Morning Glory

What’s the story, Morning Glory?

Ever try a veggie called ‘Morning Glory’? This super food grows in South East Asia and is called by many names. In Thailand it is commonly called ‘Pak Boong’, and in English it goes by a much cooler name, ‘Morning Glory’. Morning glory is almost like a crunchy spinach, rich in flavour and extremely healthy. This dish is typically stir-fried with oyster sauce or found in many noodle dishes in the kingdom of Thailand.

I serve this up with some crispy garlic and bird’s eye chilli to put a bit of va-va-voom in your palette. The dish’s real name is Pad Pak Boong Fai Daeng, and is one of the street foods that you can find anywhere in Thailand. It is so easy to cook at home. Add a splash of oyster sauce and you have an amazing dish made in under 5 minutes. This dish is goes ever so well with some Thai jasmine rice, you really have to give this a go! It’s super easy, quick and the dish costs almost next to nothing to make.

READY TO COOK?

1. Chop the morning glory into 3 inch long pieces.
2. Smash up 3 garlic cloves with the side of your knife.
3. Roughly chop up 2 bird’s eye chilli.
4. Heat up your wok or frying pan on a high heat with 1 table spoon of vegetable oil.
5. Fry the garlic and chilli for 30 seconds.
6. Throw in the morning glory and stir constantly. Cook for 2 minutes.
7. Pop in the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, and 1 table spoon of water.
8. Stir in well and serve straight away.

It is almost like a Thai spinach.

INGREDIENTS

• 250g morning glory
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2-3 bird’s eye chilli (more if you dare)
• 1 teaspoon of white sugar
• 1 table spoon of light soy sauce
• 1 table spoon of oyster sauce
• 1 table spoon of water or vegetable stock
• 1 table spoon of vegetable oil

Bruschetta Bam-Bam

Tomato and basil vs augergine. Bam-Bam.

Bruschetta or ‘brus-ketta’ is an antipasto from Italy. Its origins date back to the 15th century in Tuscany. The toasted bread can be eaten in a variety of ways and can be topped with tomatoes, peppers, cured meats, cheese, and smoked salmon. The bread you choose can be entirely up to your taste. Sour dough or freshly baked baguette work absolutely fine. Pop into your local bakery and discover the wide array of breads they have on offer. The bread is sliced about 1cm thick and is toasted on a char-grilled barbecue ( a griddle pan or oven also work just fine). You want to achieve a crispy toasted texture that will pack a crunch when you sink your teeth into it. As for the toppings, you can be as creative as you like. The driving force of this dish is using fresh ingredients and good quality olive oil. My favourite is with ripe pomodorino (cherry) tomatoes and fresh basil. You will be amazed at how simple this is to make.

READY TO COOK?

1. Slice your aubergines and season with a pinch of sea salt, black pepper and olive oil.
2. Place them on a sizzling griddle pan and cook for about 2 minutes on each side.
3. Once beautifully charred, pop them into a medium sized bowl. Add 3 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil, 1 table spoon of chopped basil, 1 small clove of crushed garlic clove and season with sea salt and black pepper. Mix the aubergines with your hands, then put aside.
4. Chop your tomatoes roughly and place them in a medium sized bowl and add 2 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add 2 table spoons of chopped up basil, 1 small clove of crushed garlic, and season with sea salt and black pepper. Mix the tomatoes with a spoon, then put aside.
5. On the same griddle pan, barbecue the bread until nicely toasted on both sides, serve straight away.

Don’t move them around too much to achieve the beautiful grill marks.

INGREDIENTS

• 400g pomodorino tomatoes (or any tomatoes you desire)
• 1 aubergine – sliced into 1cm thick pieces
• 1 handfull of basil leaves – roughly chopped
• 1 large baguette (or any fresh bread you desire)
• extra virgin olive oil (the best you can get)
• 2 cloves of garlic – crushed
• sea salt and black pepper

Tomato and basil vs augergine. Bam-Bam.

Pappardelle with wild mushrooms

Parsley and freshly shaved parmesan cheese will compliment this earthy dish.

Imagine yourself in an Italian forest, hand picking wild mushrooms amongst the wild life. After your forage, you head back home and it’s time to fill your hungry belly. Pappardelle with wild mushrooms, parmesan, and parsley? Bellissimo!

Pappardelle works extremely well with rich and dense flavours. It is commonly eaten with wild game and rich sauces like ragu. Try to cook the pasta ‘al dente’ which is Italian for ‘cooking it firm’. Your result will be a pasta that’s well cooked on the outside, yet slightly firm on the inside and is achieved by not over cooking. I love pappardelle pasta with wild mushrooms, but if you can’t get your hands on any don’t worry, just use any of your favourite mushies you can get your hands on. I recommend shitake, oyster, porcini or chanterelle mushrooms which can be found in most supermarkets nowadays. If you can get all of them, your dish is going to be magnificent!

READY TO COOK?

