I love surprises and especially ones that come beautifully wrapped. So naturally was really excited on receiving a wonderful gift hamper from Worldfoods .Thanks very much Rebecca Gabbai  sending this across.

The hamper was an exciting mix of various Asian sauces. Some dipping and some that could be used as stir fry sauces. Browsing through the package I discovered an assortment of:

• Thai Ginger & Lemon Grass Sauce
• Indonesian Sweet Tamarind Sauce
• Chinese Ginger-Garlic –Chili dipping sauce
• Malaysian Chili Coconut Marinade
• Thai Sweet Chili with Kaffir Lime-Dipping & Stir fry sauce

What a delightful variety of flavors, I sure was spoilt for choice that day. I could well imagine using most of these in my kitchen as I do a lot of Asian cooking for the family and of course for the Cooking workshops that I conduct.

A quick look into my refrigerator revealed some Boneless chicken breasts, some gorgeous Thai red chilies for the added kick, tender broccoli stems(they go so well with chicken).So was pretty certain that I could whisk up something delish that evening.

And so came out this jar of Worldfoods Ginger & Lemon Grass Sauce ready to be stirred in with the rest of the ingredients.

Foodie friends may I present this easy and delicious recipe that puts an end to the week night suspense of what to cook? Go ahead and serve it with some fragrant jasmine rice or plain boiled rice and a crunchy Papaya salad.

You sure have a fantastic meal in less than 30 minutes.I cant wait to try out the other sauces.Perhaps the Indonesian Sweet Tamrind Marinade next week…mmm mmm mmmm.Happy Cooking and Bon Appetite!

INGREDIENTS:

• 500 grams boneless chicken breasts
• 100 grams Tender Broccoli florets
• 1 teaspoon ginger(minced)
• 1 Thai Red Chili (chopped diagonally)
• 1 medium Red onion (chopped lengthwise)
• 1 bottle Worldfoods Thai Ginger & Lemon Grass Stir fry Sauce
• 1 tablespoon Oil
• A few fresh lime leaves for garnishing

DIRECTIONS:

1. Wash the chicken breasts well and pat dry.
2. Cut the chicken into small cubes.
3. Heat the oil in a pan.
4. Add the Onion and sauté for a couple of minutes.
5. Now add the ginger and fry for a minute.
6. Add the chicken cubes and fry till the chicken is cooked well and no longer pink.
7. Stir in a bottle of the Thai Ginger & Lemon Grass stir fry sauce.
8. Cook for about 8-10 minutes.
9. Add water if you would like a thinner consistency.
10. Garnish with chopped Thai red chilies and fresh lime leaves.

PRODUCT USED:

WORLDFOODS Thai Ginger & Lemon Grass Stir Fry Sauce

VERDICT:

• A flavorful and vibrant sauce.
• Subtle flavors of both ginger and lemon grass that complement each other and lend a lovely  texture to the chicken and broccoli used.
• Mildly spicy.
• Can be used for Chicken, Lamb ,Shrimp & Vegetables

Available at the following supermarkets:

• Carrefour –Mall of the Emirates ,Deira City center ,Ajman & Sharjah
• Geant –Mirdif ,Ibn Battuta & Teacom
• Le Marche- Arabian ranches

This fragrant rice usually conjures up an image of a Laksa Noodle soup.However on a recent trip to Singapore I discovered a ready sauce called Laksa Fried Rice.I call this rice my weekday comfort food.Easy to put together and could be had with a stir fry or even just by itself.Deli sh to say the least.

Interestingly the meaning of LAKSA is not clear.Some date it to perhaps and Indian or Persian origin.LAKHSHAH-which translates into “One Hundred Thousand(lakh) or the Chinese meaning would simply be”Spicy Sand” much because this sauce has a fairly grainy sandy texture to it.Its a wonderful sauce made up of

Such an easy recipe to put together:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Cups plain boiled rice
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 3 whole green onions,chopped and the white and green parts seperated
• 11/2 cups chopped baby corn,mushrooms,peppers,carrots
• 1 inch fresh ginger,finely chopped
• 1 large egg,lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons Laksa fried rice sauce

Directions: 

1. Heat oil in a large wok over very high heat.This is a key to any Chinese cooking.
2. When the wok is smoking hot add a tablespoon of oil and swirl around the wok.
3. Add the chopped ginger and fry for about a minute.
4. Now add the white part of the onions and fry till fragrant.
5. Next add the baby corn,peppers and carrots and fry till slightly tender.
6. Put in the mushroom and stir fry for just a minute.
7. Add the Laksa sauce and mix well.
8. Now gently add in the rice and turn off the heat.
9. Beat the egg a little and some chopped green onions to it.
10. Add this egg mix to the wok and cook it like an omelet.Remove when cooked and chop into small pieces.
11. Add the egg to the rice.