Chinese Chicken Fried Rice

Image Leave a comment 15/03/2021 the wee caledonian cook

This was wonderfully flavourful and so easy to make. I do love it when last minute decisions go well. I was planning a completely different dish for my dinner at the weekend and realised I forgot some of the ingredients, so as you do, you make the most of what you have in your cupboards. This was simple to make and using mostly store cupboard ingredients too it was super tasty.

I mean who doesn’t like Fried Rice? At the moment as our favourite restaurant’s are not open due to the pandemic, this is great dish to create your own Chinese takeout food at home. A great dish on its own or as a side dish.

Serves 4

3 Chicken Breasts (skinless)

120ml Teriyaki Sauce

1 Onion, diced

2 Tsp Diced Garlic

3 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil

150-200g Rice (I used wholegrain but you can use long grain white or Jasmine which works well)

200g Frozen Peas and Diced Carrots

2 Large Eggs

4 Tbsp Soy Sauce

Salt & Pepper to taste

4-6 Spring Onions for topping, chopped

Heat the sesame oil in a deep pot/pan on medium to high heat and season & brown the chicken breasts.
Add to the pot the garlic & onions and cook for a couple of minutes until softened.
Pour in Teriyaki Sauce, put lid on pan and cook on a very low heat for about 3 hours.
While the chicken is cooking, cook the rice as per instructions and put to the side and allow to cool. TIP: The rice is much better when cooked, cooled and left for a couple of hours.
After 3 hours, slice chicken into smaller pieces (it should flake apart nicely). Add to the pot, the rice, peas, carrots and soy sauce. Stir through and place lid back on pot.
In a fry pan, add a little oil and scramble the eggs, add to the pan when ready, mix & serve with a sprinkle of spring onions on top. Yummy!

Quick Teriyaki Chicken

Image Leave a comment 18/02/2021 the wee caledonian cook

Although I maybe working from home during this pandemic, somehow I still don’t find the time to be preparing and making mid week dinners, so this recipe is a great quick throw together meal that is massively flavorful and satisfying. Only takes 20 minutes. I served it with some Egg Fried Rice. I do have a confession to make, it was microwaveable Egg Fried Rice, after all it only takes 2 minutes and to be honest is a great alternative when you don’t have time to make the real thing. Most brands now offer these ready packets such as Uncle Bens, Tilda, Blue Dragon and even supermarket own brands, they are are a great store cupboard essential or at least they have been during this pandemic lockdown period. Well, we all like to cheat sometimes, don’t we?

If you like it a little sweeter, you can add 1 tbsp of honey to the recipe. I use Heather honey which is a darker semi-sweet honey and delicious, it is made with the nectar collected from the tiny purple bell-shaped flower of the common Scottish Heather plant.

Serves 2

1 Packet 250g Microwave Egg Fried Rice

2 Chicken Breasts, diced into bite sized pieces

1 Tsp Minced Garlic

1 Tsp Oil

1 White Onion, diced

1 Tbsp Cornflour

150ml Good Quality Teriyaki Sauce

2 Tsp Sesame Seeds

1 Handful Garden Peas (I used frozen)

1 Tbsp Honey (Optional)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a pan on medium to high heat and fry the garlic & onions until softened.
Season the chicken, add to the pan and cook until slightly brown all over.
Add in the garden peas along with 150ml of teriyaki sauce & honey (if using) and about 100ml water, place lid on pan and reduce to a simmer for about 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through. If the sauce is too thin, mix the cornflour with a tbsp of water and add to pan stir through to thicken the sauce.
Serve with some cooked rice (of your choice) and sprinkle over some sesame seeds for that extra crunch and nutrition. Yum! Enjoy!

Scottish Heather Honey Chicken

Image Leave a comment 10/02/2021 the wee caledonian cook

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

Yes, I know what you are thinking, this isn’t chicken? It looks like Beef? That’s because of the soy Sauce and dark honey in the recipe marinating into the chicken.

One pot meals are always my go to when I am working, simply because they are easy and less washing up to do. I used some Scottish Heather Honey for this recipe and oh my……..this was a super tasty meal that I am so proud of. I had 2 recipes in mind to cook tonight, 1 was Honey and Garlic roasted Chicken and the other was a Soy Glazed Chicken, yes, you guessed it, I went for it and mixed it all up. I do love it when you change your mind last minute and get a successful NEW recipe!

