Hoi Sin Venison with Noodles

Day one of the venison leftovers....

I decided to try one of my little one's staple favourites. usually I'd make either Duck with Hoi Sin Sauce steamed vegetables and noodles, but this time I sustituted some of the chopped leftover venison. It was delicious!

I did try another new thing too - I usually use a very strong Hoi Sin Sauce (Wing Yip make it)and I dilute it - but it does become very runny and watery. Waitrose also do a lovely one - but this time I decided (inspired by the blog title) to sneak some extra vegetables into the mix.

The recipe is below. This version is what we ate last night - my little one is pretty good at eating vegetables these days so I add chunks of steamed stir fry vegetables too. You can add or pick out what you want to on your child's plate. I have to say kids tend to love the crunchy bean sprouts but are not so fond on the chard strips (which I am using as they are available in my garden right now. So just adjust to what you have available. The version of this I eat on any given day is really a whats in the fridge meal. As long as I have some Hoi Sin in the cupboard and some Noodles I can make a version of this as a quick supper. It works well with cooked chicken leftovers as well.

My final tip is the name - its all in the name for little ones. When I started first served this to my little girl she turned her nose up at the title - so for her it became "sucky noodles" and that is has remained. If the hoi sin sauce is too strong for you why not try it with a gentler plum sauce or experiment. I'm not a great advocate of cook in sauces and Hoi Sin is about the only one you'll find in my cupboard.


Hoi Sin Venison With Noodles

Ingredients:

Cooked Chopped Venison (I had about 2 cups worth)
1 red onion - chopped
2 courgettes - 1 finely sliced for the stir fry - 1 chuncky chopped for the sauce
1 carrots - chopped into narrow spears to stir fry
Rhubarb Chard - about 75g - sliced into strips
Bean Sprouts - about 1 cup
1 broccoli floret chopped into smaller florets to stir fry.
Butter nut squash slices chucnky chopped - about 150g
Medium Egg noodles (enough for your party - I use one nest per person)
2 tbs Hoi Sin Sauce
1 tbs water - to steam the veg.
1 clove garlic - crushed
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp chinese 5 spice

Method:
I diced a couple of slices of butternut Squash, and a courgette (zucchini) and boiled them in the pan I would later use to boil the noodles - for 5 minutes until they were soft. I lifted the veg out with a slotted spoon and then popped the noodles in to boil in the vegetable water. Not sure how much goodness would infuse but its worth a try.

I then whizzed the courgette and butternut to a velvety sauce consistency with my little Braun Whizzer and added two tablespoons of the Hoi Sin Sauce (until the smell and taste was right - good colour, good consistency, good taste. Then I used this as my stir fry sauce.

I chopped a red onion and the crushed garlic and fryed it until soft in the wok. Then added the venison and the ginger and 5 spice, My mum has always told me that the combination of ginger / onion and garlic is very good for you. So I often use it.

I steamed my veg in the wok - Broccoli, carrots, courgette and some rhubarb chard stalk about 2 mins until cooked but not floppy. Add the hoi sin sauce you have adulterated with vegetables and heat through then add the bean sprouts and chard leaf strips. Return the lid to steam for about 45 seconds to 1 minute then serve.

I almost forgot to mention I usually cook a bit more than needed usually an extra portion - and I freeze it in a microwavable tub. Hubby takes these to work (his work seem to be under the impression that greasy spoon food is good for its employees - and then have the cheek to make them all take fitness tests every year!!) so when ever I make a freezable dish I always make a portion or two for lunches. I have them too sometimes for lunch in a rush or a meal when its just me and I'd otherwise eat be tempted by the chip van......

I finally roasted that Venison that I've been avoiding in the back of the freezer.

One of hubby's work colleagues gave him a huge haunch of venison some time ago as a thankyou for some helpful task he performed. We greeted it with lots off "OOhhs" and "mmm how delicious" comments - and then chucked it in the freezer and there it has stayed. Everynow and then I have prodded it and wondered what on earth to do with it, then furtively tucked it back in under the frozen fish. We had visitors to stay for the past week and I decided - thats it I'm defrosting this thing and cooking it.

It took a good day to defrost, and boy did it smell funny. Gamey - well that could be due to the fact its game - but it was smell I was not too hot on. I did a bit of research and found some instructions on cooking times and decided I wanted to cook it with lots of herbs and garlic. I took about 12 huge garlic cloves and crushed them - mixed it in with some Olive Oil and slathered the venison haunch with it. Then I picked some herbs from the garden and dressed it on top and underneath with sprigs of rosemary, bay leaves, thyme and oregano then I wrapped the whole thing in streaky bacon and left it to marinade for 7 hours (I'm sure it would be happy with less that was just how it worked out)

By the time I was ready to roast it the smell was replaced with something promising and I was feeling a lot more confident.

I preheated the oven to 220c / 425f / GM7 and once hot enough popped in the joint covered in my roasting dish. As my joint was dead on 2kg I roasted it on the high heat for 20 mins (if it had been over 2kg then it would have needed about 10 mins more on high) - then turned the heat down to 170c / 325f / GM3 and cooked it for 12 mins per 500g meat. So all in all it only took just over an hour to cook which surprised me (aparently venision needs a shorter cooking time than many other meats due to its leanness and density.) After cooking it needed a good 20mins to rest.

We ate it with a healthy version of a potato gratin (made with yoghurt instead of cream) steamed broccoli, french beans, carrots from the garden (and of course - Purple Greenies for my little one who now cannot get enough of them - thats shelled steamed runners to the uninitiated) and of course the vital home made gravy - yum!!

