Chicken broccoli rice stir fry

You know when you want something that’s just comforting and easy but also feels like it is so.damn.good.for.you.

Well, broccoli we KNOW is good for us, and rice and chicken kind of the best comfort food.

So this simple little brunch stir fry delivered.

Perfect for any time too, I’d say - brunch, lunch or a quick supper.

Super easy …. so let’s go!

Just change the quantities for however many you’re cooking it for - I made this one just for me.

You’ll need:

rice (a couple of tablespoons of dried rice)

however much broccoli you want - I think I had half a head, cut into bite-size florets

cooking oil / spray cooking oil

1-2 bird eye chillies - to your taste - finely chopped

1-2 garlic cloves - again as per their size and to your taste - peeled, crushed and finely chopped

a nice piece of fresh ginger, peeled and then grated (I don’t really like ginger that much when it’s cut into small bits but I LOVE it grated)

a little water

1/3 chicken Knorr stock cube

1/2 - 1 chicken breast depending on size and how hungry you are

fish sauce

light soy sauce

sugar

oyster sauce

Bring a pan of water with a pinch of salt to the boil, and when boiling add the rice.

Boil on a medium boil for eight minutes, throw in the broccoli, bring back to the boil and boil another minute.

Drain rice and broccoli into a sieve quickly, leaving a little of the cooking water in the bottom of the pan, then put the sieve back over the top of the pan and quickly clamp the lid on top of that. Leave to steam while you make the rest of the dish.

Get a large non-stick pan and put over a medium heat. Add a little slosh of cooking oil or some sprays from your cooking oil spray.

Add the chillies, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for maybe 30 seconds until they release those gorgeous flavours and smells. Add a splash of water if it looks like sticking - you’ll definitely need to if using the spray oil.

Then add a good slosh of water ad crumble in the stock cube - bring to a simmer.

Add the chopped chicken and cook for a couple of minutes until sealed.

Then add a slosh each of light soy sauce and fish sauce and stir it all together. Add a pinch of sugar and stir again.

Always add a little more water if needed.

Lid on and simmer for five minutes.

Again, keep an eye on it and add more water if needed - you don’t want this soupy AT ALL but you don’t want it sticking and dry.

Take the lid off and tip in the rice and broccoli, and stir well to combine.

Add a slosh of oyster sauce, stir. Simmer one minute longer.

And that’s it.

I like to serve it packed first into a little bowl and then put the plate on top, tip upside down and remove bowl to leave the cooked rice etc in a lovely shape - it did fall a bit but I kind of liked that.

And it was everything I’d wanted it to be …. will definitely be making this again.

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Thai-style clear soup with pork and tofu

This is a simple soup full of flavour and not spicy - just some heat from the white pepper - I love white pepper, it’s got a warmth that black pepper doesn’t.

If you don’t have ground white pepper, well, please go and buy some!

It’s the most commonly used pepper I believe in Thai cooking (prik Thai, or Thai pepper, refers to white pepper) and just adds a peppery warmth to the dish.

This dish has cooked rice added at the end, so do do make that first - it’s so annoying when you don’t realise a recipe uses something that you need to cook first.

Although if you’re making this soup as part of a meal with more dishes, I’d leave the rice out as you’ll be having rice separately I imagine and don’t need more here too.

Quantities are quite vague, you can’t really go wrong, so use what looks like it’s going to be enough for you.

I made enough for two small-ish bowls but it was so good I ate it all myself.

You’ll need:

cooking oil

a few spring onions, sliced

1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

water - as much as you think makes the amount of soup you want, perhaps 1/2 litre

1 chicken Knorr stock cube

a handful, perhaps 125g or so, pork mince

1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

a slosh of light soy sauce

extra firm tofu - just a few slices cut into cubes

some cabbage, sliced

fish sauce

cooked rice

a handful of spinach leaves (optional, I just added these because I had a bag in the fridge that needed using)

fresh coriander leaves to serve (if liked)

Get all the ingredients ready so everything’s to hand as the soup doesn’t take long to cook.

Chop and slice everything and scrunch the pork mince with the white pepper and the soy sauce.

Put a big pan over a medium heat with a couple of teaspoons of cooking oil - I use about 20 sprays of a coconut oil spray - and cook the spring onions and garlic for a few seconds until sizzling and smelling amazing.

Add a little water to stop it sticking and stir, then add the remainder of the water, crumble in the stock cube and bring to a simmer.

Then just take little pieces of the pork and drop in - you can just drop in as they are or make into little balls if you prefer. Once all the pork is in the water, put a lid on the pan and simmer for 4-5 minutes.

Next in goes the tofu pieces and simmer again, covered, for another 5 minutes.

Add the cabbage leaves and simmer, uncovered, for another couple of minutes, then add a slosh of fish sauce and a big spoonful of cooked rice.

Stir and add the spinach if using and remove from heat - stirring to wilt in the spinach.

Serve with fresh coriander leaves, if liked.

This is so simple and so much tastier than it looks or sounds

I’ve eaten it for dinner now two days in a row and might have it again today - as I’ve still pork mince and tofu in the fridge, although I’ve just had an idea for a stir fry kind of version that I might play with later instead.

And I did …. and it didn’t really work! I love playing with recipes and food and nope, not everything works. This soup needs the lovely broth to bring it all together.

I hope you love it too.

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Fried egg spicy salad

Easiest little lunch, just a couple of eggs and salad made that bit more special with a hot and sour dressing.

For one person, you’ll need:

Some lettuce, shredded - I had Little Gem

A tomato, hard core removed then diced

Some thin slices of red onion

The juice of one juicy lime

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1-2 birds eye chillies (depending on size of chillies and your preference)

cooking oil

2 eggs

Make the salad by combing the lettuce, tomato and red onion in a bowl.

Mix the dressing ingredients (lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, chilli) together in another little bowl and set aside.

Put a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil and then crack in two eggs.

Fry the eggs, once to cook the yolks through (I didn’t quite manage this and my yolks are still a little runny - for this dish they’re better cooked through).

Take the eggs out of the pan when cooked and allow to cool.

Cut the eggs into squares or small pieces then add to the salad.

Top with the dressing and toss carefully to combine.

And that’s it!

Super simple,nutritious, easy, tasty little lunch for one …. done!

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