5 Spice Lamb

Ingredients
625g Lamb (boneless cut into thin strips)
1 Red Pepper (de seeded and sliced thinly)
1 Green Pepper (de seeded and sliced thinly)
1 Yellow Pepper (de seeded and sliced thinly)
4 Spring Onions (cut diagonally into inch long strips)
175g Green Beans (cut diagonally into inch long strips)
4 Tablespoons Sherry
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
3 Tablespoons Sunflower Oil
2 Teaspoons Chinese 5 Spice Powder
Salt and Pepper
Rice Noodles to Serve

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Wok
1 Spatula
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Metal Spoon
1 Slotted Spoon

The Good Bit

1. Place the lamb in a mixing bowl, and sprinkle over a pinch of salt, add in the 5 spice powder, stir well and leave covered over night.
2. Heat half the oil in the wok until it is very hot, add in the lamb and cook for 3-4 minutes, keep it moving all the time until it is almost cooked, remove with the slotted spoon and set aside.
   
3. Now add the rest of the oil to the pan and drop in the peppers and spring onion, keep these moving for 3 minutes before you add in the green beans, only cook these for 1 minute before adding in the soy sauce and sherry, get this hot then add the lamb back in, stir fry for another minute before seasoning then serving on rice noodles.
   

Serves 4

Potato Salad

Ingredients
500g New Potatoes
150g Green Beans
8 Spring Onions (sliced into inch long chunks)
200g Pitted Black Olives (optional)
100g Salami (cut into thin slices, don't use if you are going for the vegetarian version)
6 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Fresh Mint (chopped)
1 Tablespoons Whole Grain Mustard
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Pan
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Serving Bowl

The Good Bit

1. Start by cooking the potatoes for 15 minutes, then drop in the beans and cook for another 3 minutes, drain the water and rinse under cold water then drain again and leave to cool some more.
2. Now chop the potatoes into chunks and toss into the serving bowl along with the olives, onions and salami, in the mixing bowl you want to mix together the remaining ingredients and then season with salt and pepper, pour over the potato mixture and serve.
   

Serves 4

Thai Omelette

Ingredients
1 Onion (thinly chopped)
2 Cloves Garlic (thinly chopped)
2 Tablespoons Chopped Green Beans
2 Tablespoons Chopped Asparagus
3 Baby Sweetcorn (thinly sliced)
1 Tomato (diced)
4 Shiitake Mushrooms (sliced)
1 1/2 Teaspoons Sugar
2 Teaspoons Soy Sauce
50ml Water
Pinch of Salt
Oil
3 Eggs (beaten)
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Medium Bowl
1 Frying Pan/Wok
1 Spatula

The Good Bit

1. Heat 3 Tablespoons of groundnut oil in the pan (olive will do) fry the onion and garlic for 30 seconds then add the rest of the vegetables, the soy sauce and the sugar and stir fry for another 4 minutes.
2. Take out of the pan and set aside, wipe the pan clean and add another dash of oil then pour in the egg and swirl it round to cover the bottom of the pan, with the spatula keep lifting the edges of the omelette to make sure it doesn't stick, when the omelette is almost firm drop the filling in the centre.
3. Fold the edges, top and bottom over the filling to create an oblong parcel then serve and carve into 4 slices. you can add a topping of fried basil leaves for extra flare, a couple of basil leaves in the pan once your done, take out when they are wilted (seconds)
   

Serves 4

Lamb Hot Pot

Ingredients
4 Lamb Steaks (100g each or just over the palm of your hand in size)
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 400g Can Chopped Tomatoes
120ml Mixed Stock (1 chicken and 1 veg cube)
100g Green beans (sliced in half, not length ways!!)
Tabasco Sauce
500g Potatoes
A Splash of Oil
A Knob of Butter
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Mixed Herbs (you should always have this in your stock cupboard)

Equipment
2 SHARP Knifes
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Pan (2/3rds full boiling salted water)
1 Large Frying Pan/Wok (with a lid)

The Good Bit

1. Put The potatoes whole (or Halved if they are very large) in the pan of boiling water and cook for 10mins. Meanwhile cut each of the lamb steaks into 4 strips then place in the frying pan with the onion and a splash of oil and cover and cook for 4 minutes until well browned.
2. Pour in the tomatoes, the stock, the green beans and sprinkle over the herbs, add a dash of tabasco (only if you like a little bite to the meal) and bring to the boil then turn down the heat to a low simmer whilst you do the next bit.
3. Drain the potatoes and slice as thin as possible (you may want to run them under a little cold water to allow you to handle them, then arrange the slices in overlapping layers on top of the lamb, cover the frying pan turn up the heat a little and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. The icing on the cake if you can do it, is to dot butter on to the potatoes at this stage and whack under a high grill for a couple of minutes to crispen those tatties off.

Serves 4