Egg Drop Chicken Noodle Soup

These quick and healthy noodles make the ideal midweek staple

• Cooking Time Prep 5 mins
  Cook 10 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  273

• Protein

  26g

• Carbs

  30g

• Fat

  6g

• Saturates

  1g

• Fibre

  3g

• Sugar

  2g

• Salt

  1.04g

Ingredients

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced
• 1.2l low-salt chicken stock
• 140g wholewheat noodles
• 140g baby corn, halved lengthways, or frozen sweetcorn
• 2 eggs, beaten
• squeeze lemon juice
• ½ tsp sherry vinegar
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped

Directions

1. Place the chicken and stock in a large pan and bring to a simmer for 5 mins. Meanwhile, cook the noodles following pack instructions.
2. Add the corn to the stock and cook for 2 mins. Stir the broth vigorously, then while it's still swirling, hold a fork over the pan. Pour the eggs over the prongs in a slow stream. Stir again in the same direction then turn off the heat. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and the vinegar.
3. Drain the noodles and divide between four bowls. Ladle over the egg drop broth, scatter with onions and serve.

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Prawn Chow Mein

This low-fat stir-fry recipe is packed with crunchy vegetables and tangy oyster sauce

• Cooking Time Prep 5 mins
  Cook 20 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  271

• Protein

  25g

• Carbs

  34g

• Fat

  5g

• Saturates

  1g

• Fibre

  5g

• Sugar

  8g

• Salt

  2.98g

Ingredients

• 3 nests medium egg noodles
• 140g broccoli, chopped into small florets
• 140g baby corn, halved
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 300g prawns
• For the sauce
• 3 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce

Directions

1. Cook the noodles, broccoli and corn in boiling water for 3-4 mins, or until tender. Drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok and fry the pepper for 3 mins, until starting to soften.
2. Tip in the noodles and vegetables along with the prawns and toss together. Add the sauce ingredients and heat everything through for 2-3 mins, until piping hot.

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Kung Po Prawns

Whip up this budget-friendly, Chinese favourite in just 20 minutes

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins
  Cook 10 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  308

• Protein

  25g

• Carbs

  13g

• Fat

  18g

• Saturates

  3g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  6g

• Salt

  2.07g

Ingredients

• 1 tsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 400g large raw prawns, frozen is fine, butterflied (see tip, below)
• 2 tbsp Chinese rice vinegar
• 1 heaped tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp sunflower or groundnut oil
• 85g unsalted, roasted peanuts
• 6 small or 3 large whole dried chillies
• 2 x 225g cans water chestnuts, drained
• thumb-sized piece ginger, finely grated
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Directions

1. Mix the cornflour and 1 tbsp soy sauce, toss in the prawns and set aside for 10 mins. Stir the vinegar, remaining soy sauce, tomato purée, sugar and 2 tbsp water together to make a sauce.
2. When you're ready to cook, heat a large frying pan or wok until very hot, then add 1 tbsp oil. Fry the prawns until they are golden in places and have opened out-then tip them out of the pan.
3. Heat the remaining oil and add the peanuts, chillies and water chestnuts. Stir-fry for 2 mins or until the peanuts start to colour, then add the ginger and garlic and fry for 1 more min. Tip in the prawns and sauce and simmer for 2 mins until thickened slightly. Serve with rice.

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Chinese Braised Beef With Ginger

Slow cooking beef shin or brisket in Asian aromatic spices gives a melt-in-the-mouth main course that's delicious with steamed rice and crisp stir-fried vegetables

• Cooking Time Prep 35 mins
  Cook 3 hrs
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 6

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  405

• Protein

  51g

• Carbs

  26g

• Fat

  11g

• Saturates

  4g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  23g

• Salt

  3.96g

Ingredients

• 2 - 3 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
• 1¼kg beef shin or brisket, cut into very large chunks
• 2 onions
• 50g ginger
• 3 garlic cloves
• small bunch coriander
• 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 6 whole star anise
• 1 tsp black peppercorn
• 100g dark brown muscovado sugar
• 50ml light soy sauce
• 50ml dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• beef stock
• To serve
• thumb-sized chunk ginger, shredded into matchsticks
• 1 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
• cooked jasmine rice

