Singapore Laksa Fried Rice

Inspired by a stay at Hotel Jen Orchard Gateway this fragrant seafood fried rice dish will transport you to the Hawker Centres of Singapore. A variation on the popular spicy noodle soup of Peranakan cuisine.

If asked to think of food and drink in connection with Singapore I'm guessing nine out of ten would say Singapore Sling and Singapore Noodles. I already covered the sling in my recent post - Little Red Dot Singapore Sling and my Singapore Top Ten and today should be time for the noodles... However I'm afraid I have some bad news. They don't actually exist! They're something that's been created purely for western palates. Ask for Singapore noodles in Singapore and you'll be met with very puzzled looks. That said you won't be stuck for choice as Singaporeans live to eat and the melting post of cultures that is the little red dot has a seriously good food scene. For me that's best demonstrated in the street food Hawker Centres where the cuisine covers Chinese, Indian, Malay, Indonesian, Peranakan and more.

On our recent trip to Singapore we stayed at the 4 star Hotel Jen Orchard Gateway. It was ideally located on the main shopping street of Orchard Road just above the Somerset MRT station. We were in a club room on the seventeenth floor which was modern, clean and stylish with a super comfy king sized bed. This also gave us access to the Club Lounge on the nineteenth floor with the additional benefits of exclusive check-in and check-out, complimentary drinks and snacks all day long, early evening cocktails and a breakfast buffet. Also on this level was the rooftop infinity pool which was an oasis of calm and had absolutely fantastic views across the city.

We were invited to dinner in the hotel restaurant Makan@Jen with Elsa and Nikki from the communications team for a Lets Makan Buffet. For SGD 42++ you get to feast on a fantastic spread of local Hawker style food including live cooking stations. Watch my Facebook Live video to see the full selection. It was great to have Elsa and Nikki to guide us through the food on offer and advise us which dishes were unmissable. We even braved century eggs! Not exactly appetising to look at, I didn't mind the taste but the texture was rather odd to say the least. It was a fantastic way to sample a wide selection of local delicacies all within one meal. My particular favourites were the seafood, roasted meats, lok-lok and satay. We rounded off proceedings with Ice kachang and multicoloured desserts. Special thanks to Nikki for mixing up the perfect Rojak and educating me in the art of Ice Kachang. Meanwhile Elsa has promised to try haggis if she visits Scotland.

During our stay we were also invited to a cocktail event where Chef Chef Lee Hoong Wan demonstrated his signature dish - Laksa Fried Rice. You can see him in action on my Facebook Live Video. This had been one of my favourite dishes at the Let's Makan buffet and in the Club Lounge. We were provided with the recipe to recreate at home however alas many of the Singaporean ingredients aren't readily available in Scotland so I've come up with my own version using ready made Laksa paste. However I picked up lots of great tips from Chef Lee and I've definitely upped my fried rice game as a result. 

• Always use cooked and cooled rice - I use the ready cooked pouches. 
• If the rice has dried out add a splash of chicken stock during cooking. 
• Don't skimp on the oil. 
• Turn up the heat and really fry the rice. 
• Keep everything moving in the pan. 
• Always make sure the egg is scrambled/cooked before mixing it into the rice or everything will be come sticky.
• Add vegetables such as beansprouts at the very end to ensure they remain crisp.

For my version I incorporated fish balls from a Chinese Supermarket but you could use crab sticks and/or substitute the seafood for Chicken. I got Laksa paste in Sainsbury's but also spotted some in the Chinese Supermarket which may have been more authentic. Either way feel free to use more or less to suit your own preferences for heat. The other main ingredient that unfortunately I couldn't get hold of were fried tofu pouches so I improvised with shredded omelette as a replacement. I'll be honest and say that it's not nearly as good as Chef Lee's but it's fragrance and flavours still managed to transport me back to the little red dot.

Singapore Laksa Fried Rice

Vegetable Oil

3 Free Range Eggs, beaten

6 spring onions, sliced and separated into white and green

250g Mixed Cooked Seafood (I used sliced fish balls, squid and prawns)

500g cooked rice

4 Tbsp Laksa Paste (use more or less to taste)

100g beansprouts

I am Sauce

Desiccated Coconut

Prepare all the ingredients as above.

Heat a splash of oil in a wok and use half of the beaten egg to make two very thin omelettes. Shred the omelettes and set aside along with the remaining beaten egg.

