beginnings

None of us living here copes well with the noisy pre-Christmas restaurant atmosphere, so the family tradition for my birthday meal is a special recipe cooked at home by Neil. This year I chose:

THAI CHICKEN
Ingredients
6 chicken breast fillets, cut up into large pieces
MARINADE
1 level tsp caster sugar
½ tsp of each of salt, pepper, English mustard powder, ground ginger, turmeric, medium curry powder

2 courgettes
3 peppers, red, green & yellow
pack of sugar snap

4 tbsps olive oil
3 tbsps runny honey
4 tbsps lemon juice
1 inch piece of root ginger, peeled & cut up finely

2ozs salted cashew nuts

Noodles to serve

METHOD
Mix chicken with marinade, cover and leave in fridge overnight.

When ready to cook the meal:
Slice all veg
Fry courgettes in half of olive oil for 2-3 mins. Remove onto a plate.
Fry sugar snap & peppers. Add to courgettes

Fry chicken in batches, in rest of oil, until browned.
Return all chicken to wok & add honey, lemon juice, & ginger.
Cover & simmer for 5 mins or until cooked through.

Return veg to wok to reheat.

Sprinkle with cashew nuts and serve with noodles.

[wendy frost]

Hope you had a lovely birthday yesterday Hazel. Your meal looks great and what a lovely treat for you. Hubbys birthday yesterday and mine tomorrow and we no longer go out for a meal due to the busy restaurants and Christmas fare on offer. Chinese takeaway is out birthday treat in the comfort and peace of home.

[Beryl Lloyd]

Sounds a wonderful recipe Hazel --I am sure you thoroughly enjoyed your birthday feast A lovely colourful shot !

[Bep]

Looks very tasty. Think I'm going to try the recipe...

[Sarah Munnings]

Happy birthday to you
I so agree with you re noisy pre Christmas restaurants, it was my birthday on the 17th and hubby's tomorrow! I am going to give recipe a try, it sounds good :)

[Penelope Ann]

Very exotic

[gloria jones]

Delicious shot, colors, shapes

[Lady Magpie (Heather)]

A lovely colourful capture and it all sounds very tasty.

[Hazel]

@pixiemac

Sarah, thanks for birthday wishes. This recipe is one of my favourites. Just have to remember to marinade the chicken the night before! Happy birthday to you both!

[Hazel]

@gijsje

If you do, let me know what you think!

[Hazel]

@wendyfrost

Many happy returns to you and your husband - I'm heartened to read that you and others feel the same as us - began to feel like Mrs Scrooge a bit!

[Denise Wood]

Looks delicious! Hope you had a great birthday :)

[Claire]

Happy Birthday Hazel, hope it has been a great day

[Sandy]

Belated Happy Birthday, Hazel. That looks like a very tasty dish. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

[Julie F]

Colourful birthday fare.

[Richard Hickey]

Fantastic picture and perspective.

[Linda Plummer]

Looks so yummy. My kind of a dish. Great shot.

[alia_801]

Those peppers all look very yummy!
I hope you had a lovely birthday :)