stir in more water if you’d like a looser texture
  5. Stir the silky orange sauce through the pasta and serve topped with drifts of grated parmesan, toasty flaked almonds and spots of the bright, herby carrot-top pesto

Scissor-cut noodles

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Chewy, slippery noodle/dumpling convergence, this is the spicy cousin of spätzle – and arguably even easier to make. Just trust me, you should cook this. Feeds 2

  • 240g plain flour 
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 125ml lukewarm water 
  • 2 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes 
  • ½ tsp five spice powder
  • ½ tsp ground szechuan pepper 
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds
  • 3 tbsp veg oil
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp black rice vinegar
  1. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Pour in the water gradually and use a spoon then your hands to combine
  2. Knead for 5-7 mins until it’s smooth and stretchy, then place back in the bowl and cover. Leave to rest for 20 mins
  3. While the dough is resting, make the sauce. Put the spring onion, garlic, chilli flakes, five spice, szechuan pepper and sesame seeds in a small heatproof bowl
  4. Heat the veg oil until it shimmers and pour it over the aromatics and spices. Delightedly watch it bubble, and then mix it through
  5. Add soy sauce, sugar and vinegar. Mix well and divide between 2 deep bowls
  6. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and hold the dough in one hand and the scissors in the other. Over the pot, use the scissors to slice off thin, roughly 1-inch long strips of noodles off the dough and allow them to fall into the water
  7. Once you’ve snipped in all the dough, boil for a further 2 mins or so until all of the noodumplings are cooked. 
  8. Drain and transfer to the 2 bowls, stir through the seasoning oil
  9. Serve topped with steamed greens, grilled chicken or tofu, fresh coriander and toasted sesame seeds

Oat biscuits

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Like a hobnob and a ginger nut had a delicious, crunchy, butterscotchy baby. Makes 16 or so, depending on the size

  • 175g oats
  • 100g unsalted butter, softened
  • 100g soft light brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp golden syrup
  • 1 heaped tsp ground ginger
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan and line a baking tray
  2. Use a food processor to grind the oats to a coarse flour
  3. Put the butter, sugar and syrup into a bowl and beat until well combined
  4. In another bowl, mix together the ground oats, baking powder, ginger and salt
  5. Stir the oat flour mixture into the butter mixture until completely combined
  6. Pinch off pieces to form balls around the diameter of a 50p
  7. Place on the lined baking try, well spaced out, and lightly press down on the top to flatten
  8. Bake for about 15 mins until golden brown then remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool

Ramen soup base

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The ultimate quick weeknight soup for noodles

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp peanut butter
  • 2 tbsp chilli oil
  • 1 stock cube of your choice
  • 1 tsp mirin
  • 1 tsp sugar
  1. Combine ingredients and decant into the bottom of two bowls
  2. Add about 400ml boiling water and stir together
  3. Add cooked noodles
  4. Top with all the toppings – try rare steak, blanched mange tout, soft boiled egg, coriander, chopped spring onion

Lentil salad

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Boring name for an excellently punchy, hearty salad for a weekday evening supper. Also the perfect way to use up bits and bobs in the back of the fridge. Feel free to improvise around a theme!

  • 1 pouch beluga lentils or puy lentilas
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 red onion, cut into eighths
  • 2 large tomatoes, cut into chunks
  • 3 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
  • Handful of fresh parsley and mint, chopped
  • 100g feta, crumbled
  • Handful of pumpkin seeds, toasted in a dry pan until they puff up
  • Red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Grill, bake or airfry the whole red pepper at high heat until blackened. Then peel the skin off, de-seed and slice into chunky squares
  2. Do the same with the onions, tossed with a smigden of oil and salt
  3. Then mix everything together and dress with oil and vinegar

One pot Hainanese chicken rice

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Manages to be the most delicately delicious and comforting meal, whilst also being a super-simple weeknight dinner. Not authentic, but well worth eating anyway. Feeds 4

  • 350g basmati rice, washed
  • 600ml boiling water mixed with 1 chicken stock cube, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 0.5 tbsp turmeric, 1 tbsp sesame oil and a pinch white pepper
  • 4 spring onions, trimmed and lightly squished
  • 6 slices ginger
  • 4 garlic cloves, squished with the side of your knife
  • 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and squished with the side of your knife
  • 8 small chicken thighs
  1. Put a large saucepan or deep frying pan with a lid over a high heat
  2. Brown the chicken thighs in a little oil briefly over high heat. Then remove from the pann
  3. Add the rice, stock, spring onions, ginger, garlic and lemongrass
  4. Stir together, bring to the boil and place the chicken thighs on top
  5. Pop the lid on and turn down to a simmer
  6. Cook for 20 mins, then leave off the heat with the lid on to steam for a further 10 mins
  7. Remove all the bits from the rice and slice the chicken
  8. Serve the rice and sliced chicken with some sliced cucumber and dipping sauces – this could include chilli vinegar sauce, a sweetened soy sauce (like kecap manis) and a dip made of finely minced coriander, spring onion and ginger with a couple of tbsp hot oil poured over

Firecracker baby corn

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Sweet, tasty – and spicy enough to knock your socks off

  • 400g baby corn, cut into chunky pieces
  • 1 tbsp veg oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 inch ginger, peeled and minced
  • 3 spring onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 birdseye chillis, finely chopped
  • 3 dried chillis
  • 60ml sweet chilli sauce
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  1. Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the corns for 3 mins, then drain
  2. Heat veg oil in wok over the highest heat, add the garlic, ginger, spring onion, chilli and dried chillis
  3. Stir fry for 1 min, then add the parcooked baby corn and cook for another 2 mins
  4. Turn the heat down to medium, add the sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce and rice vinegar, plus 2 tbsp water. Stir and cook for 1-2 mins until glossy and coated

Serve with rice, alongside poached chicken, pork belly, crispy tofu or toasted cashew nuts