Add some more oil to the wok and fry the white parts of the spring onions for a couple of minutes.

Then add the pre-cooked and cooled rice. Keep it moving constantly over a high heat and fry for a couple of minutes.

Push the rice to one side of the wok, add the beaten egg and scramble.

Once the egg is cooked mix it into the rice and add in the shredded omelette pieces.

Next add in the Laksa Pate to taste and mix through before adding in the seafood. 
After a further couple of minutes add the beansprouts and toss everything together for 30 seconds.

Season to taste with soy sauce and serve topped with the reserved spring onion greens and desiccated coconut.

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Disclosure: Hotel Jen Singapore Orchard Gateway provided us with an upgrade to club status plus dinner for two at their 'Let's Makan' Buffet. 

As always, all views expressed are my own.

Mozzarella Stuffed Mushroom Arancini

There seems to be a week/day/month for everything these days. Some of which I can get behind more than others. 19-25th September 2016 marks the very first #NationalRiceWeek which I'm delighted to help celebrate with a recipe for Mozzarella Stuffed Mushroom Arancini. Rice is an absolute store cupboard staple of mine. Everything from brown rice, risotto, sushi, wild, pudding and basmati. A quick look back at recipes I've created for the blog found a whole host that featured rice, here's some of my favourites.

• Salmon & Pesto Rice Bake
• Coconut, Prawn & Spinach Camping Risotto
• Smoked Salmon and King Prawn Sushi Rice Bowl
• Veggie Burritos with Halloumi, Avocado and Plantain 
• Greek Spanakopita Pie 
• Burrito Pabellon

Love Rice have teamed up with the major rice brands, supermarkets and food magazines and throughout the week will be encouraging us all to to break free from our meal ruts with the help of rice. Keep a look out on social media for the #NationalRiceWeek hashtag where you'll find lots of inspiration. There's a different theme planned for each day of National Rice Week covering everything from leftover rice to packed lunches, Friday night Fakeaway's and bento. Love Rice want to inspire people to try new rice recipes, new rice varieties, dishes from a new cuisine, and to try different styles of rice. I'm a recent convert to both frozen rice and pre-cooked rice. I will put my hands up an admit that when I first spotted them in the shops I was a total food snob and thought they were something that I'd never use. How wrong was I?! I am a total convert to their convenience, flavours and versatility. Just another way to harness the delicious, aromatic, healthy and nutritious qualities of rice.

Moving on to the recipe I've created for Mozzarella Stuffed Mushroom Arancini. As always a recipe is only a starting point. You could make these from any kind leftover risotto, you could even make your risotto from leftover rice, just add some cream to get the right consistency. Rather than deep or shallow fry my Arancini I've sprayed them with oil and then oven baked them. This works really well and the double coating of Panko goes nice and crispy. The hidden surprise of a gooey piece of Mozzarella in the middle is my favourite part of the dish. 

I'm somewhat of a fan of kitchen gadgets and gizmos and the wooden spoon you see in the photo below is in fact a risotto spoon. I'm not entirely sure if it makes a difference but the idea is that the large hole in the middle means that you can stir the rice constantly without breaking as many grains as you might with a solid spoon thus the rice isn't ground into mush. However a quick Google revealed another potential reason for the hole in that its there so some of the rice can pass through for a smoother and more flowing stirring action. Either way I suspect that the concept of my spoon may have come from a marketing department rather than Italy! I'm sure you'll manage risotto making just fine with a regular wooden spoon! 

Mushroom Risotto

Serves 4 (or 2 with leftovers being made into Arancini)

1 Tbsp Rapeseed Oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, crushed

300g mushrooms, sliced ( I used a mixture of white and chestnut)

300g Risotto Rice

1 litre Vegetable or Chicken Stock

Large knob of Butter

Chopped Parsely

25g Parmesan, grated (or Vegetarian alternative)

Salt and Pepper

Heat the oil in a large, heavy based pan and add the chopped onion and crushed garlic. Fry over a gentle heat for 2-3 minutes, until softened. 

Add the sliced mushrooms and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.

Stir in the rice and coat it in the oil, mushroom and onion mixture. 

Pour in a couple of hundred ml of the stock and simmer, stirring regularly, until the liquid has been absorbed. 

