Hearty Three-Bean Chicken Stew

Bacon, chicken chunks and three different beans, cooked to a rich tomato stew with a ton of different spices, and made creamy by a cheeky handful of cheese stirred in at the end. What's not to like? :)

I improvised this on the fly last night with leftover ingredients, so measurements are totally approximate. Feel free to add or omit anything on the list- I think carrots, zucchini or any chunky vegetables of your choice would make a great addition too.

Hearty Three-Bean Chicken Stew

Serves 8

*If you prefer not to use canned beans, just soak 3/4 cup of dried beans for each kind listed (so 2 1/4 cups dried beans total) overnight in water. Bring to a boil the next day and simmer for about 90 mins-2 hrs until cooked. You can use the water from cooking the beans in your stew.

Snip 200g streaky bacon into bits with some kitchen shears- I like to use Trader Joe's Bacon Ends and Pieces for cooking, and I much prefer kitchen scissors to a knife so I can cut it straight into the pot without getting a chopping board greasy.

Add a touch of olive oil and saute over medium-high heat until the fat from the bacon melts.

Add in and cook for a few minutes:

1 large cooking onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

A few dried chillies, crushed

Cut 2 lbs boneless chicken thighs into small chunks ( far prefer dark meat to white, but you can use chicken breast if preferred). Add to the pot and saute briefly until seared.

Pour in:

1 can (28 oz) chopped tomatoes

1 can (15 oz) each of pinto beans, red kidney beans and white canellini beans, drained (you can use just one type or other varieties if you prefer)

About 1 cup water (or the stock from cooking your dried beans if you did that)

1 tsp each of ground cumin and ground coriander

A generous sprinkling of dried oregano, basil, thyme, smoked paprika and cayenne (or any other herbs you want)

Lots of freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

1 bay leaf

Bring to a boil, then simmer on low-medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 30-45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thickened.

Right at the end, stir in a tiny handful of grated cheese to make creamy (I had a Mexican blend of asadero, sharp cheddar, queso blanco and Monterey Jack lying around).

Let cool slightly before serving. Eat on its own, with rice or with bread.

Tastes even better as leftovers the next day!

Wat Tan Hor/Kong Foo Chow (Cantonese Fried Flat Noodles in Egg Gravy)

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Ahhh, hello my old sweet friend. *warm fuzzy feeling in my belly*

Whilst some weirdo types like Arivind just don't get my adoration of this comforting childhood favourite and insist the only "right" way to cook any noodle is dry ala char kuay teow, I believe some days nothing hits the spot quite like a huge pile of wok-fried hor fun peppered with delicious chunks of seafood and meat, smothered in a piping hot thick egg gravy. This classic hawker concoction goes by many names: wat tan hor (its most common moniker in Kuala Lumpur, translating to mean "smooth egg fried noodles"), kong foo chow (literally "Cantonese-fried"), char hor fun (as it is known in Penang where bewilderingly, sometimes eggs aren't added (!!) ) and if you use a mix of broad and thin rice noodles, yin yong hor (a reference I guess to the Yin and Yang of the two varieties). The Thai dish of Ratna is also similar, though again egg is absent and seasonings/toppings vary slightly. Whatever you choose to call it, it's good.

As with all fried hawker noodle dishes, use a large wok over high heat where possible and slice up all your ingredients before starting to cook so they can be tossed in quickly. The secret to getting the gravy right is to add the eggs at the very last minute before serving- by all means change it up to be thicker/thinner/eggier/egg-less if you see fit.

Wat Tan Hor/Kong Foo Chow (Cantonese Fried Flat Noodles in Egg Gravy)

*Makes 2 small portions

Fry together over high heat in a bit of oil until charred:

About 350g fresh hor fun/kuay teow (soak in hot water first to separate if clumped together, then drain thoroughly. If using dried noodles, use less as it expands and boil until white and soft before use)

1 tbsp dark soy sauce (more if it looks too light)

1 tbsp light soy sauce

Dish up onto two deep plates/shallow bowls and set aside.

• Making the Gravy:

Fry 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped until golden.