Known as the ‘Champagne’ of all honeys, expertly gathered by bees that visit the legendary flower of Scotland, Heather. Scottish Heather Honey is dark and semi-set. A highly intense, distinctive, warm, woody and floral aroma reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands. I use honey from Heather Hills Farm, they are a family run business based in Blairgowrie, Perthshire since 1945. Click to their website for more details :- http://www.heatherhills.co.uk/.

Pure honey is full of natural antibacterial and antimicrobial goodness. As well as the high antioxidant qualities, manganese plays a role in helping to make and activate enzymes in the body involved in protecting tissues from damage and in the metabolism of nutrients. It also helps maintain healthy bones.

Serves 4

3-4 Large Chicken Breasts, cut into large chunks

1 Red Pepper, diced

1 Yellow Pepper, diced

2 White Onions, cut into wedges

4 Tbsps of Heather Honey (you can use clear honey if you can’t get this)

3 Tbsps of Dark Soy Sauce

2 Tsps Dried Garlic Granules

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

3 Tsps French Mustard

1 Tsp Curry Powder

Salt & Ground Black Pepper

Heat the oil in a pan, season the chicken, add to pan and brown.
Add in the garlic, peppers and onion and cook for a few minutes.
Mix in a jug or bowl the soy sauce, honey, curry powder and mustard. Season.
Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken and vegetables, add 100ml water and stir to combine.
Cover and cook on a low heat for about 2 hours.
Remove lid season if need and cook for a further 20 minutes.
Serve with some boiled potatoes or mash or anything you like. Enjoy!

Quick Chinese Chicken Curry Takeout-style

Image Leave a comment 17/01/2021 the wee caledonian cook

Due to the Covid 19 Restrictions most of us aren’t able to go visit our favourite restaurants to enjoy our best bites to eat or even get takeaways, so if you fancy a wee curry then this is for you. This 15 minute dish is quick and easy to make, and using staple ingredients that most of us have in our kitchen cupboards, its quicker than phoning a takeaway and can be made more healthier too by adding in your favourite vegetables.

This was a full flavour curry with loads of sauce, great for scooping up the rice. The flavours were so good that my other half said I needed to make this sauce again for his chips….lol! Yes, curry chips is his thing! If you make, let me know what you think.

Serves 4

2 Large Chicken Breasts, cut into bite size pieces

2 White Onions, cut into wedges

Handful of Frozen Garden Peas (optional)

2 Tbsp oil

1 Tsp Soy Sauce

2 Tsp Cornflour

350ml Chicken Stock

4 Tsps Curry Powder

1 Tsp Turmeric

1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger

1/2 Tsp Brown Sugar

Salt & Pepper to taste

50g per person of Cooked Rice (of your choosing) to serve.

Heat 1Tbsp oil in a pan or wok on high heat. Mix together the soy sauce and 1Tbsp oil in a bowl add in the chicken pieces and coat, sprinkle 1 Tsp of cornflour over to coat, season, then add to the hot pan and brown all over, remove with a slotted spoon.
Add the onions to the hot pan and stir fry until softened and slightly brown, about 3-4 minutes.
Add to the pan the Frozen Peas, Curry Powder, Turmeric, Ginger & Sugar, mix through for about 1 minute to release flavours.
Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, mix 1 Tsp cornflour with a little water and slowly pour little at a time into the sauce mix until it starts to thicken slightly. Add back to the pan the cooked chicken and mix through and simmer gently for about 5 minutes.
Serve with cooked rice. Enjoy!

Chicken & Chickpea Thai Cakes

Image Leave a comment 19/08/2020 the wee caledonian cook

These little cakes are so easy to make and quick too, a great mid week dinner or even a quick lunch bite. What’s even better is that they are healthy, low in fat & low in calories at just 150 per cake.

Makes 8

2 Chicken Breasts

4 Spring Onions – chopped finely

1 tsp garlic granules or 2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 tsp ginger or 1″ fresh ginger chopped finely

1 tbsp dried coriander

2 tsps Soy Sauce

Zest & Juice of 1 lime

Salt & Pepper

1 tin of Chickpeas drained (400g)

1 tsp dried chilli flakes

Sweet Chilli Sauce to serve.

