Its getting warmer here,so I,m bringing out all my light supper recs and all my salad recs!This is what we had last night.........

This is wonderful.........and tasted devine!!!!! CHINESE-STYLE CHICKEN WITH BROCCOLI
by Ken Hom

Serves 4

450g/1lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 5cm/2in pieces
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp cornflour
450g/1lb fresh Chinese or ordinary broccoli
11/2 tbsp groundnut oil
2 tbsp coarsely chopped garlic
2 tbsp finely shredded fresh ginger
2 large red Thai chillies, seeded and sliced
2 tbsp Thai fish sauce (nam pla) or light soy sauce
3-5 tbsp chicken stock (good quality) or water
2 tbsp oyster sauce
boiled Thai fragrant rice, to serve

Place the chicken is a non-metallic bowl and add the soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, salt, half a teaspoon of the pepper, one teaspoon of the sesame oil and the cornflour. Mix well to combine and place in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes.

If you are using Chinese broccoli, cut it into 4cm/11/2in segments. If you are using ordinary, separate the broccoli heads into small florets, then peel and slice the stems. Blanch in a pan of boiling salted water for 1-2 minutes until just tender, then immerse in cold water. Drain thoroughly.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over a high heat until it is hot. Add the groundnut oil, and when it is slightly smoking, add the garlic, ginger and the remaining half a teaspoon of pepper. Stir-fry for a few seconds, add the chicken, then stir-fry for 4 minutes or until the chicken is sealed and browned.

Add the blanched broccoli, chillies and fish sauce to the pan, adding the stock or water as needed. Stir-fry at a moderate to high heat for 4 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and the broccoli is heated through. Add the oyster sauce and the remaining two teaspoons of sesame oil and stir-fry for another 2 minutes. Serve at once with some rice, if liked. I made a simple cucumber salad............Oriental Cucumber Salad

Serves 4 to 6

3 medium Cucumbers
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Sesame Seeds
1 tsp. Soy Sauce
1 Tbs. Sesame Oil
1 tsp. hot Soybean Paste
1 tsp. fresh Lemon Juice

Clean and peel the cucumber. Cut into thin, round
slices. Place the cucumber slices in a non-metal bowl
and sprinkle the salt over them. Toss the slices and let
them soak with the salt for about 15 minutes.
Lightly rinse the cucumber slices in a colander and let
drain. Pour the drained cucumber slices into a non-metal
bowl and add the sesame seeds, soy sauce, sesame oil,
soybean paste, and fresh lemon juice. Toss to combine
all ingredients thoroughly.

Refrigerate the cucumber salad for about an hour before
serving. Toss just prior to serving and enjoy a wonderfully
cool blend of tastes! For dessert we had Mango ice-cream and these lovely biscuits......

Almond Shortbread Biscuits 6 oz Flour
2 oz Cornflour
5 oz Butter
1 oz Ground almonds
3 oz Caster sugar

Set oven to 350F or Mark 4. Grease a baking sheet.
Cream the butter in a mixing bowl. Sift together the
flour and cornflour and add, with the almonds and
sugar, to the butter. Work the ingredients together
with the hands. Turn out on to a very lightly floured
surface and finish kneading until the dough is smooth.
Roll the dough into two rounds each 1/4 inch thick.
Prick well with a fork and mark each circle into six
triangles. Transfer to the baking sheet. Bake for
about 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before
cutting and then place on a wire rack to finish
cooling.

All in all it was a bit of a "fusion"type meal and lovely for a warm night.Have a great Sunday
love Julie