I haven't done as much cooking as I would have liked recently, as time is something I am always short on. With working at my 9-5 job, domestic chores, day trips to make use of the sunny weather, and friends like Jette visiting from abroad, I've been short on time and the kitchen has been in neglect. I wish I had more hours in my day and week to get more done. But I'm sure I'm not alone and most of us have this dilemma.




Talking of day trips, I recently went hiking at Seven Sisters on the south coast of England. I love the city but every now and then, I need respite from the hustle and bustle of city life. On this particular day the weather was perfect for a hike. You can see from the photos just how beautiful the white, chalky cliffs of Seven Sisters are. I stood on the edge of the cliff (not too close though) and was convinced I could see France in the distance, but I think the bright sun was playing tricks on my eyes. You can see more of my day trip on flickr .





After a long day, all you want is a simple, light and quick meal for supper that takes no time to prepare and cook. Mark reminded me that we used to eat San Choy Bow all the time when we lived in warmer climate. It's a popular dish that is a staple in Chinese restaurants. I learnt from a chef online that San Choy Bow translates to Raw Lettuce Wrap. Traditionally, the main filling is pork but I decided to add duck to the pork, and hoisin sauce goes so well with duck. The bamboo shoots and water chestnuts adds the crunch and texture factor. And once all the ingredients are prepped, it takes minutes to cook and even less time to eat, leaving more time to do other important tasks.

Approximately 15 servings

INGREDIENTS

400g duck skin removed, finely diced
200g pork mince
220g can of water chestnuts finely diced
220g can of bamboo shoots finely diced
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp garlic minced
1 tbsp ginger grated
2 spring onions (scallion) finely sliced
1 pack of baby cos lettuce
1 lime
Coriander to garnish
Chilli to garnish
Sesame seeds to garnish


METHOD

Combine the duck, pork, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar in a bowl. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.

Heat the wok on high heat, then add the peanut oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 secs. Add the pork and duck mixture to the wok and stir fry for about 2-3 minutes or until the meat turns brown. Add the water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and spring onions and cook for another 2 minutes. The water chestnut and bamboo shoots should remain crunchy to add texture to the dish.

To serve, scoop the mixture into a lettuce lead and garnish with sesame seeds, chilli, coriander and lime juice.


NOTES

All ingredients should be diced uniformly in size to ensure they cook at the same time.
You can use iceberg lettuce instead of cos lettuce.