Cooking with support

I have been very busy lately with the Assess For Access Project these past few weeks. As it is to do with choosing Our Ten Most Accessible Restaurants, it meant visiting quite a few restaurants. And sampling some really good food. That is finished now, the Guide is almost ready and I am back to catch up with other work.

Sunday is my only day off and the day that I get an extra hour of support to prepare meals for the rest of the week.

I am not keen on frozen ready meals available at supermarket chains - and yes, I do have some in my freezer. However I like cooking my own food too. Its not always safe for me nowadays for me to handle hot saucepans or even plates on my own.So I am glad to have the help.

Today I made Stir Fry Chilli Chicken and I thought it might be of interest to some readers. My PA Justina helped me.

Stir Fry Chilli Chicken

Ingredients

1 small chicken cut into bite sized pieces

dried chillies

2 cloves garlic cut up

oyster dauce (2 tbs)

soy sauce (to taste)

glass of white wine (if available) or stock or water

add small cut up vegetables

Ask your butcher to cut a chicken /chicken pieces into bite sized pieces. Some butchers are really helpful and will understand, if not I find the halal butcher is really good and will even de-skin it for you.

Heat up wok/frying pan. (ask PA/support worker to do bits you re not sure about). Be careful of spluttering oil splashes especially for wheelchair users. Add 3 tbps of oll, put in pieces of chicken. Do not crowd the pan or it won't fry properly. Add chiliies. Keep stirring. When the chicken looks crispy, add sauces and liquid (alcohol or stock/water). Allow to braise for a few minutes. Add cut up vegetables - like celery, green beans, bean sprouts, parsley, coriander or even sweet corn if desired.

I love my knork because I can cut without a knife for eating dishes like this. I dont need a knife here.

Justina also makes rice for me in the rice cooker. This is a really useful aid in the kitchen for anyone. No handling of hot pans needed. Add rice, add water, switch on and when its cooked, it switches itself off. Also good for PAs who have no idea how to cook rice.

It can also double as a steamer. I will add recipes later with using the rice cooker to make one pot meals.