I love eating pears with my cheeses and I especially enjoy a good strong blue cheese. On strolling past the cheese stand, I saw some perfectly aged Gorgonzola and thought that a delicious and satisfying quiche can be made with it in combination with pears. The savoury balanced by the fresh sweetness from the bears make the quiche sublime.

It makes a great starter or a meal accompanied by a fresh salad.

To Make: for a 28cm form

300g puff pastry                                   200g Gorgonzola                                salt
2 medium pears                                    250g quark                                             pepper
lemon juice                                             2 eggs                                                        pinch of nutmeg

Line the form with the puff pastry pulling it up the edge. Press along the joining. 
Peel and core the pears. Squeeze some lemon juice over the pears. (This prevents browning).
Mash the Gorgonzola slightly. Add the eggs and the quark to it. Season with a little salt (the Gorgonzola is salty), pepper and the nutmeg.
​Mix well together.
Cut the pear crosswise into1/4 inch slices. 
Prick the puff pastry in the form base.
Lay the pears out on the base and pour the filling mixture in between the space.
Pop into a 200C oven for the first 10 mins and then continue baking at 180C for a further 20mins till a rich golden brown.
Let cool a little before slicing.
​Enjoy!

             the ingredients                                 pears peeled and cored                        Gorgonzola slightly mashed

quark, eggs and seasoning                              pear cut crosswise                             pricked base of pastry shell

            lay out the pears                                  the mixed filling                                        fill the space between

                                        front                                                                                                    back

QAYG or "quilt as you go" has evolved tremendously from the very first QAYG quilts to what we can do with this method today. From my observation, there are as many methods to sandwiching a quilt with this method as there are preferences out there. From sewing the top pieces of fabric to the batting and backing in one go, and adding on in this way till the desired size is reached, thereby accomplishing a quilted sandwich all at once, to joining smaller quilted pieces together with a sashing, to joining rows of quilted pieces together to make a larger quilt. It is a wonderful way to get your quilt quilted on a domestic machine, whatever the finished size of your quilt may be. By quilting your quilt in smaller sections, making it easier to maneuver on your domestic sewing machine eliminates the otherwise tedious struggle of having to roll, tug, smooth and wrestle thick, unwieldy amounts of material through the small space of a sewing machine throat. This method of quilting smaller sections and then joining them all together to form a larger quilt, allows you to quilt without fighting with copious amounts of fabric and hopefully, create a smoother quilt with even stitching.

I read many articles and watched a lot of videos on how to QAYG. Most of those I encountered had sashings to join smaller blocks together. Since I wanted my quilt top pattern to flow, I did not want any sashing that would interrupt the flow. I then researched how to join row by row without sashing. After having more or less understood the method, I figured that since I can comfortably quilt a lap sized quilt on my machine, I would try dividing my quilt into quadrants, quilting them and then joining them together. I also wanted the continuous flow of lines that will form a lovely diamond flow. Almost like a never-ending circle except in a diamond form. This is my modern take on a wedding quilt, the diamonds go on and on in a concentric pattern. Just like love without an end.

Of course making and quilting a quilt in QAYG method requires a different pre-planning. You need to figure out how much you want and can make into individual quilted pieces before joining them together without compromising on flow and pattern. Since I was doing straight line quilting that I wanted to flow continuously on the whole quilt, I had to ensure that the quilting is done very accurately in order for them to align perfectly later. (I must admit, I did NOT think of this added difficulty when I was planing but I did catch that difficulty in time and was able to ensure accurate quilting lines). I also added concentric circles to the middle just to add some diversity.

                                                           a quilted quadrant with extra batting and batting

​Each quadrant was quilted according to my desired pattern. I left 0.5in of unquilted space for the joining. I had extra batting and backing that extended over the front by 1.5in for joining the quadrants together later.

​Placing the right sides of two quilted pieces together, I carefully folded back the backing and batting from the edges for joining. I used clips to hold the edges together, being very careful that the front quilting lines align correctly. I then took it to my machine and joined the two pieces together using a 1/4(0.25)in seam.

the joined quadrants using                  trim off one side of the batting           trim off other side of batting to
a 1/4in seam                                                                                                                                  just touch each other


The next step is to trim away the excess batting. I trimmed down one side of the batting to match my 1/4in seam. (Be careful NOT to cut away the backing fabric). Then I placed the left side excess batting flat and trimmed it to just touching the right side already trimmed batting.

fold under the one side of backing       the joined and finished top                  the joined, to be finished back


I then folded under the left side of the backing fabric till it aligned with the trimmed batting and pinned to secure the fold. I laid the right side fabric flat UNDER the left fold. Then I carefully stitched the overlapping joint together using a curvy stitch. This also worked to hold my batting together at their meeting place as well as make a neat yet decorative joining. My front joined well and all the stitches and lines met accordingly. The back required some hand-stitching to tidy up.

