Life

James St Cookery School: Thai chicken noodle soup and peanut butter cookies

Niall MCKenna's Thai chicken noodle soup – can be served with a pickled egg but that's optional
Niall MCKenna's Thai chicken noodle soup – can be served with a pickled egg but that's optional Niall MCKenna's Thai chicken noodle soup – can be served with a pickled egg but that's optional

SUSTAINABLE cooking has become more front and centre in the food world. It's an issue that can mean different things to different chefs, but to me it’s all about reducing waste in the kitchen and sourcing produce as locally as possible.

To waste less, we must get the most from our products; chicken is ideal as there are countless ways to cook it and there's very little waste.

My second recipe this week makes for a great family friendly activity. My kids both love cookies and by the time you'd pick up some biscuits in the shop, these would be ready to eat. Double up the batch and keep the dough in the fridge.

THAI CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

(Serves 4-6)

175g dried egg noodles

2 sticks lemongrass

175g chicken breast, skin off, sliced

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

2 tbsp garlic, chopped

1.2L chicken stock

1 tin (400ml) coconut milk

1 tin sweetcorn

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp madras curry powder

2 small red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped

1 tsp salt

1 pinch black pepper

2 tbsp lime juice

1 handful coriander, chopped

1 small handful of basil leaves, chopped

Method:

Place the noodles in a pan of boiling water and cook for three to five minutes. Drain when tender and leave aside. Peel the lemongrass until you reach the white centre, then chop into three-inch pieces and crush with the flat side of a knife. Shred the chicken into bite-sized strips.

Heat a large heavy-bottomed pan on a high heat, add the oil, onion, garlic and lemongrass and stir fry for three minutes. Stir in the stock and coconut milk, reduce the heat to low and leave to simmer for about 10 minutes with the lid on.

Add the chillis, chicken, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, curry powder, salt and pepper then stir. Leave to cook for three more minutes. Add the noodles and sweetcorn and cook for a further four or five minutes.

When ready to serve, remove the lemongrass and stir in the lime juice. Pour into bowls and garnish with the chopped coriander and basil leaves, then tuck in!

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

200g peanut butter (I use half smooth, half crunchy)

175g caster sugar

1 pinch salt

1 egg

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C then line a baking tray with greaseproof paper or a silicone baking mat.

Mix the peanut butter, sugar and salt in a bowl; add the egg and combine to make a sticky dough. Taking one spoonful at a time, place the dough on the baking tray, well spaced out. Using a fork dusted in caster sugar, squish down to a standard cookie size. Place in the oven and cook for 12 minutes.

Place any remaining dough on double-wrapped cling film and roll into a tube, then leave in the fridge.

When the cookies are ready, remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. They will keep in an airtight container for three days.