Preheat oven to 180 deg and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Using of food processor blitz the chickpeas and chicken until minced.
In a bowl mix everything together with your hands and form 8 small cakes about 1cm thick, place onto baking paper and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Serve with some Sweet Chilli Sauce. Yum!

Spicy Peanut Slaw

Image Leave a comment 24/06/2019 the wee caledonian cook

This little dish is so refreshing. It was a lovely sunny day here this weekend so decided I wanted something cool and refreshing & this done just that job. I served with my pulled peanut butter chicken and was delish.

Makes enough for about 4 people or 8 smaller side portions.

1/2 large white cabbage – sliced finely

100g or more of peanuts – chopped

5 spring onions – chopped

3-4 sweet peppers sliced – various colours

1 large handful of coriander – finely chopped

Salt & pepper to taste

For the dressing:–

2 tbsp Rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp sweetener (I used a low calorie option)

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp Hot Sauce (less or more if you like it spicy or not)

3 tbsp toasted peanut oil

In a bowl mix up the dressing thoroughly until combined.
Place all the slaw vegetables in a bowl and season
Pour over the dressing and mix to combine.
Serve immediately or keep in fridge for up to 1 day.

Quick Chow Mein

Image 1 Comment 24/06/2019 the wee caledonian cook

This is really quick and east to pull together and tasty too. Quicker than phoning out for a chinese takeaway…lol.

Serves 2 portions.

100ml oyster sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 clove garlic minced

2 tsp fresh grated ginger

1 tsp of Hot sauce or Sriracha

300g Rice Noodles or any kind of thin noodles

4-5 Spring onions, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

2 Pak Choi – chopped

200-300g Beansprouts

In a small bowl, whisk together oyster sauce, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and Hot Sauce and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large wok over medium high heat. Add noodles and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes, set aside.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the wok. Stir in pak choi until just wilted, about 1 minute.
Stir in noodles and oyster sauce mixture until well combined, about 2 minutes. Stir in bean sprouts and spring onions.
Serve. Yum.

Mid week Spicy Superfood Seafood Stir Fry

Image Leave a comment 12/04/2016 the wee caledonian cook

I picked up some amazing Kalettes from my local Food assembly in Glasgow this week, they were kindly supplied by Donald from Rhone Cottage, (http://www.rhonecottage.co.uk/) they grow their own seasonal produce using only sustainable practises and no artificial fertilisers are used.

I decided to try and stir fry them with some seafood, and the flavour was amazing. Kalettes are a bit like a brussel sprout and Kale in one, also classed as a superfood. Below are the Kalettes.

He also kindly gave me the Kalette Top to try and the leaves are very nice, flavoursome and hold their texture. Here is the Kalette Top.

150g – 200g each Portion of Prawns, Mussels and squid

Slice of smoked Salmon – chopped

60g Red rice – cooked as per packet

Chilli – chopped finely

Parsley – finely chopped

Soy sauce

Handful of Kalettes

6 Kalette Leaves – cut in half

Warm through seafood mix for few minutes.
Add in the Kalettes and leaves with chilli and sprinkle with soy sauce. Cook for approx 2-3 mins.
Once rice is cooked through add into mix and stir through.
Top with smoked salmon and parsley.

Serve. Yummy!

Oriental Turkey and Green Veg Mix

Image Leave a comment 12/01/2016 the wee caledonian cook

Looking in my fridge tonight I had a lot of greens needing to be used up, so as I had a curried meal last night I decided to go with Oriental, and it worked our deliciously. Don’t you just love it when you just fling everything in last minute and you create a delicious meal for yourself.

150g Breast Turkey
50g Kale
100g Broccoli
50g Trimmed Green Beans
2 carrots
2 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp chinese five spice
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp crushed red pepper

Spray oil a griddle pan and heat to a high heat
Rub chinese five spice into turkey breast, then cook on griddle pan for approx 5-6 mins each side or until cooked through.
Meanwhile, place all the greens, (broccoli, kale and green beans in a steamer and steam for about 5 mins)
Peel carrot skin off then slice into thin strips
Once veg is cooked, mix in the carrot, soy sauce, sesame seeds and red pepper.
Place veg mix onto a plate and top with the turkey breast. Yum!