Pork belly Bao bun filling.

Carrying on from the trendy Taiwanese buns, here is the recipe I used for the filling. I'm not sure if it's a strictly traditional filling for these little pillows of dough but it looked pretty tasty and not too laboured intensive so with my large list of jobs it was ideal. It's a Shanghai style of cooking pork belly, also known as red cooked pork, I imagine because of the colour it has taken on once cooked. It was rich and sticky, just what I was looking for. The recipe calls for the belly to be cut in to bitesized chunks or slices but I think it would work well in a whole piece, cooked slower in the oven too. Serve with your own bao buns, along side rice and vegetable dishes, chucked in a noodle stir fry or even in an Asian broth. 

Shanghai-style braised pork belly ( Hong Shao Rou)

Serves 2

500-750g (depending on how greedy the diners are) pork belly, rind removed. 

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp shaoxing rice wine

1 tbsp light soy

1/2 tbsp dark soy

2 cups water

Start by bringing some water to the boil and quickly blanching the pork. I'm not entirely sure if it's necessary but the recipe said it would clean the pork so I did it anyway. Feel free to skip if you wish. 

Drain after boiling for 1 minute. 

Take a heavy bottomed pan or wok and heat the oil and sugar until it's melted. 

Add the pork, being careful incase it spits and fry until it starts to brown and caramelise. Do this over a medium heat, trying not to burn the sugar. 

Turn the heat down once browned then add all the other ingredients. Add a lid and cook slowly for 45mins to an hour until the pork is nearly fork tender (you can cut it with a fork.) Take the lid off and cook until the sauce has reduced and become sticky. Serve with a garnish of coriander or chilli, to your taste. 

Banana pancakes, Jack Johnson style.

Being the massive foodie that I am, it doesn't take much to inspire me to want to cook something. Mostly it's reading food magazines/blogs, watching cooking shows and seeing what other people have been out eating. Sometimes all it can be is a forgotten song that comes on shuffle while my ancient iPod is playing. This happened to me last week while at work, Jack Johnson's song 'banana pancakes' came on and there it was, the seed had been planted. Luckily I had some bananas happily browning in the fruit bowl and a relatively free Sunday.

I found a few recipes online but tweaked them slightly as I always like to do. It was a hairy bikers recipe but I decided to boost the banana ratio and whip up the egg whites for fluffiness as bananas can sometimes have a rubbery effect when baking with them. I was pleased with the results and would really recommend them for a weekend treat. Served with crispy bacon, cut up banana and maple syrup (though personally I prefer golden syrup for this,) it's the kind of meal that will keep you going all day. 

Banana pancakes

Serves 2

135g self raising flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 egg yolk

2 egg whites

1 tbsp light soft brown sugar

150ml milk

1 banana, mashed with a fork

A dash of oil and knob of butter for frying with. 

Start by weighing out the dry ingredients and adding the yolk to the mashed banana.

Put your whites in a dry very clean bowl and whisk to medium peaks. It should be firm but not too stiff.

Make a well in the flour and start to add the milk, slowly using the whisk to mix it in to the flour. You should have a paste with no lumps of flour. You'll want to mix it in 3 parts. 

Once you have a smooth paste, fold in the banana mix, then whipped egg whites in two parts. 

Take a heavy bottomed pan and heat a bit of butter and oil until it starts to foam. Spoon in the mix, it should make roughly 6-8 pancakes depending on size. They are ready to flip when you start to see bubbles forming. 

Cook on both sides until golden brown then serve immediately. 

Trendy Taiwanese Buns

It's time for our Asian adventure to come to an end but fear not, I've saved the best instalment until last. If you like dim sum, in particular char siu buns, then you'll love this. 

Gau bao popped up on my radar last summer while going to a few food markets, in particular the kerb Saturday's. There was a stall selling them with the most unbelievably delicious smells but also an almighty queue. I debated joining the end but the look on my other halfs face told me this wasn't a good idea. Since then I've been hankering after them, so much so that I decided to just make my own. They might not be perfect or authentic but to me they were everything I was hoping they would be. Light and soft, like a cloud ready for any slow cooked meat and a sauce of your choosing to fill it

Taiwanese Bao (Gua bao)

Makes roughly 20 buns

375g strong flour

20g fresh yeast or 7g fast action yeast 

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

30g lard or vegetable suet

10g sugar

1 tsp salt

120g water

80g milk (I'd be tempted to try all milk next time) 

Mix dough for 5 minutes until it comes together. If it's really tight then add a little water, only about 20g. Then remove the dough, shape in to a round ball, grease the bowl, put back and cover with cling film or a damp cloth. Prove in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours until doubled in size. 

Next knock back the dough and then scale out in to 30g balls. Rolled nicely and put on to trays with enough space inbetween to allow to grow. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to prove again for 30 minutes. 

