Nothing brings people together better than sharing a meal, and no-one knows more about gathering friends and family around a table than the award-winning COOK
You might think you’ve never tried one of COOK’s frozen meals, but we’ll wager that at some point friends or family have passed off one of the gourmet creations as their own and served it up to you! And there’s absolutely no shame in that, because this is seriously good food – hand prepared in the way you cook in your own kitchen, using the very best ingredients from only the best, most trusted suppliers.
Founded almost 30 years ago, COOK now boasts over 100 shops and 1,000 distribution outlets throughout the country, from supermarkets to independent department stores, farm shops and garden centres. A founding member of B Corp UK, part of the global movement of responsible businesses, COOK has won multiple Great Taste Awards. And, excitingly, they’ve just released their first ever recipe book, sharing some of their best loved recipes. COOK: Serve up Joy includes more than 80 recipes – with options that are suitable for a whole host of occasions, from work night wonders to celebratory feasts – alongside kitchen wisdom and menu-planning advice. It’s a must-have for serious foodies.
We love this zingy recipe that’s perfect for a below par summer day. They say: “Zingy Asian flavours to brighten up a dreary weeknight. This offers the perfect solution for what to do with the mango you bought on a whim at the supermarket that’s slowly going soft in the bottom of the fridge. Don’t skimp on the chilli – the heat balances the sweet, fresh salsa perfectly.”
COOK: Serve up Joy by The COOK Kitchen, Kyle Books, £28
PREP 20 MINS
COOK 15 MINS
SERVES 4
Ingredients
For the salsa
100g fine green beans, trimmed and sliced into 3cm pieces
1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and finely chopped
3 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
1 ripe mango, cut into small cubes
4 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 lime
For the salad
200g wholemeal noodle nests
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
20g piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 red chillies, deseeded and sliced
3 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
200g raw king prawns
100g fresh or frozen garden peas
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 carrot, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
1/2 cucumber, deseeded and cut into fine matchsticks
2 tbsp soy sauce
To serve
small handful of fresh coriander
1 lime, cut into wedges
Method
1. First, make the salsa. Put a small saucepan of water on to boil and blanch the green beans for 2 minutes. Drain, run under cold water and place in a bowl.
2. Add the red pepper, spring onions and mango. Add the sesame oil and the lime juice. Mix and place to one side.
3. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Cool under running water, drain and place in a large mixing bowl.
4. Place a large frying pan on a high heat. Add the oil, ginger, garlic, chillies and spring onions, and stir-fry for 1 minute.
5. Add the prawns, turn the heat down to medium and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes.
6. Add the peas and fish sauce, and stir-fry until the peas and prawns are cooked through. Make sure the prawns have all turned pink and there are no grey bits remaining. Don’t cook them for too long, though, or the flesh will become tough.
7. Tip the prawns into the bowl with the noodles along with the carrot, cucumber and soy sauce. Toss to combine.
8. Transfer the noodle salad to a serving platter or individual plates. Spoon the salsa on top of the noodles. Scatter the coriander on top and serve with the lime wedges.
SERVING TIP
Use tongs or two forks to pile the noodles and prawns in the centre of four bowls. Spoon the salsa on top, nice and high. Sprinkle on the coriander leaves and add a bowl of prawn crackers on the side to share.
