Search
Random Recipe
Hazel Nuts as “Water Chestnuts” - Well why not give it a go?
We have a large Hazel bust nearby and on Squirrels to pinch them, so at this time of year we have quite a good supply of very big nuts. They are the size of a small Conker this year. Apparently nuts have a demographic status in Chinese Cuisine….”Peanuts = Everyman - Hazel Nuts = Middle class and thriving - Walnuts = Elite and above”. So with the idea of using Hazel Nuts as a local and free alternative to Water Chestnuts we set about pottering yesterday.
Ingredients:-
A large bowl of foraged Hazel Nuts
A hammer or Nut cracker (I used a hammer on the kitchen floor!!!!)
Bicarbonate of Soda.
Method:-
(1) Preheat the oven to 250c.
(2) Lay the nuts on an oven proof tray in a single layer.
(3) Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Those which explode are the ones with no actual nut inside. Which saves you smacking them later!
(4) Remove the tray and cool enough to be able to handle the roasted nuts.
(5) Crack open and remove the roasted nuts and bin the shells.
(6) Boil a small pan of water with 2 table spoon of Bicarbonate of Soda and simmer the nuts for 10 minutes. Interestingly the water turns a dark purple…..
(7) Drain and cool.
(8) Once cool enough to handle the brown coating will rub away with ease.
Your roasted and cleaned nuts are now good to add at the beginning of a Chinese style stir-fry just after the Onions and Garlic. You can then set them aside and re-add at the end. They really do add a great flavour and crunchy texture.
On Facebook
- Details
- Written by Tony Carson
- Category: Recipes
“Chow mein, in English, means fried noodles, whereas lo mein translates to stirred or tossed noodles. So essentially, it's the way the noodles are prepared that makes them different, as the noodles in both dishes are made from wheat flour and eggs, which is similar to the ingredients of Italian pasta.” - Well that works for us as we used Gluten free Spaghetti!!!!
Also Chicken Breasts are 69p for 2 at Home Bargains at the moment…..
Marinade Ingredients:-
2 Chicken Breasts, cut into strips
2 Tsp of Soy Sauce (Gluten free for us)
2 Tsp Shaoxing Wine
1 Tsp of Sesame Oil
½ Tsp of Ground White Pepper
½ Tsp of Salt
Noodle Ingredients:-
Noodles or in our case Gluten free Spaghetti
1 Tbsp of Sesame Oil
Sauce Ingredients:-
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
50g of Mangetout, finely sliced
4 Tsp of Soy Sauce (Gluten free here)
1 Tbsp Shaoxing Wine
½ Tsp of White Pepper
1 Tsp Castor Sugar
2 Spring Onions, finely sliced
½ a Red Pepper, finely sliced
A handful of Bean Sprouts
1 Tsp of Chinese Five Spice
Oil to Fry
Salt & Pepper to season
Method:-
(1) Combine the Chicken with the marinade and leave for a least 20 minutes.
(2) Heat a Wok or large frying pan and add the Oil.
(3) Cook the Chicken for 2 minutes over a high heat and then transfer to a plate.
(4) Add a little more Oil then add the Shallots, Garlic, Mangetout and Peppers.
(5) Boil the Noodles ( Gluten free Spaghetti!!!! - If you’re that way inclined!) until al détente, rinse in cold water and add the Sesame Oil. Set aside.
(6) To the Wok / frying pan add the Soy Sauce, Shaoxing Wine, Pepper and Sugar.
(7) Return the Chicken to the Wog / frying pan and stir everything together.
(8) Add the Spring Onions and Bean Sprouts.
(9) Simmer until everything is heated through.
(10) Stir in the Noodles ( Spaghetti ) and add a drizzle of Sesame Oil so the Noodles don’t stick together.
This dish doesn’t need anything else, no garnish, no sides. It’s a bit of a ‘Ronseal’ gig. Enjoy…..
- Details
- Written by Tony Carson
- Category: Recipes
The Pork was from the ½ price British Pork promotion in a local supermarket. It was actually a Loin cut but I removed the rind and cut it into very thin strips. It worked!
Ingredients:-
500g of Pork Loin, sliced
3 Tbsp of Soy Sauce, (Gluten free for us)
1 Tbsp of Sesame Oil
2 Tsp of Chinese Five Spice
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp of Ginger, minced
2 Tbsp of Honey
1 Red Pepper, sliced
1 Pac Choy, cut into quarters
A handful of Bean Sprouts
A handful of Mangetout, sliced
1 Shallot, finely diced
Oil to Fry
Method:-
(1) Place the Pork in a bowl with the Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, Five Spice, Garlic, Ginger and Honey.
(2) Mix together and let it sit for 10 minutes.
(3) Over a medium heat fry the Pork until it is almost cooked.