Lastly take the balls and roll in to an oval shape. Fold in half then place back on the tray with little squares of baking parchment underneath for the final prove. 

Leave for 30 minutes until they have risen then get your steamer boiling and steam for 10 minutes. You can make and cook them ahead of time and then just steam them again for 3 minutes to heat through

Hello pickle

Carrying on with the Asian adventure, I have a small, simple but very tasty recipe for a Chinese cucumber pickle. It's super fast to make and best of all, it will be ready to eat within hours. It can also keep up to 5-7 days, though you will find it gets a bit more salty and slightly shrivelled with age. I served it along with some Taiwanese pork bao but you can use it with lots of Asian dishes. It's great as an accompaniment with dumplings, rice and vegetables, skewers or sushi, it really is a good all rounder. I was told this was the best of the whole meal, even above the meaty goodness. 

Chinese style cucumber pickle

1 English cucumber, chopped in to bitesized pieces. 

3 tbsp soy sauce (light)

3 to 4 tbsp Chinese rice vinegar 

2 tsp sesame oil 

1 tsp dried chilli

1/2 to 1 tsp sugar 

Put all the ingredients in to a Tupperware dish or sealable bag. Mix together and leave to sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours. You will see the cucumber start to take on the colour of the soy and shrink slightly. The longer you keep it the more salty and spicy it will get. Enjoy. 

The start of an Asian adventure - Beijing dumplings.

Lately I've been making a list of recipes and dishes that I want to try out so that if I have some free time and the inclination to be in the kitchen, I have inspiration close at hand. A few of these dishes had a similar theme and I convieniently had some of the major ingredients in the fridge/freezer so I thought I would kill several birds with one stone. I had the weekend off and managed to rope my other half in to spending the day with me, telling him we would go off to do something fun in central London. Little did he know, 'fun' was 'go to Chinatown, buy ingredients and come straight home to cook with them.' I'm lucky enough that he obliged willingly, carried the heavy bags and only got grumpy a few times while I faffed around. 

Once home, I realised how much work I had given myself but I had spent a stupid about in SeeWoo supermarket so there was no turning back. I set to work, making my dough for the Bao buns and pickled cucumber (recipes to follow) then I got started on the dumplings. I used ready made dumpling wrappers this time, though I aim to make them from scratch at some point soon. Dumplings are one of my most favourite foods so I'm very happy this recipe makes a large amount. They are now sitting happily in my freezer ready to boil in less than 15 minutes. They are best served with some Chinese rice vinegar (which I now own as well as the whole contents of an Asian supermarket) and chilli oil mixed together to your liking. 

Pork and cabbage dumplings (Jiaozi)

Makes about 20-25 dumplings 

100g finely chopped Chinese cabbage or chives 

250g minced pork

1 and a half finely grated fresh ginger

1tbsp Chinese wine (shaoxing rice wine)

1tsp oil

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp light soy

1/2tsp dark soy

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp water

Take all your ingredients in bowl and stir until totally mixed together. Once mixed, set up a little filling station with a small bowl of water, your mince, the wrappers and a tray. 

Take a small spoon of mix (less than you would think, if you fill it too much it's difficult to wrap) and place in the middle of the wrapper. 

Then take your thumb, dip it in the water and brush it round the inside edge of half the circle. Then fold in half, squeezing the middle bit so it sticks with the water. 

Once folded, squeeze down either side so it's tightly secured and there are no air bubbles. Repeat until all the mix has gone. To cook just boil some water and drop them in. They should only take about 8 minutes maximum but the centre should be firm when squeezed. Eat on their own or add to Asian soups as a tasty alternative to prawns etc. 

Lasagne - a labour of love.

When I think of lasagne, I think of comforting home cooked food that you can make in just a few steps. Especially when you buy those little jars of ready made tomato and bechamel sauce. I have to confess I've never used them before or in fact made lasagne at all, always choosing the lazy option and gone with spaghetti bolognese. However, knowing its a favourite dish of my other half, I thought I would make an effort and give it a go. The trick is keeping is simple and taking your time, from the slow cooked bolognese to the simple creamy bechamel sauce and then layering it up in to a delicious meaty tower. I researched a few recipes, some saying to cook the meat in milk, some suggesting ricotta sauce instead of bechamel but after all I decided for the first try I had better stick to the basics.