Carry on adding stock in this way until the rice is soft but with a slight bite. This will take about 30 minutes. (You may need to add additional water if your stock runs out before the rice is fully cooked)

Take the risotto off the heat and add the butter, Parmesan and chopped Parsley. Taste and season with salt and pepper. You want it to be creamy and oozy in texture so add a wee bit more stock/water if you think it needs it.

Enjoy half as Risotto and coll and refrigerate the other half to make Mozzarella Stuffed Mushroom Arancini 

Mozzarella Stuffed Mushroom Arancini

Makes 8

Half portion of Mushroom Risotto, chilled

125g Tub of Mini Mozzarella Pearls or 125g Ball of Mozzarella divided into 8 pieces

160g Panko Breadcrumbs

Flour

2 Free Range Eggs

350g Pasata

Spray Oil

Fresh Basil, Shaved Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative) and Black Pepper to serve

Preheat the oven to 200c

Divide the risotto mixture into 8 equal portions. 

To form the arancini, scoop a portion of the cooled risotto into your hand and in the middle place a piece of mozzarella. Wrap the risotto around it to seal completely and form into a ball.

Repeat with the remaining risotto and Mozzarella. 

Place the flour, egg and Panko in separate shallow bowls. Carefully dip each arancini ball in the flour, shaking off any excess, then the egg, and finally the Panko, ensuring the rice is completely coated. 

Repeat again with the egg and the Panko so each ball has a double coating of breadcrumbs.

Place the Aranchini on a baking sheet and spritz them with Spray Oil. 

Bake for 15 minutes before turning and spritzing again. Return to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are just starting to brown. 

Heat through the Passata in a saucepan. Divide it between bowls and serve the Aranchini on top garnished with fresh Basil, shaved Parmesan and black pepper.

For further #NationalRiceWeek inspiration check out the following recipes from fellow food bloggers

• Jane's Crispy Tofu Rice Bowl
• Emily's Butternut Squash and Goat's Cheese Risotto
• Bintu's Sweetcorn Jollof Rice

Disclosure : This is a commissioned recipe for Love Rice. As always, all views expressed are my own.
Thank you for supporting the brands who make it possible for me to continue to share my Edible Scottish Adventures with you.

Salmon and Pesto Rice Bake

There's nothing like fresh fish. Healthy, nutritious and delicious. But how fresh actually is your fish? You might be surprised to know that recent research had shown that Iceland's freshly frozen fish fillets are actually fresher than those found on the fish counter of a leading supermarket. When you start to think about it, the reasons for frozen being fresher than fresh are obvious. If a fish is caught and frozen immediately (which often occurs at sea in factory boats) you literally stop the clock. The freshness is frozen in and nutritionally nothing is lost. However fresh fish on a supermarket fish counter could have been caught days if not weeks ago. There's something fishy going on there! 

As well as being fresher, frozen fish can often be better value and less wasteful. It's recommended that we eat 2 portions of fish a week with one of those being an oily fish. Even as a real fish and seafood lover I don't always manage this however by keeping a stash of Iceland's award winning fish products which include salmon, seabass, red snapper and scallops in your freezer you'll be well prepared for conjuring up fishy feasts in a flash! For something a touch more exotic be sure to check out their new Seafood Dishes Range. Frutti Di Mare, Sugo Alle Vongole, Guazzetto Di Mare and Zuppa Di Pesce. They've all been created to traditional Italian recipes and can be cooked from frozen in 9 minutes. Combine with pasta for a quick and easy meal just like an Italian Mamma would make. 

Time to unleash my inner Elsa and unlock the Power of Frozen with my recipe for Salmon and Pesto Rice Bake. I've used a pack of Fish Market 4 Atlantic Salmon Fillets which retails at £6. These are skinless and boneless and come individually wrapped and cook from frozen in the microwave in only 3 minutes (30 mins in an oven). They've been approved by Good Housekeeping and are a staple in my freezer. I've combined them with a couple of pouches of frozen ready cooked white rice. This one pot dish takes very little time to throw together and makes a perfect family midweek meal. You can substitute the frozen rice with any type of precooked rice if that works better for you. Or you can use uncooked rice and increase the quantity of water to 600ml. Cook the rice/pesto/vegetable mix for 30 minutes before adding the salmon in this case. That's your one portion of oily fish sorted for this week!

