CHINESE food is a firm favourite in Northern Ireland and this week’s recipes are two fantastic homemade Chinese alternatives. It’s great to try new dishes at home and these will deliver on texture and flavour every time.
Both of this week’s dishes, miso chicken with pak choi and the chilli, garlic and sesame tofu lettuce wraps are great for everyday dinners. Plus, my kids love the wraps which children find super easy to stuff and eat – a winner for family mealtimes.
Tofu is a great alternative to meat, and it is good to get children introduced to meat alternatives at a young age.
GRILLED MISO CHICKEN WITH PAK CHOI
(Serves 4)
4 heads of Pak Choi, cleaned and halved
1 tbsp miso paste
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
2cm root ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, peeled and fine chop
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp light soy sauce
4 chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthways
cooked rice, to serve
Method:
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil; add in all the pak choi for three minutes, until al dente. Drain, refresh in cold water and set aside.
Place the miso paste, spring onion, ginger and garlic into a bowl and stir in the honey and soy sauce. Add in the chicken, stir and coat with the mixture and leave to marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes – you can leave it overnight in the fridge if you have time.
Place a grill pan on the hob and turn the heat up high, making sure your extractor fan is on. Place the marinated chicken on the grill pan and cook for 15 minutes, turning over halfway through.
Add the pak choi to the grill pan and cook for a further five minutes, turning in case it burns on the ends. Serve with freshly cooked rice.
TOFU LETTUCE WRAPS WITH CHILLI, GARLIC AND SESAME
(Serves 4)
1 lemon, juiced
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 ½ tsp honey
2 tsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp root ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
230g tofu, cut into 1cm cubes
2 tbsp sunflower oil
4 large lettuce wraps, iceberg is best
2 carrots, cut into thin strips
3 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Method:
Whisk together the lemon juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, sweet chilli sauce, ginger and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Add in the chopped tofu and stir, ensuring that it is fully coated. You can marinate for up to an hour or overnight.
Heat a large frying pan and add a little oil over a high heat. Place the marinated tofu in the pan and fry for 3-4 minutes until medium brown around the edges.
Divide the tofu between the lettuce wraps, serve with the carrot slices and garnish with the toasted sesame seeds. Serve with a light soy dipping sauce.