Directions

1. Heat a little of the oil in a large flameproof dish. Add the beef chunks, in batches, and fry until browned. When each batch is browned, transfer the beef to another dish. Very roughly chop the onions, ginger, garlic and coriander stalks. Put in a food processor and whizz to a paste.
2. Wipe any oil out of the dish you browned the beef in. Add the paste with a good splash of water and gently fry, scraping up any beef bits, until the paste is fragrant and softened (add more water if the paste sticks). Stir in the five-spice, star anise and peppercorns, cook for 1 min, then add the sugar, soy sauces and tomato purée. Return the beef and any juices to the dish, then stir in enough stock to just about cover. Bring to a gentle simmer. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Cover the dish, put in the oven and cook for 21?2 hrs until the beef is really tender.
3. Lift the beef out of the sauce into a dish, to keep warm. Boil the sauce until reduced by about half and thickened. Meanwhile, fry the ginger in the oil until golden and crispy. Return the beef to the sauce. serve the beef spooned over rice and scattered with the crispy ginger.

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Chinese Roast Duck

John Torode's whole crispy duck with oriental marinade makes for an impressive and alternative Christmas centrepiece

• Cooking Time Prep 20 mins
  Cook 1 hr, 30 mins
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Serves 4 with leftovers

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  1387

• Protein

  58g

• Carbs

  46g

• Fat

  109g

• Saturates

  30g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  45g

• Salt

  0.65g

Ingredients

• 2 ducks
• 140g caster sugar
• 6 star anise seeds
• large piece ginger, sliced
• small bunch spring onions, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp malt syrup or maltose (available in most Chinese supermarkets)
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar

Directions

1. The day before, soak 4 wooden skewers in water for 20 mins. Wash the ducks inside and out with cold water, drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. Mix together the sugar, star anise, ginger, spring onions and a few good pinches of salt, then use this to fill the cavities. Close the cavities with wooden skewers and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix the maltose and 2 tbsp of the vinegar. Add the remaining vinegar to a jug of boiling water and pour over the ducks. (The boiling water opens up the pores, while the vinegar helps to strip some of the waxiness from the skin, so it will be more receptive to the maltose, which adds sweetness and a lacquered caramel colour.) Smear the maltose mixture over the ducks, then place them in a large plastic container and put in the fridge overnight, uncovered.
3. To cook, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7. (Fan ovens are particularly effective for roasting duck.) Put a little water in the bottom of a large roasting tin, place the ducks on a rack over the top and cover with foil. Roast for about 45 mins. Take off the foil and roast for another 45 mins-the duck must be well done, there is no such thing as a rare Chinese roast duck! Take the duck out of the oven and let it rest for a good 20 mins before carving.

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Fried Rice With Egg & Ginger

John Torode's delicious egg fried rice is dotted with juicy prawns and makes a great addition to a Chinese feast

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 15 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  462

• Protein

  19g

• Carbs

  66g

• Fat

  14g

• Saturates

  3g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  3g

• Salt

  2.88g

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 100g ginger, finely sliced
• 50g garlic, finely sliced
• 100g small peeled cooked prawns
• bunch spring onions, whites and greens separated and sliced
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 600g cooked rice (300g/11oz uncooked)
• 50ml rice wine or dry sherry
• 50ml light soy sauce

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a wok. Add the ginger and garlic, then stir-fry briefly until just coloured. Add the prawns and the whites of the spring onions, and cook for a further 3 mins. Pour in the beaten egg, let it set for a couple of secs, then break it up and stir well to scramble. Add the cooked rice and stir-fry everything together for 10 mins. Add the rest of the spring onions, rice wine and soy, then toss everything together well. Serve immediately.

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Pork Green Bean & Oyster Stir-Fry

A rich Asian dish of noodles or rice that's ready in 20 minutes - a wholesome midweek family supper

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins
  Cook 10 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  233

• Protein

  24g

• Carbs

  7g

• Fat

  12g

• Saturates

  3g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  5g

• Salt

  2.42g

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp chilli bean paste or chilli sauce
• 75ml oyster sauce
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 400g pork fillet, cut into thin slices
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 red onion, cut into chunky pieces
• 140g green beans, halved
• steamed rice or noodle, to serve

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix together the lime juice, chilli bean paste, oyster sauce and half the soy sauce. Set aside. Heat a large wok with 1 tbsp of the oil. Season the pork and toss with the remaining soy sauce. Sear the meat quickly, then remove from the pan.
2. Add the remaining oil and stir-fry the garlic, onion and beans for 2 mins. Return the meat to the pan with the sauce and stir-fry for another 3 mins, until the sauce has thickened. Serve with steamed rice or noodles.

