Sticky Pasta

This pasta, I think, is amazing. It's so simple to make and really really tasty. It's pretty salty though and one of the very, very few times I use a sauce from a packet.

If I had time, I would make hoi sin sauce myself, but i love this as a quick and tasty dinner for a treat.


Ingredients:

• Hoi sin sauce - 2 packets of ready made sauce is perfect for 4 people.
• 300g Penne pasta
• 1 Red pepper, sliced
• 75g Chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• 2-4 spring onions, sliced
• Optional chicken or prawns, as much or as little as you like. I love left over roast chicken for this.

Method:

• Put the pasta on to boil and prepare the veg
• Stir fry the veg ( and meat or prawns if using) on a high heat then add the hoi sin sauce and simmer on a very low heat while you drain the pasta.
• Add the drained pasta to the veg & sauce and toss to coat well.
• Serve in bowls immediatley

Chicken Fried Rice

I love chicken fried rice from the Chinese takeaway, but I was reluctant to let the children eat it due the high salt content, so a while ago decided to make my own. The first attempt was ok, but the egg went funny following a few recipes that had said to add the egg at the end. So I do the egg first, decant to a warm plate and cover, cook the rest and then add the egg back in at the end.

Ingredients:

• 350g chicken, cut into strips
• 375g long grain rice
• 4 eggs
• small cereal dish of frozen peas ( sorry, but I don't weigh them out - just bung them in the dish!)
• Reduced salt soy sauce to taste ( use full salt if you prefer, but this is because I am making for kids)
• Aprox 1tbsp olive oil
• Sesame seed oil - a dribble
• 2-3 spring onions - thinly sliced.

Method:

• Boil the rice, drain and leave to cool. If you add the rice warm it will go sticky & starchy.
• Heat a large frying pan or wok and add add a very small amount of olive oil.
• Beat the eggs and add to the pan. leave for a couple of seconds until they start to cook through and  then scramble gently repeat until cooked and then transfer to a warmed plate or dish and cover.
• Put the rest of the olive oil to the pan or wok with as much or little soy sauce as you like 
• Add the chicken and white of the spring onions.Cook the chicken through.
• Defrost/cook peas in the microwave and set aside ready.
• Add the rice, peas, spring onion and egg and heat until piping hot, adding soy sauce to taste.
• Drizzle the sesame oil over, toss gently and serve immediately.

* Chopsticks optional - we tend to go with a fork - toddlers, small children and chopsticks tend not to get on to well!!