Eynsford Kitchen: October 2013

This Thai dish is so quick and easy to prepare, it's just perfect for a mid week meal. I think you will agree the combination of Ginger, Coriander and Chilli is wonderful.

Ingredients

200g peeled tiger prawns
1 to 2 red Thai chilli, chopped
4 garlic cloves
1 bunch coriander, leaves and stalks separated
1 tbsp caster sugar
juice 1 lime
3 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp groundnut oil
3cm piece ginger, finely sliced
8 spring onions, finely sliced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
5 water chestnuts, sliced
100g beansprouts
1 tbsp soy sauce
egg or rice noodles, to serve
lime wedges, to serve

Method

Chop the stalks off the bunch of coriander and place into a blender

s Roughly chop the garlic and add to the blender

s Chop the red chilli and also add to the blender.

Add the juice of 1 lime to the blender and mix

Your mix should now look like this

Place the prawns in a bowl and add the 3 tables spoons of fish sauce

Pour your blended mix over the prawn and mix together

a Add some fresh finely chopped red chilli and coriander leaves on the top of your prawns and

leave to marinade for for 20 minutes or longer.

Whilst the prawns are marinading, cut the spring onions, Red pepper, Ginger

& Water Chestnuts

Everything is now be ready to start cooking.

Heat oil in the pan until hot.

Add the ginger and spring onions and fry for 1 minute.

Add the red pepper for 1 minute until it just starts to soften, then add the Water Chestnuts.

Add the bean spouts and toss everything together

Add some black pepper and the soy sauce and toss together.

Now add the prawns and the marinade and mix together.

Add some fresh coriander leaves, then add some lime juice and toss together for 30 seconds

then remove from the heat. (Blurry picture - I will update next time I make the dish)

Plate up - Place your noodles on the plate. If you have garlic paste, mix some of this

into the noodles to give a nice garlic noodle flavour.

Use tongs and serve over your noodles.

Finally serve with a quarter of lime and soy sauce.

Enjoy!

Today the UK got told that we were expecting a storm (27/10/2013), The storm of all storms, the worst we have had since 1987 so I decided it's now around time for some Storm Food or Winter Comforts.

I don't think you can go wrong with a beef stew and dumplings, there is something so warming about the dish that makes you want to cuddle up on the sofa with a nice cup of tea.

Ingredients

For 4 People

800g of Lean Beef Steak

2 Large Onions, Chopped

1 Glass of Red Wine

1 Bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale or Eqivilant

15 Button Mushrooms Quarted

4 Cloves of Garlic Chopped

2 - 4 Tablespoons of gravy granules

500ml Water.

Plain Flour

Black Pepper

Salt to Taste

Method

Remove skins from the onions and chop thinly

Add the chopped onions to a medium hot pan with oil for 10 minutes or until turning brown

After 10 minutes add the chopped garlic

Then add mushrooms and mix together

Keep cooking until the onions are brown but burnt. This will give your Stew a lovely taste.

Once browned transfer to a a casserole dish or slow cooker. If you think there is too much oil in the pan place through a doll under first.

Now add some plain flour to a bowl or container and season it with salt and pepper and mix together.

Add the beef to the bowl so that each piece is covered in flour.

Add some oil to the pan, heat then add the beef

Turn the beef in the pan and brown on each side

Keep turning the beef to make sure each piece is browned all over.

Once browned remove from the heat and transfer to the casserole dish or slow cooker.

Add the bottle of Ale of your choice, the glass of red wine, water & gravy granules.

Mix together.

Chop some parsley and add to the slow cooker or casserole dish. Now turn the slow cooker on low or if using a casserole dish place in the oven on 140c/Gas Mark 2 for 3 to 4 hours mixing occasion.

After 3 hours it should look like this, if you think it needs thickening either add some more gravy granules to get that deep rich sauce colour or add some thickening agent / sived flour.