Add and fry briefly:

8-10 slices of pork/chicken (or beef if you like)

6-8 raw king prawns, peeled and deveined

6-8 slices of fishcake

6-8 slices of squid

Lower heat and add:

1½- 2 cups water (depending on how much gravy you want) *If you have good chicken stock around use that but I would avoid artificial chicken stock cubes/powder, tastes awful!

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp light soy sauce

Bit of sugar

Dash of white pepper

Dash of salt

Bring to a boil, then add 2 tsp cornstarch diluted in ¼ cup water (for thickening).

Simmer for a few mins until thickened. Slice 1 bunch of choy sum (flowering Chinese cabbage) or greens of your choice into 2” lengths and throw in.

Turn heat off and break in 2 eggs, stirring quickly to scramble. Have a quick taste and add more seasoning if required. Dish the gravy over the prepared hor fun and serve immediately (alongside a small dish of sliced pickled green chillies in light soy sauce if you're lucky enough to have it).

Get in with chopsticks and a Chinese spoon. Shovel into mouth.

Ayam Goreng Berempah (Malay Spiced Fried Chicken)

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Delectably crunchy and bursting with the robust flavours of a dozen herbs and spices, this Malaysian-style fried chicken is simply hard to beat when it comes to good old juicy, crackling scrumptiousness. Be careful cooking this when you're hungry- once all the aromatics start sizzling away your entire kitchen will fill up with a fragrance that is oh so UH-MAZING.

Serve with rice, or alongside nasi lemak for a more divine experience.

Ayam Goreng Berempah (Malay Spiced Fried Chicken)

Serves 4-6

Chop 1 whole large chicken up into about 12 pieces (or use 12 drumsticks/thighs).

Blend in a grinder to a paste:

4 large cloves garlic

2 medium cooking onions

1" ginger

4 sticks lemongrass (white part only)

Stir together to form a batter:

1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp meat curry powder (Baba's is the brand we stick to)

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp cornflour

Combine all the chicken, paste and batter in a large container and add a small handful of fresh curry leaves. Mix well and leave to marinate in the refrigerator at least a few hours (overnight is best).

About an hour before cooking, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and leave it to reach room temperature (so the inside isn't cold- you don't want meat that ends up burning on the outside but raw in the middle!).

Heat up a large amount of oil until hot but not smoking-it has reached the correct temperature when you drop a small curry leaf in and it sizzles and bubbles. Drop the chicken pieces in carefully and deep fry over medium heat for about 10-15 mins until golden and crisp (use your discretion- smaller pieces will cook faster).

Shake off excess oil and place on a rack to drain further.

Stuff your face!

Perfect with some homemade nasi lemak!

Rich Tomato Beef Stew

Cold weather calls for hearty comfort food, so here: a simple-to-cook pot of tender beefy goodness with a thick flavoursome gravy to warm you up this winter :) Double the recipe if you like and freeze for a later date- the beef keeps well and will only get tastier with time.

Bon appetit!

Rich Tomato Beef Stew

Serves 2-3

Sweat in a pan over low-medium heat until translucent:

1 onion, sliced into half rings

2 cloves garlic, minced

Add and stir for a few minutes until meat is browned:

600g stewing/braising beef, cut into chunks

2 bay leaves

Generous sprinkling of dried mixed herbs

2 dried chillies, crushed

Salt and black pepper

Stir in, cover and simmer on low heat for 2 hours until thickened:

1 large carrot, cut into chunks (or any vegetables/pulses you feel like using)

1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes

1 cup water

A good glug of milk

At the last minute, stir in 1 tsp wholegrain mustard and cook a couple more minutes.

Serve hot with rice, couscous or bread.

Penang Char Kuay Teow (Stir-Fried Flat Rice Noodles)

I initially blogged a version of this sinful Malaysian favourite, most famously from the island of Penang, back in April 2009. Since then, after some extensive R&D (by that I mean making Arivind my taste test guinea pig until he gives it the thumbs up) we have decided that you should ignore the old one and use This Perfected Recipe instead!

