Midweek meals: Five dishes to enjoy this week ahead of Chinese New Year

From sweet and sour to sticky aubergine, these tasty Chinese-inspired meals will wow your family 

Chinese New Year falls on Sunday, January 22nd, starting a year of the Rabbit

Chinese sweet and sour chicken

This Chinese takeaway favourite is quick and easy, making it the perfect midweek meal. Substitute pork, prawns or tofu for chicken if you prefer.

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 350g chicken breast, sliced

• 2 level tbsp seasoned cornflour

• 1 garlic clove

• 1 medium sweet green pepper

• 225g tinned pineapple chunks plus the juice

• 1 chicken stock cube

• 300ml water

• 2 tbsp ketchup

• 1 tbsp malt vinegar

• 2 tbsp honey

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

Method

1. Toss the chicken in the cornflour and season wth salt and pepper.

2. Remove the stalk and seeds from the pepper and chop. Drain the pineapple cubes, reserving the juice.

3. Heat the garlic in the oil. Fry the chicken briefly until brown on all sides. Lower the heat and add the chopped pepper and continue cooking over a gentle heat for 10 minutes.

4. Add the pineapple chunks, mushrooms and tomatoes for the last five minutes. Meanwhile, make the sauce by dissolving the chicken stock cube in the boiling water. Mix with ketchup, vinegar, honey and soy sauce.

5. Blend the leftover cornflour from the dish with a little of the pineapple juice and add to the mixture.

6. Bring to the boil and cook for three minutes, stirring all the time. Add it to the chicken and stir well. 
   
   

 

Sticky Chinese meatballs

recipe by:Erica Drum

Everybody loves a meatball and these ones are sweet and spicy and incredibly moreish

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• 450g pork mince

• 4 scallions, finely chopped

• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced

• Small handful coriander, finely chopped

• 3 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

• 1 egg

• 150ml hoisin sauce

• 2-3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pork mince, scallions, garlic, coriander, soy sauce, sesame oil and egg.

2. Season with some salt and add some chilli powder or flakes if you want to make it a little spicy.

3. I like to use my hands to make sure it is well combined.

4. Form about 20-24 balls around the size of ping pong balls. 

5. Add a tablespoon of oil into a large frying pan.

6. Place over a medium high heat and begin to fry half of your balls.

7. Cook these for 4-5 minutes, turning throughout and allowing to brown.

8. In the meantime warm the hoisin sauce in a large bowl in the microwave.

9. Toss the balls in the sauce and serve with cocktail sticks and toasted sesame seeds as garnish.
   
   Photography by Bríd O'Donovan

 

Fran’s Chinese Beef Dumplings

recipe by:Darina Allen

Dumplings can have a myriad of fillings. I also love a mixture of shrimp and pork but try these delicious beef dumplings given to me by a past student Fran Borrill.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 60 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 15 mins

Course

 Side

Cuisine

 Chinese

Ingredients

• 1-2 packs gyoza/dumpling wrappers

• 1 heaped tsp Sichuan peppercorns

• 100ml boiling water

• 900g (2lb) minced beef (15% fat)

• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

• 1 bunch spring onions, minced

• 3 Chinese cabbage leaves

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tsp roasted sesame oil

• 1 red chilli, minced

• Salt and pepper to taste

• For the dipping sauce: 

• 2 tsp chilli oil (taste to see how hot it is before adding)

• 3 tbsp hoisin sauce

• 120ml soy sauce

• 4 tsp roasted sesame oil

• 1 tsp caster sugar (optional)

• 3 tbsp Chinese black vinegar or balsamic

• 1 tbsp ginger, minced

• 2 tbsp spring onion, minced

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

Method

1. To make the dipping sauce, put all the ingredients into a jam jar and shake.

2. Next, make the dumplings. Place the Sichuan peppercorns and boiling water into a heatproof jug and allow them to soak for 10-15 minutes.

3. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl (by hand is best) until they are well combined.

4. Strain the Sichuan peppercorns and retain the liquid.

5. Pour half the water into the beef mixture and stir until it has absorbed. Repeat with the remaining water.

6. Put a scant teaspoon of the mixture into the middle of a dumpling skin, wet the outer edge with water and fold the dumpling together (into a half-moon shape) by pleating one edge against the other.

7. Heat a tablespoon of oil in the bottom of a frying pan or wok. Fry the dumplings until one side is brown and crisp, 2-3 minutes.

8. Then add 2 tablespoons of water to the pan/wok (please note that the oil will split due to water being added) and cover immediately with a lid for 5-6 minutes to allow the dumplings to steam.

9. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce and enjoy.

 

Sticky Chinese aubergine

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

Infused with garlic, Chinese black vinegar and cooking wine, this deeply flavourful, spicy dish is perfect for a midweek vegetarian dinner

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 25 mins

Course

 Side

Cuisine

 Asian

Ingredients

• 60ml soy sauce

• 2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar (or balsamic) 

• 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (or dry sherry) 

• 1 tbsp sugar 

• 1 tsp chilli flakes

• a pinch of sea salt 

• 2 large aubergines 

• vegetable oil 

• 10 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced 

• a thumb of ginger, peeled and minced 

• sesame oil 

• 4 spring onions, finely sliced 

• sticky rice

Method

1. Cut the aubergine in half lengthways and then into wedges.

2. Mix together the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, cooking wine, chilli flakes and sea salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3. Steam the aubergine for around 8-10 minutes using either a bamboo steamer over a wok of boiling water or in a standard steamer over a pot. The aubergine should be tender all the way through but not falling apart. You may need to do this in batches. Transfer the steamed aubergine to a plate.

4. Place the wok on a medium high heat with a little vegetable oil and add the garlic and ginger.

5. Fry for a few seconds in the hot oil before adding the steamed aubergine.

6. Fry for another 20-30 seconds before pouring in the sauce.

7. Cook for around 5-6 minutes until the sauce thickens around the aubergine. Remove from the heat and drizzle with a little sesame oil and sprinkle the sliced sporing onions over.

8. Serve with sticky rice.

 

Roast belly pork with Chinese spices

recipe by:Darina Allen

With brown rice and stir-fried greens, this pork has a warm, spicy flavour with a gentle hint of ginger

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 40 mins

Cooking Time

 1 hours 5 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 45 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Chinese

Ingredients

• 8 slices of pork belly 2cm thick with their rinds on

• juice of ½ lemon

• 2 tsp Chinese five spice powder

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 4 garlic cloves

• 3cm piece of ginger

• pepper

Method

1. Put the pork into a bowl and add the lemon juice, five spice powder and soy sauce.

2. Peel the garlic and ginger, chop the garlic and grate the ginger, and add to the pork. Season with pepper and mix the whole lot together. Leave to marinate for as long as you can, even 30 minutes will help.

3. Heat the oven to 200°C Lay the pork strips flat in a single layer in a steel, enamel or ceramic roasting tin or dish. Pour over the liquid from the marinade.

4. Roast for 45 minutes, then turn over the pieces of pork and finish roasting for another 15-20 minutes, depending on how crispy you like pork rinds.