1. Fill a large pot half way with water, add a tea-spoon of salt, then bring to the boil.
2. To give the dish a more rustic look, gently tear the mushrooms with your hands rather slicing them up.
3. Add a splash of olive oil to a large sauce pan and place over a high heat.
4. Add the mushrooms and regularly toss or stir them for 3 minutes.
5. Add the garlic, a generous pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
6. Sauté the mushrooms until their liquid has evaporated.
7. Add the juice of half a lemon, some dried chilli and a knob of butter to the mushrooms. Stir in gently and put the pan aside.
8. Put your pappardelle pasta into the pan of boiling water and cook until al dente (about 2 minutes if the pasta’s fresh and 11 minutes if it’s dried).
9. Drain the pasta in a colander then add to the pan of mushrooms.
10. Add the parsley and then season one more time with sea salt and black pepper.
11. Mix the pasta with the mushrooms until each strip has been evenly coated.
12. Place on a warm plate and shave some fresh parmesan cheese on top.
13. Sprinkle a little more parsley over the dish to finish.

INGREDIENTS

• 400g pappardelle pasta (fresh or good quality dried)
• 600g mixed wild mushrooms (or use any mushrooms of your desire)
• 1 large clove of garlic (crushed)
• olive oil
• parmesan cheese
• 1 tea-spoon of chopped up dried chilli
• 1 lemon
• knob of salted butter
• sea salt and black pepper
• 1 handful of parsley – roughly chopped

Buon appetito!

Italian buffalo mozzarella and beef tomato salad

Light and wonderful caprese salad

Fancy something light for lunch? Need an awesome salad to accompany a heavy pasta dish? Looks like you’re in luck. This is one of my favourite salads which originated from the Italian region of Campania. It is made of sliced fresh buffalo mozzarella, good quality beef or plum tomatoes, and fresh basil leaves. Drizzle over your best extra virgin olive oil, add a pinch of sea salt, and a bit of sweet balsamic for the finishing touch. This salad is a perfect summer dish with a glass of Pinot Grigio. Buon appetito!

READY TO COOK? 

1. Slice the tomato and mozzarella in 1.5 cm/0.5 inch) thick slices.
2. Layer the tomatoes and mozzarella alternating as you go.
3. Mix some rocket and basil together and place on the middle of the plate.
4. Dress the salad with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
5. Season with some sea salt and black pepper.

INGREDIENTS

• 250g (0.5 pounds) Italian buffalo mozzarella
• 1 beef tomato (or any large tomato you desire)
• 1 bunch of fresh basil
• 1 handful of rocket
• extra virgin olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• sea salt and black pepper

Green veggies & red peppers sautéed in oyster sauce

Don’t forget your greens!

 

Fancy something healthy and fresh? Well look no further than another classic Thai dish ‘Putt Pak’ which translates into stir fried vegetables. You can use a wide array of veggies, anything you like really! I like to mix and match them differently every time I cook this dish. I’ve selected some of my personal favourites: asparagus, baby broccoli, sugar snaps, and red bell peppers. This dish is so nutritious and jammed with vitamins.  It is so easy to make and takes about 10 minutes to prepare. My secret is to use very fresh produce and not to over cook the green beauties, so they are nice and crunchy. Serve it with steamed Thai jasmine rice and you’ll be singing with joy.

READY TO COOK? 

1. Rinse the vegetables to give them a gentle clean.
2. In a wok, add a splash of vegetable oil and put on a high heat.
3. Fry your garlic for 10 seconds.
4. Add the vegetables to the wok, tossing them regularly.
5. Add a splash of water (or vegetable stock) to the vegetables.
6. Pop in the generous splash of oyster sauce, a pinch of white pepper and 1 teaspoon of white sugar.
7. Cook the vegetables for 3 minutes and try not do over cook them.
8. Place the vegetables onto a warm plate and serve straight away.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small bunch of asparagus – stalks trimmed
• 1 handfull of sugar snaps
• 1 small bunch of baby broccoli
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 clove of garlic – finely chopped
• vegetable oil
• white pepper
• white sugar
• oyster sauce

This is my favourite brand of oyster sauce. Magnificent flavour and smell.

Super fresh.

 

Sautéed baby spinach and garden peas

The best of super foods.

 

Popeye the sailer man would be proud! Spinach is highly nutritious and packed with antioxidants. Try to go for baby spinach as the older varieties can be a bit bitter. This delicious vegetable is extremely popular around the world and can be eaten raw or cooked. The idea is to cook it for a very short amount of time to keep all of its vitamins and flavour. The garden peas will bring a bit of harmony to the sharpness of the spinach.

You can buy peas fresh or frozen from any supermarket. Frozen peas are just as good because they still hold all their nutritious value and flavour. Plus you can pop them straight into your freezer once you’re done with them. I then like to add a bit of fresh spring onions to give this dish a bit of crunch and attitude.

READY TO COOK?

1. Put the kettle on and boil some hot water.
2. Rinse the spinach and spring onion to give them a gentle clean.
3. Chop the onion roughly into little 2cm pieces.
4. Pour the boiling water into a small or medium sized sauce pan and fill it half way. Add a pinch of sea salt to the water.
5. Pop your peas into the boiling water and simmer lightly for about 1 and half minutes.
6. Drain all the water out, then add the spinach to the sauce pan (with the peas). Keep the pan on a medium heat.
7. Add 1 table spoon of good olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Stir the vegetables gently until the spinach has wilted ever so slightly.
8. Drain out any excess liquid from the pan, then add the butter and stir once again.
9. Place your vegetables onto a warm plate. Sprinkle the spring onions on top and serve straight away.

INGREDIENTS

• 400g fresh baby spinach
• 100g frozen garden peas (any good old peas from your supermarket will do just fine)
• 1 spring onion, roughly chopped
• olive oil
• sea salt
• black pepper
• 10g unsalted butter