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Stir-Fried Pork With Ginger & Honey

This healthy noodle dish is deliciously low-fat with a great mix of Asian flavours- the perfect midweek supper

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 10 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 2

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  466

• Protein

  36g

• Carbs

  54g

• Fat

  11g

• Saturates

  2g

• Fibre

  4g

• Sugar

  14g

• Salt

  2.6g

Ingredients

• 2 nests medium egg noodles
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 250g/9oz pork tenderloin, cut into bite-sized pieces
• thumb-sized piece ginger, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 green pepper, deseeded and sliced
• 100g mange tout
• 1 tsp sesame seed

Directions

1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the noodles following pack instructions. Meanwhile, mix the cornflour with 1 tbsp water, then stir in the soy sauce and honey, and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat. Add the pork and cook for 2 mins until browned all over. Add the ginger, garlic, pepper and mangetout, and cook for a further 2 mins. Reduce the heat, then add the soy and honey mixture, stirring and cooking until the sauce bubbles and thickens. Divide the drained noodles between 2 bowls. Top with the pork and vegetables, and finish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

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Shredded Duck Watercress & Orange Salad

A Chinese-influenced salad of soft duck, crunchy radish and chicory and sweet orange- a casual supper

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 45 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  307

• Protein

  27g

• Carbs

  23g

• Fat

  16g

• Saturates

  4g

• Fibre

  5g

• Sugar

  18g

• Salt

  3.8g

Ingredients

• 2 duck legs
• 1 tsp five-spice powder
• 5 tbsp rice vinegar
• 5 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 big oranges, segmented, juice reserved
• 2 x 100g bag watercress
• 200g bag radishes, thinly sliced
• 140g pack chicory, leaves separated
• small bunch spring onion, sliced diagonally

Directions

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Pat the duck legs dry with kitchen paper and rub in the five-spice and some seasoning. Pour the vinegar, soy and orange juice into a small roasting tin and put the duck on top. Cover with foil and cook for 30 mins, then remove the foil and increase oven to 240C/220C fan/ gas 9, or put under the grill and cook until the skin is crisp. Remove and strain the liquid through a sieve. Let the duck cool until you can shred the meat from the bones. Skim fat from the liquid.
2. Meanwhile, gently toss together the oranges, watercress, radishes, chicory and spring onions. Pour over reserved cooking liquid, then add the duck and arrange on a platter.

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Oriental Pork Balls In Hoisin Broth

Low in calories and cheap to make, these Chinese flavoured meatballs are served in a clear and nourishing broth with plenty of veg

• Cooking Time Prep 20 mins
  Cook 10 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  366

• Protein

  32g

• Carbs

  29g

• Fat

  14g

• Saturates

  5g

• Fibre

  4g

• Sugar

  11g

• Salt

  2.5g

Ingredients

• 500g pack lean pork mince
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 225g can water chestnuts, drained, half finely chopped, half sliced
• 500ml chicken stock
• 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
• thumb-sized piece ginger, shredded
• 2 large carrots, shaved into strips with a potato peeler
• 8 Chinese leaves, thick part sliced, leaves shredded
• 300g pack beansprouts
• bunch spring onions, cut into lengths, plus a few tops chopped to serve

Directions

1. Tip the mince into a bowl with the soy, cornflour, five-spice, chopped water chestnuts and some black pepper. Work everything together, then shape into 12 meatballs.
2. Pour the stock into a wide, deep pan and stir in the hoisin and ginger. Add the meatballs, then cover and poach for 5 mins. Drop in the carrots, Chinese leaves, beansprouts, spring onions and sliced chestnuts, then put on the lid and simmer for 5 mins. Ladle into bowls, then serve scattered with spring onion tops.

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