Moonlighting Kitchen

  A homemade chicken pie with chunks of chicken in a creamy, rich mushroom sauce is still one of the most comforting mid-week meal on a cold winter's night.  I am using a ready-made shortcrust pastry for quickness and you will have a hearty and delicious pie to enjoy without too much effort. Prep time 15 mins  Cooking time 40 mins INGREDIENTS: 350g mini chicken fillets, cut into thirds 250g chestnut mushrooms, sliced 7-8 spring onions, sliced about 2" diagonally 1 heaped Tbsp all-purpose flour 30g knob of butter 2 tsp dried thyme lashings of ground black pepper 1 Tbsp English mustard powder, dissolved in 15mls of water 2-3 Tbsp creme fraiche 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg 150ml chicken or vegetable stock 1 packet of shop-bought shortcrust pastry (may require 2 packets if making a pie bigger than 7") Salt, season to taste METHOD: 1) Pan-fry the chicken with a little oil until almost cooked, then add the mushrooms and spring onions - cook for another 2 minutes until they have soften...

  The winter months from December to February to me, are all about hibernation, catching up on your favourite TV movies and programmes and eating hearty warm stews. This is a very quick weekday recipe using seasonal vegetable like butternut squash that is at it's best. Trust me when l say, "the sweetness of the butternut squash with the savouriness of the chorizo is like a marriage in heaven. Prep time 15 mins  Cooking time 10 mins INGREDIENTS: 1 medium butternut squash 5 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 small onion, quartered ½ tsp chilli flakes 1 Tbsp maggi seasoning 1 spring onion 1 spicy Spanish chorizo ring, cut into 1cm cubes (optional) Salt, to taste  METHOD: 1) Cut the butternut squash into one third, for easier cutting into 1" cubes; 2) Parboil them in salted water for 5 minutes, then drain and set aside; 3) Saute the chorizo on medium heat until their oil renders out, then throw in the onion.  Omit the chorizo if you are vegetarian.   Saute the onions ...

  This is a no fuss one-parcel dish which can either be steamed, baked in the oven or in my case, I use my newest kitchen gadget addition, an air-fryer. I love the fact that an air-fryer does not need to pre-heat first to reach the required temperature so this dish is ideal for a weeknight's dinner, served with cucumber and rice. Prep time: 5 mins  Cooking time: 17 mins INGREDIENTS: 3 medium salmon pieces 1 large tomato, diced 1 spring onion, sliced diagonally 1 1/2 tsp mirin 2 Tbsp light soy sauce 1 tsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine 2 tsp fish sauce (substituted with light soy sauce if unavailable) Dash of ground white pepper Salt, to season METHOD: 1) Rinse the salmon pieces and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Rub each piece with some salt and ground white pepper; 2) Lay the salmon flat on a parchment paper or kitchen foil in a tray that is small enough to go inside an air-fryer, without the pieces overlapping; 3) Prepare all the seasonings in a bowl before pouring into the ...

  As we entered into the cooler autumn season where there are less sunlight and some days could be windy and wet, this is a comforting soup to add some good nourishment to our bodies. Spinach is full of iron, fibres and proteins which promotes a healthy digestive system. Prep time 10 mins  Cooking time 15 mins I NGREDIENTS (for 1): 100 g pork mince 50 g spinach, washed - stalks and leaves separated 5 oyster mushrooms, cut into half 1 egg, beaten with a dash of salt and pepper 1-2 Tbsp wolfberries 1/2 'pi dan'/century egg (optinal) Oil for cooking MARINADE 1 tsp light soy sauce 1/2 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp ground white pepper 1/2 tsp sesame oil METHOD: 1) Marinate the pork for at least an hour; 2) Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and saute the pork for 2 minutes, then push the pork to one side and add the egg; 3) Stir the egg in with the pork for 30 seconds, then add boiled water to the pot; 4) When it comes to a gentle simmer, lower the heat and add the oyster mushrooms, spinach stalks foll...