Lasagne alla bolognese
serves 4-6

1 onion, finely chopped
2 small sticks of celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 handful of mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 sprigs rosemary and thyme finely chopped
500g beef mince
100ml red wine
400ml passata or 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 pinch of sugar
1 beef stock cube/pot and about 200ml water
1 tsp salt

50g butter
50g plain flour
600ml milk
grating of fresh nutmeg
pinch salt and pepper

9 sheets of dried lasagne leaves or however much you need to fit your dish

First start with the bolognese. Fry off the meat until browned then take out the pan and put to one side, then fry the onions in the beef fat, add the celery and carrots. Saute until soft. Add the garlice and mushrooms and continue to cook for a couple more minutes. Take the red wine and add to the pan so you deglaze the nice brown bits on the bottom. Add the beef, herbs, tomatoes, sugar, beef stock and salt. Cook on a low simmer for about 1 hour, 2 if you can wait that long. 

Next the bechemel, melt the butter in a pan and then whisk in the flour. Slowly add the milk, continuously whisking to prevent lumps. Once all added simmer for 2 minutes to thicken and then add the nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

Lastly assemble the lasagne. Take a deep ovenproof dish and spread a thin layer of the meat sauce over the bottom, then bechemel and then top with pasta. Repeat this process twice more and then top the pasta with the last of the bechemel. Grate over some parmasan cheese and put in to a preheated 180 degree oven. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until golden brown on top. Serve after resting for 15 minutes. 

Thinning Thai Tofu Soup

After a fairly gluttonous period of Christmas, holiday and two birthdays, I've started to really feel the need for a diet in my life. Before Christmas I loosely followed the 5:2 diet and managed to drop just over half a stone which I quickly gained back and then some. So here I am, back on the wagon and trying to find some fairly exciting but low calorie meals. I had some tofu in the fridge from my previous low calorie miso soup that week and had just been watching a cooking show based in thailand so here came the inspiration. I had a little search for some tofu soup recipes and manage to come up with a lemongrass and ginger broth. It hit the spot exactly, light and healthy but very filling. Winner.

Lemongrass and Tofu Soup
serves 2

1 stick lemongrass, smashed but kept whole.
1 small piece of ginger, chopped in to matchsticks (roughly thumb sized)
1/2 shallot, diced.
1/2 red chilli, chopped

1 chopped kaffir lime leaf 
handful of mushrooms, chopped
french beans
peas
1 vegetable stock cube made in to stock
1 or 2 tbsp soy sauce
Fish sauce to taste
Juice of 1 lime

tofu, cut in to cubes (I prefer silken but the other is fine)
spring onions, chopped
Handful of Thai basil ripped in pieces (holy basil)

Take the lemongrass, ginger, shallot, chilli and stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 8-10 minutes to allow the lemongrass to infuse. Next add the beans and mushrooms, cook until tender then add the peas, soy sauce, fish sauce and lime. Remove the lemongrass. Once ready and boiling hot, pour in the bowl over the top of the tofu, spring onions and basil. Enjoy

I also added a good squeeze of this amazing sriracha sauce because I believe it's delicious with almost anything. Seriously buy a bottle, it's the best chilli sauce in my opinion. Nom 

Perfect Pancake Recipes

Pancake day aka Shrove Tuesday is upon us and its time to relive the nostalgic tradition of frying, tossing and fighting over delicious discs of joy, one by one. While doing some research on different types of recipes and pancake types, I stumbled across two types that I wanted to try.

Firstly was the traditional crepe style recipe but with the addition of beer! Any recipe with beer is good enough for me so that was first on the list. Its from a lovely little article which also has some good pancake making tips however the measurements are american. After a helping hand from google and some conversion websites I had my first pancake recipe. The texture of the pancake when cooking is a little unnerving at first as its so floppy but the lacy silky result if you keep going is totally worth it. Best pancakes I've ever had. 

Secondly was not really a recipe choice but a style choice. If you have seen pancake art, then you'll understand the fun that can be had with pancakes. I found a basic american style pancake recipe that was recommended for pancake art, stuck it in a bottle and was ready to go!

Traditional Crepe Recipe
serves 4 - 6

480 ml warm milk
80 g melted butter
175 g flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 tbsp oil (I actually left this out!)
120 ml light beer

First, melt the butter in a pan or the microwave with the warm milk. Allow to cool. Mix flour, salt and sugar together in a bowl and create a well in the middle. Add the eggs and oil to the well and slowly start whisking in the flour mix, careful to avoid lumps. Before all the flour is incorporated add a little of your milk mix and continue whisking. Once a smooth paste, slowly add the rest of the milk mix. Pass your batter through a sieve and then stir in the beer, be careful not to over mix. In the article it's recommended to do this 8 hours before use or overnight to allow for the flavour to develop. I only did mine for about 3 to 4 hours in advance and they were delicious. 

American Style Pancake for drawings
makes roughly 6 pancakes depending on size

140 g flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
240 ml milk
30 g melted butter

Mix together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Then mix the egg and milk. Slowly pour in the flour and whisk until smooth. Lastly whisk in the butter and then sieve to get rid of any bottle stopping lumps. Put the batter in a squeezy bottle or an old ketchup/sauce bottle, ready to pour. When cooking, you should wait for bubbles to appear in the batter before flipping over.