Salmon and Pesto Rice Bake

4 Iceland Fish Market Atlantic Salmon Fillets

2 Sachets (400g) of Iceland Cooked White Rice

1 Onion, finely sliced

150g Mushrooms, sliced

75g Pesto

100ml water

Salt & Pepper

To serve - Toasted Pine Nuts, Shaved Parmesan and Fresh Basil 

Preheat your oven to 200c

Into a large ovenproof dish place the sliced mushrooms, onions and rice and mix well.

Brush the top of the salmon fillets with some of the pesto.

Combine the remaining pesto with 100ml of water, pour over the rice mixture, season well with salt and pepper and stir through until combined.

Nestle the pesto coated salmon fillets on the top of the rice.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Serve topped with toasted pine nuts, shaved Parmesan and fresh basil.

Check out what other bloggers have been cooking up with the fabulous frozen fish range

• Bintu's Salmon Polenta Bowls with Roasted Tomato and Pesto
• Lucy's One-pan Cod with Chorizio and Chickpeas
• Claire's Seafood & Kale Pie with Parmesan Puff
• Camilla's Grilled Salmon with Citrus Tamari Dressing 
• Jane's Pollock and Grilled Corn Curry
• Helen's Salmon Pasta in a Creamy Garlic & Herb Sauce
• Claire's BBQ Sardines with Wild Garlic Salsa Verde and CousCous Salad
• Charlotte's Warm Salmon & New Potato Salad 
• Andrea's Spicy Scallops with Pumpkin Puree

Disclosure : This is a commissioned recipe for Iceland Foods. As always, all views expressed are my own.

Thank you for supporting the brands who make it possible for me to continue to share my Edible Scottish Adventures with you.

Coconut, Prawn & Spinach Camping Risotto

I'm a wee bit of reluctant camper. Truth be know glamping is more my thing. However given the right circumstances I'm happy to rough it under canvas for a couple of nights. Friends, sunshine, music and booze most definitely help but alas no Festivals for us this summer. We did however have a camping tripped planned to attend the Aboyne Highland Games. Foodie Loon, boy and girl are all members of Newtonhill Pipe Band. I've got two pipers and a drummer and throughout the summer I'm often a pipe band widow when they're gallivanting to various events but this time I was invited along.

Our previous family tent had seen better days so I jumped at the chance of a new one from Millets. A Vango Beta 450XL duly arrived along with a couple of camping chairs and a Trangia Camping Stove. To help us on our way we also received a camping care pack with an assortment of goodies. I was really impressed with the Steripod clip on toothbrush protectors. These will have a permanent place in my toilet bag, not just for camping. I can imagine that the giant wipes would be particularly useful in a festival situation and whilst there were a few midgies around there were no mozzies but the 'Zap It' has been set aside for our trip to Orlando in October.

The Trangia Camping Stove was a totally new concept to me. Apparently its an essential piece of kit for the serious Boy Scout or anyone doing their Duke of Edinburgh Award. They've been around for almost a century and remain as popular as ever. The entire packaged stove, including the 2 saucepans and a frying pan, is no larger than a standard cooking pot. Lightweight, durable and simple to use, it's easy to see why it has lasted the test of time and become so iconic. We used it at every meal over our two night stay from cooking up supernoodles to frying sausages and heating beans at breakfast. We struggled a wee bit in controling the heat and clearly need to work on finding out how best to adjust between full flame and off! There are a wide range of additional accessories for the stove and I suspect that Foodie Boy already has his eyes on some. Even before our trip I was conned into buying him the matching fuel bottle.

The Vango Beta 450XL is a 3 poled tunnel tent which offers generous sleeping space for 4 along with an extra living area for storage and shelter. No sooner had it arrived than my Boy Scout took it upon himself to erect it in the garden and spend a couple of nights under the stars. The pitching time is given as 15 minutes. On his own erecting it for the first time he had it done in less than 30 which is pretty good going in my book. With four hands to the pump it was pitched well within 15 minutes at the campsite with the whole set up being very intuitive. The porch/living area is absolutely huge in camping terms. The weather was kind to us on this trip but there would have been plenty room if we'd all had to sit inside. Diamond clear PVC windows provide lots of light and internal pockets and lantern hanging points are conveniently positioned. The winds picked up overnight so we were grateful for the tension band system which prevents any sideways movement. The real test would of course be could two pipers and one drummer get changed into their band uniforms within the tent?! I left them to it and I'm pleased to report that all three emerged fully attired and ready to perform. That's one spacious tent.

