Chinese Style Hot and Spicy Green Beans

Make these tasty green beans as spicy as you wish by adding more or less hot chili flakes. The dish is good served hot or at room temperature.

Serves 6

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Hot chili flakes to taste
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic

In a small bowl whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and chili flakes. Set aside.

Place 1/4 cup water in a large skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans, cover the pan, and cook until the beans are crisp tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, and drain any water that remains in the pan.

Add the oil, ginger and garlic to the beans in the skillet and cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until the beans are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Do not let the garlic burn. Add the soy mixture to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and glazes the beans, about 2 minutes.

Transfer to a platter and serve the beans hot or at room temperature.

Scalloped Kohlrabi

ingredients
175 g (6 oz) onion, skinned and thinly sliced
3 Tbsp (40 g) butter
2 lb (900 g) kohlrabi
7 fl oz (200 ml) milk
salt and freshly ground pepper
chopped fresh parsley to garnish

method
1. Soften the onion in 25 g (1 oz) butter in a covered pan.
2. Thickly peel the kohlrabi to remove all the woody outer layer. Slice thinly and layer with the onions and seasoning in a 1.7 litre (3 pint) lightly buttered shallow ovenproof dish, topping with a neat layer of kohlrabi.
3. Pour over the milk and dot with remaining butter. Place on a baking tray and cook in the oven at 200°C (400f) mark 6 for about 1 1/2 hours, until tender.
4. Garnish with chopped parsley for serving.

Kohlrabi in Cream Dill Sauce

350 g (12 oz) kohlrabi
8 oz (225 g) carrots
2 tbsp (25 g) 1 oz butter
1 chicken stock cube
2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) dried dill
2/3 cup (150 ml) 1/4 pt fresh single cream
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 level tbsp (15 ml) cornflour

method
1. Thickly peel the kohlrabi to remove all the woody outer layer. Slice thinly and cook with the carrots, butter, 300 ml (1/2 pint) water and stock cube for about 10 minutes, until tender.

2. Blend the cornflour with very little cold water and strain in the vegetable liquid, stirring.

3. Return to the boil, stir in the dill and the fresh cream, then adjust seasoning. Bring almost to the boil and pour over the vegetables.

serving amount
serves 4

Kohlrabi With Anchovies

1 kg (2 1/4 lb) kohlrabi
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 anchovy fillets in oil, drain
90 g (3 oz) 1/2 cup dried fine breadcrumbs
4 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper

method
1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil.
2. Peel the kohlrabi and slice thinly.
3. Cook in the water for about 5 minutes and then drain.
4. Place the oil in a saucepan over a low heat.
5. Add the anchovies with the oil, breadcrumbs and the garlic, and saute for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
6. Reserve half the mixture and then add the kohlrabi to the pan.
7. Add a little water, cover and cook for 5 minutes more, until tender.
8. Add the pepper, arrange on a platter, cover with the remaining breadcrumb mixture and serve immediately.