SQUASH AND CHICKEN RECIPES RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Peel and finely chop the onions, carrots and garlic, then trim and finely chop the celery. Deseed and finely chop the chilli. Pick and finely chop the rosemary.
  2. Heat a couple of lugs of olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the sage leaves and fry for 30 seconds, or until crisp, then remove to kitchen paper.
  3. Place the pan of flavoured oil back on the heat, add the onion, carrot, garlic, celery, chilli, rosemary and a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then cook gently for 10 minutes, or until sweet and soft.
  4. Meanwhile, halve, deseed and rough chop the squash. When the time's up, add the squash and stock to the pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
  5. For the croutons, drizzle a little olive oil over the ciabatta, pat it in, then finely grate and press some grated Parmesan on to each side. Place in a dry, non-stick pan and fry until golden on both sides.
  6. When the squash is tender, whiz the soup with a stick blender or pour it into a blender and pulse to a smooth purée – leave it slightly chunky, if you prefer.
  7. Season to perfection with salt and pepper, then divide between bowls, placing 2 croutons on top of each.
  8. Sprinkle with a few crispy sage leaves and drizzle with a swirl of quality extra virgin olive oil, then serve.

Steps:

• Ingredients out • Kettle boiled • Griddle pan, high heat • Large lidded pan, high heat • Food processor (coarse grater & bowl blade) START COOKING On a large sheet of greaseproof paper, toss the chicken with sea salt, black pepper and the five-spice. Fold over the paper, then bash and flatten the chicken to 1.5cm thick with a rolling pin. Place on the hot griddle pan, turning after 3 or 4 minutes, until nicely charred and cooked through. Pour about 800ml of boiling water into the large pan and crumble in the stock cube. Trim the stalk off the squash, roughly chop the neck end (don't peel, and keep the seed end for another day), then grate and tip into the boiling stock. Peel the garlic and ginger. Swap to the bowl blade in the processor and add the garlic, ginger, chilli, turmeric, trimmed spring onions, peanut butter, lime leaves, coriander stalks (reserving the leaves), sesame oil, soy and fish sauces. Blitz to a paste, then tip into the stock and add the noodles. Trim the asparagus and cut in half. Add to the pan, pour in the coconut milk, and as soon as it boils, taste, correct the seasoning with soy sauce and lime juice, then turn the heat off. Drizzle the honey over the charred chicken, squeeze over the juice of 1 lime, scatter with the sesame seeds and toss to coat. Serve with the laksa and lime wedges, sprinkling everything with the coriander leaves and slices of fresh chilli.