Camping does of course provide its own food and cooking challenges but with a wee bit of forward planning greater things than beans and hot dogs are possible. Here are a few of my top tips along with some camping recipes from blogging friends

Noodles, quick cook pasta, tinned potatoes and pre-cooked rice pouches are convenient carbs.

Tinned meat and fish are your friends (make sure you bring a tin opener if they don't have ring pulls!)

Egg based meals work well for any time of the day - not just breakfast.

Ambient goods such as chorizio and smoked sausage can be combinned with tinned tomatoes and pulses.

Measure ingredients for each meal ahead of time and pack in labeled ziplock bags. 

Simple one pot dishes work really well, don't try to overcomplicate things.

Prepare soups, stews or chili etc ahead of time. Freeze and used as ice packs in your cool bag.

Remember to pack salt and pepper. They will make a huge difference to your cooking. 'Acquire' some individual sachets.

• Camping Chicken Noodle Soup by Jo's Kitchen
• Chilli SPAM and Eggs by Camilla at Fab Food 4 All
• Middle Eastern Spiced Campfire Chickpeas by Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary
• Miso Soup with Ginger & Udon Noodles by Kate at Veggie Deserts
• Sausage and Cider Campfire Skillet by Janie at Hedgecombers
• Cook Anywhere Campfire Dinner by Elinor at Beach Hut Cook
• Cowboy Stew by Janie at Hedgecombers

Coconut, Prawn & Spinach Camping Risotto

This is much more of a general idea than a recipe. The basis of a risotto made with pre-cooked rice works really well and can be adapted by using different flavours of rice and substituting or adding extra ingredients.

N.B. We made and ate this on our first night when we arrived. Prawns and a coolbox may not be the best combination. Use tinned meat/fish, ambient chorizio/smoked sausage or buy something fresh from a farm shop to enjoy this mid camping.

250g Pack of precooked Coconut Rice

1 x 50g Sachet of Creamed Coconut

100g Baby Spinach

150g Cooked & Peeled King Prawns

Salt & Pepper

Heat through the precooked rice in a pot over a camping stove along with the creamed coconut and a a cup of water.

Add the spinach and let it wilt down.

Cook for a few more minutes until the rice is hot and most of the excess liquid has been absorbed.

Finally add the prawns. Warm them through, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Disclosure : Millets #WeDoSummer campaign provided our camping equipment for review. This is not a paid post. As always, all views expressed are my own. 
Thank you for supporting the brands who make it possible for me to continue to share my Edible Scottish Adventures with you.

Smoked Salmon and King Prawn Sushi Rice Bowl

I love sushi. I love eating it and I love making it but if I'm honest it's a wee bit of a faff to prepare. How about all the amazing flavours and textures of sushi without any of the hassle, rolling, raw fish and tricky time consuming bits? That's what the Smoked Salmon and Prawn Sushi Rice Bowl recipe that I'm sharing today will give you. It's based on my recollections of a dish that used to be a favourite of mine on the menu at Giraffe a number of years ago. I guess you could call it deconstructed sushi. All the elements are there, just not in quite the traditional way. I'm not sure if I've managed to accurately remember all of the ingredients that were in the Giraffe version that inspired this creation, however it's the general concept that's important. Line your bowl with nori and pile it up with sushi style seasoned rice. Go heavy on the Wasabi if you like a bit of a kick. Talking of which I'm kicking myself for not adding edamame beans to mine. Next time I make this they will definitely feature. 

Smoked Salmon and Prawn Sushi Rice Bowl

200g Brown Rice

4 Tbsp Sushi Seasoning

1 Tbsp Wasabi (use more or less according to taste)

4 Sheets Nori (Roasted Seaweed)

1/2 Cucumber, de-seeded and sliced

1 Avocado, chopped into cubes

3 Spring Onions, sliced

100g Baby Spinach, shredded

150g King Prawns

200g Scottish Smoked Salmon, sliced

Black and White Sesame Seeds

Lime Wedges

Soy Sauce

Cook the brown rice in boiling salted water according the the packet instructions until tender.

Allow to cool. This process can be speed up by rinsing and refreshing in cold water.

Whisk together the sushi seasoning and wasabi paste to make a dressing. Stir this through the cooled brown rice.