Easy peasy store cupboard dessert.

This post isn't so much of a recipe, more an assembly of ingredients you would find in your fridge/cupboards/fruit bowl. It came about from demands of something with chocolate and some leftover items from pancake day, though most of these things I would have in the house anyway (minus the squirty cream). I'll call it carmelised bananas with chocolate and hazelnuts but really it isn't all that fancy. All you need to know is that it hits the sweet spot and can be whipped up in 10 minutes or 5 if you're super speedy. 

Carmelised bananas with chocolate and hazelnuts

serves 2

75 g caster sugar

small knob of butter

2 bananas, chopped

squeeze of lemon juice, jif is fine

2 tbsp nutella

big squirt of whipped cream

small handful of chopped, roasted hazelnuts to garnish

Start by throwing the sugar in a dry, heavy bottomed frying pan and put over a medium heat. Leave to heat until the sugar starts to caramelise. Don't be tempted to stir the pan yet! Once you have about 40% melted sugar you can stir carefully. Do this until you have a nice caramel colour and smell. Then quickly tip your bananas and butter in, being careful not to get any of that dangerous caramel on your skin. Stir quickly and add in the lemon juice. Once the caramel has remelted and the bananas have softened, tip out in to two serving bowls. Top with the nutella, cream and nuts. Enjoy!

Yorkshire pudding

So we are going back to the basics for this post with the good old Yorkshire pudding. Believe it or not I had not successfully made a Yorkshire pudding until about a month ago, so really until that point I wasn't 100% British. Thankfully I have now earned my badge of fluffy pudding honour and can safely say I'm totally British. Hopefully when you've read this and you do your next roast dinner, you'll give it a go too. 

They are seriously easy as long as you follow a few steps and obviously you know they are pretty darn delicious too. I used Jamie Oliver's recipe as I find a majority of his work really well, though I did take a few tips from reading online about resting the batter. 

Yorkshire Puddings

makes 8 individual or 3 to 4 large

Vegetable oil/lard/dripping (I used lard as it was in the fridge)

2 large eggs

100 g plain flour

100 ml milk

pinch salt

I usually make my mix when I'm prepping the veg for the roast which is about 2 to 3 hours before I intend on baking the puddings. I then leave it covered on the side at room temperature. 

To make the mix take a bowl with the flour inside. Making a well in the middle, drop the eggs inside and start to slowly whisk, incorporating a small amount of flour at a time. Once about half is mixed in you can add a little milk. Just keep whisking and adding until you have a smooth, lumpless batter. 

Once your meat is cooked and out the oven, whacked your oven up to full so you can finish the roast potatoes and heat the oil for the puddings. Put a small amount of oil/lard in each well of a deep muffin tray or Yorkshire pudding tray for larger ones. Put the tray in the oven until really hot and smoking. Quickly pour your mix in the tray, being careful not to overfill and then pop them into the oven. Leave the door closed, don't open it at all until the time is up! They should take between 10/15 minutes. Remove when nicely golden and risen. Serve immediately. 

Lazy weekend French toast

One of my favourite things about the weekend is having the time to prepare a nice breakfast, sit down and enjoy it. This is a luxury I don't get with my current working hours so it's something pretty special to me. Searching through my sardine-tin-like freezer I found a loaf of brioche I made a few months back so I took it out for a special breakfast and to make some room for more things to be stuffed in. The only thing that this spelt out to me was delicious, soft and sweet French toast. I chose to do it american style, rather than the traditional French pain perdu, with crispy bacon, scrambled eggs and maple syrup. What a feast! 

French toast

Serves 2

3 eggs

400ml milk

Freshly grated nutmeg

1 big pinch cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract or paste

Slices of old bread (could be any unsliced loaf/brioche)

A knob of butter

Firstly make your egg mix by putting all the ingredients except the bread and butter in a bowl and giving them a thorough mix making sure there are no eggy pieces. 

Next put the mix in a flat tray or dish that will fit your slices of bread lying flat. Add the bread too and soak for at least 10 minutes, this is the secret to lovely soft and fluffy French toast as most recipes tell you to do a quick dunk. You could even prepare the mix and soak over night, saving time in the morning, making it even lazier. 

Once soaked, put a pan on the heat and get it nice and hot. Add the butter and a drizzle of oil to stop it burning and place the bread in to the pan. Leave until golden brown and then turn. Serve with bacon and eggs or Nutella and sliced bananas. Let your imagination run wild!

Tip: to get even, crispy flat bacon. Line a tray with tin foil or baking parchment and lay out the streaky bacon. Place a tray or heavy flat ovenproof pan/dish the same size on top. Put in the oven at 180 degrees until done to your liking.