CHINESE NEW YEAR

family CHINESE NEW YEAR

Celebrate at home with one of these quick and easy dishes, or turn them into a family feast

recipes CASSIE BEST photographs MIKE ENGLISH

Celebrate Chinese New Year on February 1

Honey, sesame & orange king prawns

SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins COOK 10 mins EASY

2 tsp sesame oil 1 large orange, zested and juiced 3 tbsp honey 2 tbsp low-salt soy sauce 1 tbsp rice vinegar 3 tbsp cornflour 2 tbsp sesame seeds generous pinch of Chinese five-spice powder 300g raw king prawns 3 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced 2 spring onions, sliced 200g long-grain rice, cooked, to serve 1 Mix the oil, orange zest and juice, honey, soy and vinegar in a bowl, then combine the cornflour, sesame seeds, five-spice and a pinch of salt in another bowl. Run a small knife down the back of each prawn, so they butterfly out as they cook, helping more sauce stick to them. 2 Toss the prawns through the cornflour mixture. Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan. When it’s very hot, add the garlic. Sizzle for 10 secs, but don’t let it brown. Add the prawns and any flour and seeds left in the bowl. Stir-fry over a high heat for a few minutes, until the prawns are pink and the sesame seeds are golden. Tip the prawns onto a plate and pour the sauce mixture into the wok. Bubble for a few minutes until thickened. Add the prawns back to the wok and stir to coat in the sauce. Heat through for another 30 seconds. Top with spring onions and serve with rice.

PER SERVING 444 kcals • fat 13g • saturates 2g • carbs 66g • sugars 14g • fibre 2g • protein 15g • salt 1.7g

tip

USING SOY

SAUCE We have used low-salt soy sauce in our recipes to reduce the salt content, but you may prefer to use smaller amounts than suggested to stay within the recommended daily intakes.

tip

Only eat raw beansprouts that are labelled “ready to eat”, otherwise cook them thoroughly, and follow the pack storage instructions. Singapore noodles

SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 15 mins EASY V

200g vermicelli rice noodles 1 tbsp mild curry powder ¼ tsp turmeric 1 tsp caster sugar 1 tbsp sesame oil 2½ tbsp low-salt soy sauce 1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil 1 onion, sliced 1 pepper, sliced (we used ½ green and ½ orange) 200g beansprouts 1 red chilli, sliced (optional)

1 Boil the kettle and put the noodles in a large pan or bowl.

Pour over enough boiled water to cover, pushing the noodles under the water to help them soften evenly. Set aside for 5-10 mins, until the noodles are completely soft. Mix the curry powder, turmeric, sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce and 1 tbsp water in a bowl. 2 Heat the wok until very hot. Add the sunflower oil, onion and pepper. Stir-fry for 3-4 mins until softened and starting to brown in places. Drain the noodles and add to the pan, along with the sauce mixture and beansprouts. Stir-fry for a further 3-4 mins, tossing everything through the sauce, until hot. Adjust the seasoning with a little more soy or sugar, if you like, and scatter over the chilli, if you like more spice.

GOOD TO KNOW vegan • healthy • low fat • fibre • vit c • 1 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 288 kcals • fat 7g • saturates 1g • carbs 47g • sugars 6g • fibre 6g • protein 7g • salt 0.9g

Salt & pepper tofu

Use both types of peppercorns here, if you can. Sichuan peppercorns will give the tofu a tongue-tingling kick, while the black peppercorns will add a spicy warmth.

SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins plus pressing COOK 20 mins EASY V

396g pack firm tofu 2 tbsp cornflour 1 tsp Sichuan or black peppercorns (or a mixture of the two), ground to a powder 2 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil 2 red peppers, sliced ¼ broccoli head, cut into very small florets 100g beansprouts 2 tsp low-salt soy sauce sesame oil, for drizzling handful of coriander, leaves picked

1 Drain the tofu, wrap loosely in kitchen paper and put on a plate. Rest a chopping board on top. If you’re using a light chopping board, weigh it down with a couple of cans – a heavier chopping board will be sufficient on its own. Leave for 10-20 mins until the cloth feels wet from the excess liquid. Pressing the tofu like this helps to give it a firmer texture once cooked. 2 Cut the tofu in half down the centre like a book. Cut each piece into four triangles, as you would a piece of toast, then in half again to give you 16 pieces in total. Mix the cornflour, ground pepper and 1 tsp flaky sea salt on a plate. Gently turn each piece of tofu in the cornflour mix to coat. 3 Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok. Stir-fry the peppers and broccoli for a few minutes, to soften a little. Add the beansprouts and soy sauce. Cook for another 1-2 mins, making sure the veg still has a nice crunch. Drizzle with a little sesame oil. 4 Heat the remaining sunflower oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the coated tofu for 5 mins on each side until crisp. Serve on top of the vegetables, scattered with the coriander.

GOOD TO KNOW vegan • calcium • fibre • vit c • 2 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 254 kcals • fat 13g • saturates 2g • carbs 14g • sugars 5g • fibre 6g • protein 16g • salt 1.5g

Beef with mangetout & cashews

You can buy one thick rump steak, or two or three thinner ‘minute’ steaks for this. If you opt for a thicker steak, bash it with a rolling pin or a meat mallet to ensure it’s tender and cooks through quickly.

SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins COOK 5 mins EASY

50g unsalted cashew nuts 1 tsp cornflour 1½ tbsp low-salt soy sauce 4 tbsp oyster sauce 1 tbsp rice vinegar 1 tbsp honey 1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil 280g rump steak, thinly sliced thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks 2 garlic cloves, crushed 200g mangetout, sliced in half on an angle 200g long-grain rice, cooked, or 200g egg noodles, cooked, to serve

1 Toast the cashews in a dry wok or frying pan, tossing, until browned. Tip onto a plate and set aside. Mix the cornflour with the soy sauce to make a paste, then add the oyster sauce, vinegar and honey. When you’re ready to cook, have all the ingredients prepared and close to hand – it will only take 5 mins. 2 Heat the wok until very hot. Add the oil, swirl it around to cover the base of the pan, then use tongs to place the steak pieces in the wok in a single layer. Cook without turning for 30 seconds-1 min, until a dark crust starts to form on the meat. Add the ginger and garlic, give everything a quick stir, then add the mangetout and the sauce. Cook for another 30 secs-1 min until the beef is just cooked through and the sauce is thick and glossy. Sprinkle over the cashews and serve with rice or noodles.

PER SERVING 464 kcals • fat 16g • saturates 4g • carbs 54g • sugars 7g • fibre 3g • protein 24g • salt 2.2g

Pineapple fried rice

SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins COOK 10 mins EASY V

1½ tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil 2 eggs, beaten 2 garlic cloves, crushed small bunch of spring onions, chopped ½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder 400g cooked long-grain rice 85g frozen peas 2 tsp sesame oil 2 tbsp low-salt soy sauce 400g fresh pineapple, roughly chopped into chunks (about ½ medium pineapple) 1 Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok. Add the eggs, swirling them up the sides, to make a thin omelette. Once cooked through, roll the omelette onto a chopping board and cut into ribbons. 2 Heat the remaining oil. Add the garlic, onions and five-spice. Stir-fry until sizzling, then add the rice (if using pouches, squeeze them first, to separate the grains), peas, sesame oil and soy. Cook over a high heat until the rice is hot, then stir through the pineapple and omelette ribbons.

GOOD TO KNOW healthy • vit c • 2 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 301 kcals • fat 9g • saturates 2g • carbs 44g • sugars 13g • fibre 4g • protein 9g • salt 0.8g

A family feast

These recipes are designed to be eaten as single meals, rather than together. However, if you want to make a feast, you can make and serve as many of them as you like. Stick to the original quantities and serve everyone a small amount of each.

‘Good to know’ information is based on the nutritional needs of an average, moderately active woman, but other family members will have different needs so adjust portion sizes accordingly.