(4) In a separate pan heat Oil and stir fry the Peppers & Mangetout.
(5) Add a splash of Water.
(6) Add the Pac Choy and cook for a further minute.
(7) Stir in the Bean Sprouts.
(8) Add the Pork and stir in.
(9) Stir until the Pork is fully cooked.
(10) T serve drizzle with a little more Soy Sauce and garnish with Sesame Seeds.
We served ours over Rice Noodles. But it would work equally well over boiled Rice.
- Details
- Written by Tony Carson
- Category: Recipes
These King Prawns are on a 2 for 1 offer at the moment for £2.95. Two bags was maybe a bit extravagant, but they were good!
Ingredients:-
Pre-cooked King Prawns
1 Tsp of Sesame Oil
3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
2 Tsp of fresh Ginger, minced
1 Tsp of Chilli Flakes
125ml of Water
2 Tbsp of Chilli Sauce
2 Tsp of Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp of Sugar
1 Tbsp of Rive Wine Vinegar
1 Shallot, finely diced
Oil to fry
To garnish:-
Chopped Chilli
Spring Onion, sliced
Sesame Seeds
Method:-
(1) Fry the Shallots, Garlic and Ginger until softened
(2) Add the Water, Chilli Sauce, Soy Sauce, Rice Wine Vinegar, Sesame Oil and Chilli Flakes.
(3) Simmer for two minutes.
(4) Add the Sugar and simmer until the sauce thickens.
(5) Add the King Prawns and simmer until they are heated through.
We served ours over boiled Rice with a little home made Kimchi and Pac Choy to add a bit of colour.
- Details
- Written by Tony Carson
- Category: Recipes
This was actually a Sirloin Steak which I cut the Paddywhack from. Old butchery skills, but nobody wants that bit of gristle in their salad! It cost £3.49, but we had everything else in store which had been budgeted for in other recipes. So I declare this little summery feast “In Budget”. Carrying forward left-overs isn’t really cheating. It’s part of the way we minimize waste and choose what we’ll eat on a daily basis.
Ingredients:-
Dressing:-
2 Birds Eye Chillies, finely diced
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp of Coriander stems, finely chopped
2 Tsp of Sugar
2 Tbsp of Fish Sauce
3 Tbsp of Lime Juice
1 Tsp of Sesame Oil
1 Lemon Grass, finely chopped
Salt
Steak:-
A Sirloin Steak, with the tough bit of sinew cut off ( Paddywhack as we called it in the butchers)
1 Tbsp of Oil to fry
Salt and fresh ground Pepper to season
Salad:-
Mixed Lettuce Leaves
8 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
1 Red Onion, finely sliced
1/2 A Cucumber, cut lengthways and rolled
A Handful of Coriander leaved, chopped
A Handful of Mint leaves, chopped
To Garnish:-
A handful of Peanuts, chopped
Chopped Mint & Coriander leaves
1 Shallot, finely sliced and fried until crispy
Method:-
(1) Blend the Coriander stems, Chilli, Garlic Salt and Lemongrass until you have a smooth paste. We actually used our Pestle and Mortar .
(2) Set aside.
(3) Oil and Season the Steak and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
(4) Fry over a high heat until seared on both sides, but still pink in the middle.
(5) Set aside to rest.
(6) Combine the salad ingredients and add to bowls.
(7) To the paste (1 above) add the Sugar, Fish Sauce, Lime Juice and Sesame Oil. Mix will.
(8) Slice the Steak into 5mm strips and arrange over the Salad.
(9) Pour over the dressing (7 above).
(10) Garnish with Mint, Coriander and copped Peanuts.
(11) Sprinkle the fried Shallot over the top.
The Fish Sauce and Sesame Oil combination in this dish really worked. The recipe sounds complicated, but it’s really not.
- Details
- Written by Tony Carson
- Category: Recipes
We had enough Char Sui Pork left from the previous night to make another meal with. Often left-overs end up in tubs in the freezer. But the weather has been so hot that we just fancied something quick and easy. So we cobbled together this fusion gig….
No recipe required here. We just reheated the left over Stir Fry Char Sui Pork, added grated Cheese and a few sliced Spring Onions & Peppers. Served with a few hoe made dips, Corn on the Cob and chips, this did the job very nicely…..
Social Links
Translate
Latest Recipes
Latest News
- Why do we do what we do?
- When you find the ships cat on the helm
- We're a month old!
- Universal Credit & Employment Agencies!
- UN Report on Poverty in the UK November 2018
- The Veg Box
- The rollout of Universal Credit will be delayed until 2023
- Petition the Government to fix Universal Credit
- Honesty from a Politician? Not really, but it's a start.
- Homeless - Trapped - Homeless again - This can't be right?
© 2025 Eat Well on UC