Taking Stock

Well, that's blown a bad nights sleep! I was awakened just over an hour ago by a noisy thunderstorm and its attendant rain. Unusual for this time of year in this neck of the woods. The Met service here in Spain are pretty good; if they say it'll rain tomorrow it usually does and this current storm was actually being forecast 2 days ago. It is supposed to become showery later so we'll see if they are right all the way down the line.

The Lentil Sprouts :- some have made an inch in length, they are very fine, not as fat and juicy as the Alfalfa sprouts (aka 'beansprouts') sold in the supermarkets but very tasty, still with a sweetness not unlike that of a freshly shucked, tender, garden pea. Now there's a word you don't see or hear used often these days; brings back childhood memories of Sunday mornings sat on the lawn in the back garden with a big bowlfull of freshly picked peapods to deal with ready for the Sunday Dinner. Anyway, the experiment is over, they are in the fridge and now I'm working out something soupy using some of them, that leeky, chickeny drop of leftover stock and whatever else comes to mind.

06:45 - The thunderstorm itself has finally moved away, I can just about hear the louder bangs but we still have some soft rain falling.

10:00 - Daylight Wokery
Forget the soup. This is where my habit of bagging unused bits & bobs into the fridge or freezer pays off because I've had a rummage round the fridge, freezer and cupboards and found a bit of onion, a couple of tichy garlic cloves , a half-empty bottle of Oyster sauce, a frozen chicken breast fillet (the little bit loosely attached to a breast which I often remove and bag-up into the freezer for just such an occasion as this), some Leek tops!! and the last portion of a pack of quick-cook noodles (the type where you get 4 'cakes' in the pack), to all of which will be added the leftover stock from yesterday and some Lentil Sprouts plus, no doubt, some other stuff from the store cupboard. I'm going to dust my Wok off.

13:00 and lunch is a'looming so let's go stir things up a little!
Chicken Ha Ha Ho (makes a light lunch for 1)
Quantities? - Up to you and how big you want your lunch

Chicken breast fillet (I can actually see 2 in the photo, I'll use both)
A little onion
A little Garlic
Some Leek tops (use the tender yellowgreen innermost bits)(optional)
Chicken stock (I had 1/2 cup, 110mls, available)
Lentil sprouts (or a small, tender pea, 'Guisante fino' here in Spain)
Sesame oil
Oyster Sauce
Noodles

TOOLS
Small saucepan
Wok with lid
Cooks Knife
Chopping board

PREP
Start a saucepan of hot water according to noodle packet instruction
Cut the chicken into fine 1 inch/2.5cms strips
Dice onion to a pea size
Finely chop garlic
Finely chop the green tops if using
Have ready a good handful of the sprouts (or peas)
Have to hand the stock, oil and sauce, all ready for immediate use.

METHOD
Begin cooking the noodles. Bring the stock to a boil in the wok, add the sprouts and leek tops, cover and cook until tender (watch the liquor level, add water if necessary). Drain and transfer to a dish. Discard any remaining liquor and wipe the wok. Add a little sesame oil, heat it then add the onion and garlic and stirfry for a few seconds. Add the chicken and continue stirfrying until browned. Return the sprouts and leek tops to the wok and add enough Oyster Sauce to coat well . Allow all to heat through while waiting for the noodles to finish. Serve.

18:30 - Getting back to the weather.....as forecast it has been a very grey day but the afternoon showers didn't materialize, rather the thunderstorm (with a heavy, sustained, downpour) returned at 4pm and has not long since died away leaving, again, some soft rain in its wake.