I have to say it was delicious and I've gone from being uncertain on how to roast this thing to dying for the next one to be offered.

Now I just have to come up with some recepies for the left over meat!!

I Lurve chicken!!

My family love chicken. I could eat it every day and be happy. This is my favourite chicken recipe it was long ago adapted from a Waitrose recipe card and has become a firm favourite. Its great because it used inexpensive chicken thigh cuts, bone in as the bone adds so much flavour to the mix as its roasted. I've been making a huge effort to only buy free range chicken since I saw Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's programme on Tesco and Chickens. If you can't get free range that the the mimimum try the RSPCA freedom food standard which although raised in barns is rasied at a much better level of care and arguably produces a much tastier meat! Lecture over!

This recipe is fab as it only takes half an hour or so to cook and once you have chopped the veg you just fling it all in the oven and let it do its thing! And its a one pot dish so your lowering your carbon footprint by avoiding using 101 different pots pans and heat sources to cook your meal.

The veg in this goes all caremelised and lovely - my little one scoffs it down double quick - she especially loves sweet potato and butternut when cooked this way - and the pancetta adds some natrual salt so no need to add more at the table!

Chicken Tray Roast

2 large baking potatoes chopped into chunky wedges
1 Butternut Squash, peeled and chopped into chunky wedges
1 sweet potato (or yam) peeled and chopped into chunky wedges
3 carrots peeled and roughly chopped
2 parsnips peeled and roughly chopped
1 Onion roughly chopped (I prefer red onions for this)
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
150g diced pancetta
1 teaspoon rosemary
3 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
8 chicken thighs

Method:
Preheat the oven to 375F. Arrange the vegetables on the base of a large roasting tray. Season lightly and sprinkle with rosemary. Drizzle with the olive oil and roast for 15 minutes. Remove vegetables from the oven and nestle the chicken between the vegetables. Mix together the honey and soy sauce and pour over the chicken to make a glaze. Roast for a further 25 – 30 minutes, or until the vegetables and chicken are cooked. This dish is great on its own or you could serve it with seasonal green vegetables.

There is currently a "HATE" on Runner Beans!!

I'm drowning in Runner Beans. I made a descision this year not to plant any as none of us are mega keen on them. And I planted French Beans instead. Or so I thought - I swear they looked like french beans, they were certainly the right colour beans - but as they have grown all but two plants have revealed themselves to be cuckoos in the nest and have developed into full on runners. Arrggghhh!!

So now I am drowning in runners but have no-one to eat them all. I've tried giving them away but everyone around here grows them, so I have had to be creative. My freind has one of those nifty bean slicers that cuts them into neat little strips. I figured my 5 year old will like that - I scrubbed the beans to dehair them, then de-stringed and finally sliced - I served them with optimism - she'll have to like them - Nope - she can spot a runner a mile off..

"These are NOT squeaky Beans!!" she grumped. (she calls french beans "squeaky beans" she got the name from her freind) "they're horrid hairy runners Mummy!"

RUMBLED!!!

So last week I decided to try a new tack. I shelled the little pinky beans from the runner pods and steamed them, then served them with our usual mix of steamed veg which we have with many meals. She was intrigued as they had turned a lovely purple shade in the steaming process. She bit into one and discovered the little green squirt of bean inside and proclaimed them to be called "Purple Greenies" she stole all of mine off my plate and has been demanding them at every meal. So a new hit - try it it might work for you - clandestine runner beans AKA Purple Greenies!!!

Ginger Drizzle Cake (with clandestine courgette)

Ok I know it sounds like a really scary concept to those who have not eaten cakes laced with vegetables - but it is delicious, think of it as an extension of the carrot cake premise. The veg keeps it moist and delicious, not sure if it will count towards your "Five a Day" but its worth a try!

I have half a ton of courgettes to use at the moment so I am experimenting with all kinds of creative ways to use them up, this recipie even works well with your courgettes gone crazy who are veering towards a career as a marrow. The inspiration for this recipe came from a freind from the US, where courgettes masquereade under the name of Zuchinni, I've been fiddling and experimenting with it for a while and this is the result... amazingly it tastes gorgeous!!

Try it - go on....

Ginger Drizzle Cake (with clandestine courgette)

1/3 cup crystallized ginger (1 3/4 oz), coarsely chopped
2 cups plain flour
2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups finely grated courgette (if you are using a marrow wannabe scrape out the centre)
3/4 cup light olive oil
3/4 cup honey
2 large eggs, lightly beaten (preferably duck but I would say that as I have a daily supply!)
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the ginger drizzle
1/4 cup Freshly grated ginger root
85g caster sugar
a little water

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease one large loaf tin or two small loaf tins

Pulse crystallized ginger in food processor until finely ground, then add flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, zest, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and pulse until combined.

Whisk courgette, oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla in a medium bowl, then stir in flour mixture until just combined.

Divide batter among tins and bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of a cake comes out clean, this should take 25 to 30 minutes, possibly less if you have a fan oven.

Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Remove cake from tins and cool completely, 1 hour.

Make syrup:

Fine grate the fresh ginger root and sieve juice through a piece of linen or gauze. Squeeze to extract all of the juice. Mix this juice with your sugar, add a tiny bit of water if required.

With a skewer stab the top of your cooled cake. The more stabs the better the drizzle will spread. I use a skewer to allow me to stab right to the bottom of the cake to make sure the drizzle doesn't just drizzle the top!


I've been promising this recipe to lots of freinds for age so - Done!! Enjoy :)