Sesame Minced Pork (麻醬肉蓉)

A simplistic dish with sesame sauce and sesame oil being the key ingredients, it is well worth a try especially as a mid-week dinner, best to accompany by plain noodles or steamed rice.

Serves 4

500g minced pork (I used Blythburgh free range)

1 banana shallot, minced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 courgette, sliced

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp cornflour

4 tbsp sesame paste

2 tbsp sesame oil

Pinch of sugar

1. Marinade the pork with light soy sauce, sesame paste and cornflour for 30 minutes.

2.  In a frying pan, fry the shallot and garlic until golden. Note: It might be tempting to use sesame oil at this stage to enhance the flavor. Nonetheless, it has a low smoke point which burn easily, and will develop a bitter taste when burnt.

3. Add in the minced pork and ensure it is cooked properly. Season to taste.

4. Take the meat off the heat and mix in the sugar and sesame oil.

5. In the same frying pan, pan fry the sliced courgette until cooked then mix in with the meat.

Great to serve with rice or plain noodles.

Minestrone Soup

Cold nights, fancy something comforting, quick, tasty and economical for dinner? (Not asking a lot here!) This is just the right recipe to fit the bill. Everybody likes a minestrone soup now and then, it is hearty, filling, packed with goodness and non-pretentious, you know exactly what to expect and not often let down by it.

Depending on your personal taste, most vegetable should goes well together.

Serves 6

2 onion, chopped
2 carrot, chopped
2 courgettes, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
200g garden peas (fresh or frozen)
1 tin of white kidney beans
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
Tomato puree, 50g
1.5l boiling organic vegetable stock
100g minute pasta such as orzo, puntine

To garnish:

3 garlic cloves
1 bunch of basil leaves
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chili oil
Pinch of sea salt

1. In a large stockpot, heat the oil and cook the garlic and onion until soften.

2. Mix in the bay leaves, dried thyme and cook for 5 minutes.

3. Add in the onion, carrot, courgettes and the tomato puree, cook for further 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft but not cook through.

4. Add in the white kidney beans and stock, turn the heat down and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, in a small food processor/ choper, add in the garlic cloves, basil leaves, salt and both the oil. Blitz the content until fine like a paste. Season to taste.

6. 10 minutes before serving, add in the peas and minute pasta. Once they are cooked then the soup is ready to serve, with a dollop of the basil garnish.