  There is a difference between the standard normal sweet and sour pork and the 'Cantonese style' version where the pork is battered, deep-fried and then coated with a sweet and sour sauce. A major misconception is that sweet and sour pork cantonese-style is made of lumps of fatty pork with a gooey sauce. When this dish is made well, it is tender on the inside and crispy on the outside and is one of the most appetizing dishes and a massively popular takeaway dish. Prep 30 mins  Cooking time 45 mins INGREDIENTS: 400 g pork loin steaks, pounded & cut into 1" chunks 1 tomato, quartered 1 small onion, quartered 1 green pepper, quartered 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 1 small tin (140g net wt) pineapple rings, cut into chunks 150 g corn flour, for dipping pork and excess Rapeseed oil for frying Salt, season to taste MARINADE 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp sugar 1 Tbsp light soy sauce 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine 1 Tbsp corn flour 1/2 a beaten egg 1/4 tsp ground white pepper SAUCE 2 tsp ...

  Korean stew is a refreshing and comforting stew for the cold winter's nights. It is loaded with vegetables and 'Haemul' is seafood. You can make some changes to this stew to make it vegan-friendly by adding tofu instead of seafood. Prep 10 mins  Cooking time 30 mins INGREDIENTS: 3 shiitake mushrooms, hydrated and sliced 1/2 white onion, sliced 5 sweetcorn shoots, halved 1 small courgette, cut into small chunks 6 cherry or plum tomatoes, halved 1/2 carrot, thinly sliced 4 tiger prawns, with shells Handful of dried anchovies, rehydrated 3 Tbsp Doenjang paste (fermented bean paste) 2 Tbsp Gochujang paste (hot pepper paste) 3 spring onions, cut and soaked in ice water to make curls 750 ml vegetable stock 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds, to sprinkle 1/2 green chilli, sliced (optional for extra heat) Chopped coriander, to garnish METHOD: 1) Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and gently saute the onion for 1-2 minutes until soften but not browned. Add the rehydrated anchovies and  mushroom...

  In breakfast cafes, normally the wonton soup is clear and full of MSG (monosodium glutamate) to enhance the flavour but this is a tasty variation of soup with beetroot and chinese mushrooms. Make a large batch of soup beforehand and save some for the wontons the next day. Prep 30 mins  Cooking time 30 mins INGREDIENTS: WONTONS (about 25-28) 300 g pork mince 2 spring onions, chopped 1/2 carrot, finely chopped 2 tsp light soy sauce 1 tsp sesame oil 1/2 tsp oyster sauce 1/2 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp ground white pepper 1/2 tsp corn flour dissolved in a little water for sealing wonton's edge Wonton skins SOUP 1 ready-packed cooked beetroot (350 grams) 8 dried dates 10 shitake mushrooms, rehydrated METHOD: 1) To prepare the soup: Use ready-packed cooked beetroot in the supermarket is just as good to use as fresh beetroot which has to be peeled. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms, then d rain, remove the stems and slice into 3 sections; 2) Boiled about 1 litre (for approximately 20- 25 won...

  The Germans and Czechs have schnitzel. The Japanese have tonkatsu. Tonkatsu is a tenderised pork cutlet coated with panko breadcrumbs and served with a Japanese worchestershire sauce. The trick is not to overcook the pork so it is overly dry and to serve with a thick, sweet 'n' savoury sauce. Prep 20 mins  Cooking time 30 mins INGREDIENTS: 4 pork loin steaks, pounded and lightly salted on both sides 2 eggs, beaten Plain flour Panko breadcrumbs Chinese cabbage, finely shredded Salt, to taste Ground black pepper Oil for cooking SAUCE 5 Tbsp tomato ketchup 2 Tbsp worchestershire sauce 1 Tbsp dry sherry or sake 2 Tbsp dark soy sauce 1 Tbsp mirin 1 Tbsp castor sugar 1 tsp dijon mustard 1 tsp garlic & ginger paste METHOD: 1) Start by mixing all the ingredients to make tonkatsu sauce in a saucepan, simmering gently for about 5 minutes or until sauce has thicken. Cover and set aside; 2) Seasoned the flour with some salt and black pepper in a bowl; 3) Using a bamboo skewer stick,...