Not that boring

Apparently, this blog has turned boring in 2008 (so says my wife). It seems that posts about my new laptop and bag are not exciting enough (my new phone will be delivered tomorrow, so there’ll be another subject to discuss! And my laptop case (along with the plants) have been delayed and will not arrive until Friday, which means I won’t get my hands on them until Monday).

So, in a probably futile attempt to change the subject and make reading more interesting, here’s a recipe (serves two):

INGREDIENTS

• 1 whole fresh squid, cleaned and prepared into tentacles (separated), wings (cut into strips) and mantle (cut into rings). See here for a good step-by-step guide to cleaning and preparing squid if you haven’t done it before – it’s not that difficult. You should look for a squid that will yield around 225g/8oz of useable flesh. Our local Morrisons has an excellent fish counter and is our preferred source, but you might know a better place near to you.
• 1 pepper (capsicum for our overseas friends) – I used yellow, but red would do. Cut into small pieces.
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 12 or so baby plum tomatoes, halved
• juice of half a lime
• 1 head of pak choi, divided to individual leaves
• 275g/10oz pack of fresh (not dried) fine egg noodles. If you only have dried, prepare them as normal but drain them from the water when they are not-quite done
• Olive oil, black pepper, salt

METHOD

1. Heat a wok over a high heat and add about two or three teaspoons of olive oil.
2. Throw in the pepper and squid. Toss about until the squid is just beginning to “catch” on the pan.
3. Add the chilli and lime juice. Toss for another minute or so.
4. Add the tomatoes and noodles. Keep tossing in the pan or else the noodles will burn. Reduce the heat a little if necessary.
5. For the last thirty seconds or so, place the pak choi on top of the pan just so that it wilts a little (not too much – you really just want it warmed through without becoming soggy).
6. Season and serve.

Low fat, healthy, tasty. And not too expensive either (we got our squid for three, er, quid).