Truthfully the only change is that the seasoning has been tweaked to contain both dark and light soy sauce in 3:1 proportions, as well as a touch of sugar. The literal meaning of "char" in Chinese is to stir-fry briskly over high heat (in this case until it is actually "charred" as it means in English), so the crucial key to success still lies in a super hot smoking wok, a large open flame and a very quick hand. Sorry but it has to be a wok and it has to be a flame; an electric stove and a normal Tefal or any other frying pan just won't provide the essential smoky "wok hei" (the fragrance imparted by a hot wok)- trust me, I've tried. You must also:

a)Make sure all the individual ingredients are already sliced/ washed/ chopped/ prepped before you start any cooking, ready to be tossed in fast-and-furious style. Too slow and stuff will burn!

b)Ventilate- put your cooker hood on at full blast, open all your windows etc to avoid setting off your smoke alarm (which I've done several times).

c)Use fresh hor fun/kuay teow where possible. As they usually come quite stiff and stuck together, make sure to soak in boiling water first to loosen the strands (don't just try to pry them apart as they will break). If you only have dried noodles, use less as it expands once boiled and cook according to the packet instructions first.

d)Make sure to drain the soaked hor fun/kuay teow thoroughly. Wet noodles beget soggy char kuay teow that won't char!

e)Fry single portions at a time to get the right texture and ratio of noodles to the other ingredients.

f)Put aside any concerns about healthy eating- if you're on a diet, char kuay teow and it's tasty lardy deliciousness are NOT for you :)

g)Be prepared for your entire house to smell like a hawker centre. I'd recommend closing off your bedrooms/any other areas you'd like to protect.

Happy cooking!

Penang Char Kuay Teow (Stir-Fried Flat Rice Noodles)

*Makes 2 medium servings*

• Pre-preparation

Soak 300g fresh hor fun/kuay teow in boiling water until noodles are softened and separated (if using dried noodles, cook according to the packet instructions first). Drain until as dry as possible using a colander or sieve.

Stir together 3 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp light soy sauce and 1/2 tbsp sugar in a small bowl to form the seasoning sauce and set aside.

Finely chop 2 cloves of garlic.

Peel, devein and wash 8-10 medium prawns.

Thinly slice about 75g fishcake and 1/2 a stick of lap cheong (Chinese sweet dried sausages) into 8-10 pieces each. Some people use char siew (barbecued pork) or shredded crab meat too- do whatever you fancy.

Slice the green part of 2 stalks of ku chye (Chinese chives) into short lengths (roughly 3cm). Or if you don't have any, use spring onions instead like I did.

Rinse 2 small handfuls of beansprouts. (Tip: once you've opened a pack of beansprouts, store them soaked in cold water in the fridge. For some reason they'll last a few days longer that way!)

Place 2 eggs, your white pepper, your salt and your jar of chilli oil with shrimp within easy reach.

I'm not a fan at all but if you're really hardcore/can even find them, scrub a handful of si hum (blood cockles) until clean, blanch them quickly in boiling water to open then deshell them.

You are now ready to "char"!

• Frying the Char Kuay Teow

Heat 2 tbsp of oil (or lard for a more authentic albeit more detrimental version) in a large wok over high heat until smoking.

Throw in the rest of the ingredients in the following order and fry briskly:

Half the pre-chopped garlic (1 clove)

4-5 prawns

4-5 slices each of the fishcake, lap cheong or char siew

1 heaped tbsp chilli oil with shrimps- get lots of bits not just the oil, and be prepared to start coughing as everything smokes up! Most people use normal chilli paste/sambal but I really favour the added kick and depth of shrimpy chilli oil.

Half the drained hor fun/kuay teow (should be about a large handful)

2 tbsp of prepared soy sauce-sugar seasoning

Dash of white pepper

Dash of salt

Push the noodles to the sides of the wok and break 1 egg into the middle. Scramble quickly and toss to mix.

Chuck in a small handful of fresh beansprouts.

Throw in half the sliced Chinese chive/spring onion strips.

Give everything a good last few tosses, then dish out onto a plate. Repeat the entire process with the remaining ingredients.

Serve immediately.