                                                    workers hand-cutting lavender for sale
note in the back how the lavender has been cut in a dome shape

When I envision a field of purple, lovely scented lavender, the south of France usually pops into my head. I associate lavender fields with dry balmy heat or somewhere in the Mediterranean. Never in my wildest imagination would I have thought that I would be visiting a most delightful Lavender farm just to the South of London! The mildly warm day with a slight breeze brought wafts of the sweet smell of lavender to us even before we saw the purplish grey hues. What a treat to be standing in the midst of fields of wonderfully scented lavender. I wish time could stand still in that moment of time. A veritable feast for all the senses. 

                                                                                  Lavandin vs Lavender

A good lesson I learnt from our guide is that not all purple good smelling flowers in their field is lavender as we know it. The ones on the front, in the photo above, that are less vivid purple are Lavandin, (also known as French lavender) contains more camphor and works more as a stimulant and Lavender, the darker purple ones, on the back of the photo (also known as English lavender) has less camphor and has a sweeter smell. Picking a stalk of each for closer examination, certainly ascertained the difference. They had distinctly different smells and the small flowers had differing forms.

In the photo above, you can see that the lavender is not yet fully open but as soon as they reach their peak, they will be cut for sale as fresh flowers. The bare green patches are where the lavender has been cut already.

Here we are in the shed where the lavender is dried in bunches and there is a small distillery unit on the table in the first photo. This small distillery is for making small batches of lavender oil to test its viability before large batches are distilled.

In the centre photo, you can see a poster of the machinery used to harvest the lavender or lavandin. The cut goods are then transported to the main distillery as quickly as possible and the flowers are heated under high heat and then distilled to extract lavender oil. ( see photo below)

In the two photos above you can see the day's harvest of lavender flowers. The smell is truly amazing and it was a wonderful visit to a lovely lavender farm in the beautiful countryside just south of London.

Photo credit: Father Lawrence Lew OP


I just couldn't resist the pleasure of being immersed in the field of beautiful and wonderful smelling flowers. Would be a perfect "bed" for me.

I hope that if you ever get a chance to visit a lavender farm, do it! You will definitely have a lovely day out.

                                                                       Bacon and eggs on a toasted crumpet

Who does not enjoy some bacon and eggs for breakfast or in fact at any time? Baking them together in a muffin tin just made this delicious meal even easier and faster. A really convenient way to feed a group without having to cook individual portions separately, or clean up any splatter afterwards. Pop the ready bacon and eggs over freshly toasted crumpets with butter oozing out of the crevices and one is in breakfast heaven.

Note: I used extra large muffin forms that could take 2 eggs in each hole. If you have a smaller muffin tin, it might only take one egg per hole. You will need to adjust accordingly.

To Make: for 6
24 slices of bacon                               1 large muffin tin with 6 holes
12 eggs

Line each hole of the muffin tin with  the bacon slices. Trim to fit.
Break the eggs into the lined holes. 
Pop into a 180C oven for 10 - 15 mins depending on the doneness you like of your eggs.
Enjoy!

           lined with bacon and filled with eggs                                bacon and eggs fresh out of the oven

                                                                        Delicious Mouth Numbing Beef

Recently on my travels I ate at a very authentic Szechuan restaurant. Typically, the Szechuan peppers brought their "ma lah" (numbing spiciness), to the forefront. This type of spiciness is rather different from the burning spice of hot chillis. I think the Szechuan peppers leave a nutmeg-like aftertaste. It is not everybody's idea of tasty but I like it. You need to try it and decide if you like it. It is an acquired taste as I was not too sure about the feeling after my first try.

​Inspired from this meal I had, I have decided to add some of this "ma lah" to my stir fried beef. By using sweet onion, and Worcestershire sauce, the dish has a lovely dance of naturally sweet, sour and tanginess. Every mouthful is bursting with delicious flavours.

To make: for 2

250g skirt steak*                                                      1 sweet onion 
                                                                                         1 stalk spring onion
Marinade ingredients:                                           1/2 in ginger                                     
1/2 Tbs soya sauce                                                  2 tsp Szechuan pepper
1 Tbs Shaoxing wine                                               2 bird's eye chillis
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce                               1 1/2 Tbs oil
1 tsp cornstarch                                                       1 tsp sesame oil
pinch of sugar                                                            salt

Slice the beef into 1/4 in strips.
Marinate the beef with the 5 marinade ingredients. Set aside for at least 10mins but not more than 30mins.
Peel and cut the onion into 1/2, then crosswise into thin strips.
Cut the white part of the spring onion  into rings.
Sliver the green part of the spring onion for garnish. Place in a bowl of cold water and set aside.
Peel and mince the ginger.
Slit the bird's eye chillis.
Heat the oil in a wok and fry the Szechan peppers till fragrant.(2 mins). Be careful not to let it burn.
​Add the onion and stir fry over medium high heat till just turning translucent.(5 mins).
Add the ginger, spring onion and chillis. Fry till fragrant and the chillis get soft. (3 mins)
Crank heat up again. Add the beef. Mix in well and fry for just 2 minutes till the beef is just done.
Add a splash of water if the dish is too dry. Adjust seasoning with salt and soya sauce to taste.
Garnish with the green part of the spring onion slivers.
​Enjoy!

