Tom Aikens
Tom Aikens is one of the UK’s most acclaimed British chefs. He became the youngest British chef ever to be awarded 2 Michelin stars, has opened restaurants all over the world and written 3 books.
Tom’s Pork & Veg Stir-Fry
Tom Aikens
Effort:
Complexity:
Cost:
In season now
Serves: 2
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 2 mins
Ingredients:
200g shredded pork belly (optional - leave out or replace with leftover cooked meat of choice if you don't have pork belly)
1 green pepper, finely cut
1 carrot, finely cut
1 (banana) shallot, julienned neatly
4 (shitake) mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 sliced spring onions
1 medium sized nuggets of ginger, thinly sliced
1 red chilli, finely diced
1 tbsp of coriander leaves, chopped
8 mint leaves, finely sliced
½ tin of sweetcorn
Zest and juice of 1 lime
¼ sweet potato, cut into fine strips
Final assembly:
2 bundles of egg noodles (as many as you like cooked in simmering salted water for 1 minute, then drained)
The herbs
100ml veg oil
The cut veg
Sesame seeds
50ml soya sauce
Seasoning
Veg Portions / Serving: 2
Recipe from Only A Pavement Away 5 Minute Feasts cookbook by Tom Aikens and Only A Pavement Away charity.
Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens shares a delicious stir-fry that takes minutes to make but will seriously impress! Originally printed in the Only A Pavement Away charity cookbook, this stir-fry is veg-packed and incredibly tasty! #StirFryFrenzy
Method:
Fry the sesame seeds in the veg oil, then start to add all the vegetables (they are going to be cooked quickly to retain the freshness and colour)
Cook the hard veg first, such as the carrots, sweet potato and green pepper for 45 seconds. Add the chopped chili, ginger, shallot, spring onion, shredded pork and cook for another minute. Season lightly, then add the lime juice, zest, soy sauce, the cooked noodles and then serve into the bowls.
Engaging Kids
Kids who engage regularly with veg through veg-themed activities, such as arts and crafts, sensory experiences, growing and cooking are shown to be more likely to eat the veg they engage with. Encouraging kids to engage and play with veg is the handy first step to them developing a good relationship with veg and life-long healthy eating.
Kids in the kitchen
Older kids who are able to use knives can help you with the chopping, but younger ones will do better owning the sauce, garnishes and plating up! Take the pan off the hob and help them add the lime juice, zest, soy sauce and noodles, stir well, and let them help you plate up, tearing up the coriander and mint and sprinkling over the top.
Activities
While getting kids to interact with veggies for real and using their senses to explore them is best, encouraging hands off activities like arts & crafts, puzzles & games or at-home science experiments can be a great start, particularly for those who are fussier eaters or struggle with anything too sensory. Use these veg-themed activities as a stepping stone to interacting with the veg themselves. We have loads of crafty downloads here, puzzles here, and quirky science with veg here.
Sensory
Once you feel your child is ready to engage a little more, you can show them how to explore the veg you have on hand with their senses, coming up with playful silly descriptions of how a veg smells, feels, looks, sounds and perhaps even tastes. Find ideas, videos and some simple sensory education session ideas to get you started here.
Serving
The moments before food is offered can be a perfect opportunity for engagement that can help make it more likely a child will eat it! Giving children a sense of ownership in the meal can make a big difference to their feelings going into it and the pride they take in it. You know your child best, but if you aren’t sure where to start, we have some fun and simple ideas for easy roles you can give them in the serving process over here.
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