Tag-Archive for » bok choy «
This is a very healthy, yet delicious recipe, it is an alternative way to do lamb shanks other than in red wine and beef stock with herbs and vegetables. It is also low in fat and carbohydrates. You can up the carbs by serving this with steamed basmati rice if desired, I just served it with bok choy and gai larn (also known as Chinese broccoli.)
Description Gai Larn
Chinese Broccoli has smooth round stems sprouting large green leaves.It is a variety of broccoli that is similar to regular broccoli, but milder in taste and grown on a longer stalk. The stalks and leaves are often cooked separately, cooking the stalks first, until tender and the leaves until wilted. It is good in salads, steam cooked as a side dish, as an ingredient in a vegetable stir-fry, or added to other cooked dishes.
Ingredients
4 Lamb Shanks or 8 French trimmed lamb shanks (these
are smaller in size therefore you will need 2 per person.)
1 Cinnamon stick
1 Teaspoon dried chilli flakes
11/2 Teaspoons five spice powder
2 Star anise
1/2 Cup Chinese rice wine
50ml Soy sauce
2 Tablespoons tamarind concentrated paste (I use TRS brand.)
21/2 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 Teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
3 Cloves garlic, chopped coarsely
1 Cup water
600g Bok choy, ends chopped off
350g Gai larn, trimmed
11/2-2 Teaspoons cornflour
1 Tablespoon brown sugar extra
Method
1. In a small heated fry pan, dry-fry chilli, cinnamon, five spice and star anise, stirring, until fragrant.
2. Combine spices with rice wine, sauce, tamarind, sugar, ginger, garlic and water in a medium jug.
3. Place lamb in a baking dish and pour spice mixture over, cover dish with foil. You will bake lamb the entire time covered, just opening to turn lamb occasionally.
4. Bake in oven 11/4-11/2 hours at 100c, then turn up oven to 150c and bake for a further 1-1/4hour, finally turn oven up to 180c and bake for 30 Min’s to 1 hour until lamb is falling off the bone.
5. Boil or steam bok choy and gai larn separately until tender and drain.
6. When lamb is done remove and wrap in foil to keep warm. Strain liquid into a saucepan and bring to boil over a medium heat. Add a little water to cornflour and add to sauce, stir until mixture thickens.
7. I stated in ingredients 1 tablespoon, extra, of brown sugar, I have made this several times and sometimes I find it is fine as is and other times I find I need to add the extra sugar, so just taste test to see if you need this.
This is a great recipe because once you have made the spice mixture to pour over lamb, that is just about it, you can just leave it to cook, with the only thing to remember, to turn the oven up at required times. The lamb comes out perfect every time so juicy and tender.
To serve: Place a mound of steamed vegetables on plate, place lamb shank on top and drizzle sauce over.
As I stated earlier to up carbs just serve with some steamed basmati rice.
All photo’s taken by me unless otherwise stated.
Here is another Delicious crispy skinned duck breast recipe served with hoisin plum sauce. Healthy but yummy bok choy and vegetable fried rice.
Ingredients
4 Magret of duck (Duck Breast skin on. Magret are more expensive but larger than normal breasts so feel free to buy less expensive breasts just make sure they are of a decent size.)
For the Sauce
3/4 Cup hoisin sauce (I buy blue dragon brand it is the best I have found, some brands can have a very strong flavour and be overpowering.)
1/4 Cup plum sauce (I buy Sharwood’s plum sauce with a hint of ginger again I really like it.)
Bok Choy
1 Tablespoon peanut oil
8 Heads bok choy, medium in size
4-5 Green onions, sliced
1 Clove garlic, crushed
1 Teaspoon ginger, grated
11/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Teaspoon turmeric
11/2 Teaspoons sugar
11/2 Tablespoons fresh coriander, Finley chopped
Vegetable Fried Rice
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Teaspoons sesame oil
11/2 cups cooked white rice (Leave for about 30 Min’s to make sure most of the moisture has drained.)
4 Green onions, sliced
1 Large carrot, diced
2 Celery sticks, diced
1 Small red pepper, diced
80g Shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1/4 Cup frozen corn
1/4 Cup frozen peas
100g Baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
2-3 Teaspoons soy sauce
1 Teaspoon sugar
Method
For the Duck
1. Prick duck skin all over, heat a non stick fry pan, add duck skin side down and cook until skin is browned and crisp. (there will be a lot of fat that drains from skin so keep pouring fat out from time to time.)
2. Pre-heat oven to 180c, place duck on wire rack in baking dish skin side up and bake for 20-25 Min’s or until cooked as desired, let breast stand for 5 Min’s before serving. I like to turn the grill on for the last few Min’s of cooking to really crisp up the skin.
For The Sauce
1. Combine both sauces in a pan and heat until hot.
Bok Choy
1. Cut ends off bok choy and pull leaves apart.
2. Heat oil in pan or work add onions, garlic and ginger stir fry a minute, add sugar, soy, turmeric and bok choy stir fry 3-5 Min’s until tender, add coriander stir and serve immediately.
Vegetable Fried Rice
1. Heat oils in a wok. Add carrot, celery, mushrooms and pepper stir fry 2-3 Min’s
2. Add soy sauce, peas, corn, spinach and sugar stir fry a couple Min’s more. Finally add rice and stir fry until thoroughly mixed and heated through serve immediately.
Serve sliced duck breast with bok choy, fried rice and sauce.
All photo’s taken by me unless otherwise stated.
