We Love Cooking!:
sesame seeds

Back in the land of the living, I flew home on Sunday morning after a late night bus across Sweden which left me totally wrecked! The big news this week is that I'm heading over to London to appear on Good Food Channel's "Market Kitchen" and I am so excited! I hope they will let me take a few shots behind the scenes so I can post them here on the blog. So while I'm gearing up for my UK tv debut (hehehe couldn't wait to say that!) here is a recipe which is perfect for everyone who probably headed back to work today, it's a super lunchbox filler from the book and I hope you like it!

Tahini Noodle Toss

This little recipe came about after I ate at the California Pizza Kitchen in America; they served a really tasty crisp salad, with this rich and tasty peanut dressing. I recreated it from taste, adapted it and recently discovered it goes perfectly with noodles. This is another great little lunch box filler as it can be served hot and cold. Tahini is a creamy, yet smoky paste made from sesame seeds and is similar to peanut butter, which you can also use as a substitute. I sometimes add finely shredded raw Chinese cabbage to these noodles for extra crunch. I love this recipe because you basically combine all the wet and dry ingredients just before serving.

Serves 2
250g/9oz wholewheat noodles
4 spring onions, finely sliced
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
4 tablespoons of tahini paste
1 tablespoon of sunflower oil
1 tablespoon of soya sauce
1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
A good handful of bean sprouts
Toasted sesame seeds
A small handful of coriander, freshly chopped

Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet, rinse in cold water and set aside.
In a small saucepan, fry the garlic and chilli for about 30 seconds, then add the soya sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and tahini paste.
Cook over a medium heat until the mixture comes to the boil and, when it does, reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, add the noodles and bean sprouts, toss together with the tahini sauce until mixed through.
Serve in hearty bowls and top with toasted sesame seeds, freshly chopped coriander and thinly sliced spring onions. Time to get those chopsticks out!

I have recently been introduced to the amazing Harumi Kurihara, who is Japan's answer to the UK's Delia Smith or America's Martha Stewart. The lovely folks over at Octopus Books sent me a copy of her latest book "Everyday Harumi" to review and I can safely say I'm already hooked. If your a regular reader of the blog you'll know that I have a thing for Asian recipes so it's no suprise I am in love with this woman! Pssst....Don't tell my girlfriend :)

From the sounds of things she is all set to make waves in the UK and Ireland and bring an authentic look at real Japanese homecooking. I think the beauty of the book is its simplicity and of course the brilliant recipes which inspire rather than alienate. Check out this delicious recipe from the book. Also stay tuned to the blog, there may be a new book competition coming your way this week! :)

Green Beans With A Sesame Dressing

I love using both white and black sesame seeds in my recipes, they add texture, aroma, taste and colour. I use a lot of sesame when cooking, and preparing vegetables with a sesame dressing is very common in Japan. I always prepare the dressing in advance and keep some in the refridgerator ready for use. Sesame seeds should always be toasted before use, taking care not to burn them. It gives them an extra special flavour and makes them easier to make into a paste. If you cannot find sesame seeds or paste, you can use peanut butter or tahini as a substitute. Please experiment with this dressing, try combining it with other ingrediens such as rice vinegar, miso paste or dashi stock to make new sauces and dressings.

Serves 4
200g green beans

For the sesame dressing
50g toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons of caster sugar
1/2 tablespoon of mirin
1/2-1 tablespoon of soy sauce
salt- to season

Prepare the green beans, lightly cook in a pan of boiling water with a little salt, then drain and rinse under cold running water and pat dry.
To make the seame dressing: Put the sesame seeds into a mortar preferably a Japanese mortar with a grooved interior. Grind the seeds until they are almost a paste then add the sugar, mirin and soy sauce and mix well. Add a little salt if needed.
Mix the sesame dressing in with the freen beans and serve.
The paste can also be made in a food processor but care should be taken not to overprocess.

I absolutely love this combination of flavours, it's sticky and sweet and everything I want on my roast duck!

Sesame Honey Duck with Broccoli
With just a few simple ingredients this is an easy dish to create and is really tasty.

Serves 2 portions
1 head of brocolli chopped into florets.
2 duck breasts.
1 teaspoon of sesame oil.
2 tablespoons of sesame seeds.
5 tablespoons of soya sauce.
3 tablespoons of honey.

In a small bowl, mix the soya sauce, sesame oil and the honey until combined. Place two duck breasts in a small roasting tray and brush over half the soya honey marinade. Place in the oven at 200°C for 25-30 minutes. In the last 10 minutes of the cooking time brush over the rest of the soya honey marinade, sprinkle with half the sesame seeds and finish cooking. When the duck is ready, remove from the roasting tray and allow to rest on a chopping board. Keep the roasting tray which should still be full of tasty duck flavours as this makes a great dressing for the broccoli, try to spoon off as much fat as possible. While the duck is cooking steam the broccoli for 4-5 minutes and remove from the heat. Tumble the broccoli florets into the roasting tray and toss gently until they are completely coated. Slice the duck thinly and serve with the broccoli. Sprinkle over some extra sesame seeds and enjoy!