Rich Chicken and Bacon Cacciatore with Buttered Couscous

By no means an authentic version of the Italian classic (of which a million variations exist anyway), this impromptu version of pollo alla cacciatore or "Hunter's chicken" was something I quickly whipped up using leftover ingredients for a warming lunch earlier today.

Chopped bacon gives the rich tomato gravy an added intensity and smoky flavour that really elevates it in my opinion- feel free to go the more traditional route with wine, olives, mushrooms and peppers, or splash in some balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire sauce if desired.

Serve with lots of gravy alongside buttered couscous (recipe below-by far the fastest easiest thing to cook ever!), rice, rustic bread or pasta.

Rich Chicken and Bacon Cacciatore

Serves 2-3

Cut up about 250g cooking bacon (or use pancetta/any other fatty bacon you prefer) into small cubes. Dry fry without oil (both the bacon and chicken will be oily enough) over high heat in a large pot, stirring constantly until the fat starts to render and the cubes begin to go golden.

Turn the heat down to medium and add:

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large cooking onion, cut into thin strips

A few bay leaves

Stir and allow to cook in the bacon fat (sinful I know!) until fragrant. Don't worry if at this point things stick to the pan- the addition of chopped tomatoes and water later will deglaze everything nicely.

Throw in 1 kg skin-on chicken thighs/ drumsticks and brown for about 5 mins on both sides, then add:

1 can (400ml) peeled plum tomatoes (bash them a bit to break up the whole pieces). If preferred, regular chopped tomatoes or sieved tomato passata works great too

1 tbsp tomato puree (I used double concentrated)

A bit of water

Good sprinkle of dried mixed herbs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Sliced carrots (or whatever vegetables/beans you desire)

Cover and simmer on low heat, stirring occassionally for 15-20 mins or until the chicken is cooked and the sauce is thickened to a deep rich red.

Serve hot with plenty of gravy alongside buttered couscous (below) or your carb of choice :)

Buttered Couscous with Herbs and Raisins

Serves 2-3

Stir together in a small pot:

About 150g dried couscous (roughly 50-80g per person)

Sprinkling of dried mixed herbs

1 bay leaf

Small handful of raisins

Salt and pepper

Pour in enough boiling water to cover the entire mixture (water level should be about 1 cm above the surface of the couscous), then cover and leave to stand for about 3 mins until all liquid is absorbed.

Add a knob of butter (which will melt in nicely as you stir) and fluff up the couscous grains with a fork. Done!

Tagliatelle alla Carbonara

Dieters look away! With its full-fat, calorie-laden combination of white carbs tossed with bacon fried in butter swirled with a creamy cheesy sauce, carbonara is the dish to expand waistlines if ever there was one.

For the rest of us who choose not to care however, it is a devilishly easy-to-make, uncomplicated plate of luscious goodness that epitomises the gorgeous simplicity and flavour of Italian cuisine. Did you know that truly authentic carbonara made the proper way actually contains no cream, but achieves its richness from beaten eggs and melted parmesan? No complex sauce made separately either- the raw eggs and cheese are simply tossed with freshly cooked hot pasta to cook in its residual heat.

Traditionally only egg yolks are used, but my dislike for wastage means that the recipe below includes the whites as well. Thick long varieties such as tagliatelle, fettucine, linguine or spaghetti are particularly well-suited for this sinfully luscious dish, but feel free to use whatever pasta you desire.

For convenience' sake, the quantities listed are for one relatively hungry person- increase and multiply as needed.

Tagliatelle alla Carbonara

Serves 1

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg with about ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano/ Pecorino Romano (parmesan). Set aside.

Boil 100g tagliatelle/fettucine/spaghetti (I used dried- if using fresh cook for a shorter time) in salted water for 10-15 mins or until al dente.

Meanwhile, fry 50g chopped pancetta/bacon in 1 tsp butter and some extra virgin olive oil until browned.

Drain the pasta. Chuck it in a large pot/bowl and toss immediately whilst hot with the egg cheese mix and cooked bacon (along with some of its buttery oily juices!). Season well with a touch of salt (not too much as the bacon is already salty) and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and leave to sit for 5-10 mins to cook in its own residual heat.

Garnish with chopped parsley or a sprinkle of grated Parmesan if desired and serve.