Combine the seasoned rice with the cucumber crescents, cubed avocado, sliced spring onion and shredded baby spinach leaves. 

Line four 'pasta bowl' type dishes with a sheet of nori and divide the rice equally between the bowls.

Top the mounds of rice with the kings prawns and smoked salmon.

Sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds.

Garnish with a wedge of lime and serve with soy sauce and chopsticks.

Got the rice bowl bug? Check out the recipes below. Everything tastes better when served in a bowl! 

• Vegan Rice Bowl with Maple Tofu and Smoked Tomato Sauce
• Warm Rice & Quinoa Salad with Pan Fried Tofu
• Sushi Bowl
• Sesame Seared Japanese Loch Trout
• Mexican Rice Bowl
• Smoked Salmon & Black Rice Poke Bowl

Laura Cooks for Raymond Blanc - Squid & Barley

I've got a very special guest post on the blog today from eight year old Laura Townsend who like me lives in Aberdeenshire. I've known Laura since she was a toddler and was so excited for her when she won this experience of a lifetime. Laura can be found blogging at Laura Cooks (with a little help from her Mum). I am so inspired (and jealous) of her skill in the kitchen relative to her age, her prizewinning recipe and her meeting with Monsieur Blanc. 

I've left Laura's words exactly as she wrote them...

LEON cook5/Times prize weekend!!

Hello


remember a few weeks ago I told you about the cookery competition I won. It was with LEON restaurants and there cook5 website and the Times newspaper. Well it was great. I am going to tell you about it.

My mum went with me. We went on the plane and a few taxis an we eventually got to the hotel witch was great - we stayed at One Aldwich I loved the underwater music in the pool. We went for lunch at Wahaca. And then gone to Hamleys and Fortnum and Mason.

The next day I got a taxi with the other winners Mia and Poppy to the cooking school Food at 52 and it looked fab. You should see it for yourself! first i found all my ingredients and then everybody started to arrive. Henry Dimbleby, John Vincent and Beth from LEON, Giles Coren and Tony Turnbull from the Times newspaper, and Raymond Blanc.

Me cooking the dish

Raymond Blanc was rely kind. He showed me how to prepare squid, he told me to add the salt to my risotto first (which I have never done before). Raymond has a HUGE Love of food. IT was great to see Raymond like my food so much. my recipe was a barley risotto with asparagus and lemon juice, and squid. I was pleased how it turned out ( because it was the tastiest I have ever cooked it!).

HENRY AND JOHN were rely nice and they gave me a basket of goodies from LEON.

My Finished Dish

The Tasting

The day finished with a cookery demonstration from Raymond of pistou soup and chocolate mousse. I think they are rely beautiful. some day I want to have my own restaurant like Raymond. It would be nice to cook for him again in his restaurant!

the weekend was a life time experience.
BY-BY

Isn't she just a foodie star in the making? I'm pretty sure Laura could teach me a thing or two in the kitchen. I have certainly never tackled squid. If you are braver than me and fancy giving her dish a go her recipe is reproduced below. I'm hoping she might agree to giving me a masterclass. Pretty sure Laura is destined for bigger and better things. Hope she'll remember to put Foodie Quine on the guest list when she opens her first restaurant. 


Laura Townsend’s Squid & Barley

“I chose these ingredients because I wanted some vegetables in season and I love squid and wanted to invent something new. Barley grows a lot in Scotland where I live,” says Laura

Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tbsp butter 
2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp olive oil 
1 bunch spring onions, chopped 
3 garlic cloves, crushed 
300g barley (or risotto rice) 
1 litre chicken stock 
1 big bunch asparagus 
2 squid, prepared and sliced in rings 
Juice of 2 lemons 
Chilli flakes 
Sea salt and black pepper

Method
1 First melt the butter in a pan with 1 tbsp olive oil. Cook the spring onions and garlic gently for 4 min. Add the barley and stir for 1 min. Slowly add the stock and cook gently for 40 min.

2 Meanwhile, griddle the asparagus brushed with 1 tsp olive oil. In a large frying pan heat 1 tbsp olive oil and fry the squid for 2 min. Add lemon juice. Ladle some barley into a bowl, pile squid rings on top and asparagus around the side. Pour over the remaining lemony olive oil from the pan and sprinkle with chilli flakes, sea salt and pepper.

Thanks so much to Laura for letting me share her story and winning recipe. I'm sure she would love to read your comments.