Note: Times are just approximate. It all depends on the size, texture of your produce.

Tip: marinade works as a tenderiser but you don't want to leave it too long as it breaks up the fibres of the meat and changes the texture. But you DO want to marinade to inculcate flavour.

* or any steak of your choice.

                  the ingredients                                               all prepped                                           the marinade

     Szechuan pepper corns in oil                         add onions                                          just turning translucent

       add the other aromatics                              fry till fragrant                                              add the beef

                                                                             short fry till just tender

I love octopus in all forms, size and methods of preparation. I know that to many people, preparing octopus from scratch can be intimidating or it may be difficult to get raw octopus. To enjoy octopus which is just tender to the bite, it needs to be cooked for just a very short time or for a much longer time. Usually between 40 mins to 80 mins depending on the size of the octopus and whether it has been cut to smaller pieces. Anything in between turns the octopus chewy, rubbery and unpalatable.https://www.2feet3continents.com/blog/octopuspulpokrake

I enjoy picking out my raw octopus from the fishmonger and to prepare it myself. At times I just prepare the octopus and freeze them for later use. Once I have tenderised the octopus with long cooking, turning them into any dish is just so quick and easy.

Recently, I found sliced ready to eat octopus tentacles which have been pre-poached. I usually defrost this and quickly blanch it in hot water and toss into a salad. But I wanted to do more with these frozen octopus slices. Since longer cooking actually makes the octopus toothsome, I decided on a octopus ragu in tomato sauce. 

The sauce turned out superb and was very quick and easy to make as most of the ingredients were basic pantry ingredients. I am glad to have found such an easy and tasty use for frozen sliced octopus tentacles.

To make: for 2
200g frozen octopus pieces              ​      1 400g can chopped tomatoes                  a splash or two of red wine
2 cloves garlic                                                2 Tbs olive oil                                                              (optional)
2 shallots                                                          pinch of sugar
1 red chilli                                                       1 Tbs dried parsley

Peel and chop the shallots.
Peel and mince the garlic.
Slit the chilli.
Heat the olive oil in a pot.
Add the shallots and fry over medium high heat till glassy.
Add the minced garlic and the chilli and give a quick stir.
Add the tomatoes, sugar, dried parsley, and octopus and bring to a boil.
​Add the wine, if using. Stir in well.
Lower heat and simmer for about 40 mins till the octopus has reached the desired tenderness.
Taste and season with salt.
Toss with cooked pasta of your choice and serve immediately.
Enjoy!

             the ingredients                                           aromatics                                           simmer for about 40 mins

                                                                         beets fresh from the garden

Few things can compare with the pride and joy of harvesting what you have planted yourself, then preparing it and eating it with family and friends. You can be sure that it is the freshest and purest food you can put on your table.

I have been gardening for a long time and have often incorporated some fruit, herbs and vegetables in the flower beds because they look pretty but, growing vegetables for my dinner table is something new to me. I must admit that I started with trepidation (I'm the type that wants every thing to turn out perfect from the word "go"!), did a lot of reading and research before I plunged in. A gift of a beautiful raised bed was the biggest encouragement I needed. So I took the plunge and got my seedlings.

The daily visit to my vegetable garden is delightful. The peering between the leaves to see how the beetroot were growing is my adrenaline shot. (yes beetroot grows above the ground). Look at the photos and you can see that the tap roots grow below the soil and the bulbous part is above the soil. When the beetroots reached a golfball size, it was time for harvesting them. I was so excited and thrilled beyond compare. 

Fresh beetroot is absolutely delicious and very nutritious. It is a great source of protein and valuable vitamins.In fact a workhorse for promoting good health. As a child, I only knew the pickled ones that came in glass jars; and noticed that they were frequently served in hospitals. I was told that they are a great source for building red blood corpuscles. Later I tried fresh beetroot from the farmer's market and was surprised at how different they tasted. I loved the earthy, natural sweetness of fresh beet. preparing fresh beetroot at home, I could also control the texture of whether I preferred them crunchy or tender. The beet greens are  delicious and absolutely nutritious too. There was no going back. 

Beetroot was one of the first plants to go into my raised bed and I am sure glad I did.  I wanted the beet greens as much as the beetroot. (Here in Germany, they are seldom sold with the greens). 

A simple way to enjoy beetroot, other than raw or juice,  is to steam or roast them whole. I like them either way. This time, I wanted to eat both the beetroot and greens together and came up with the following delicious dish of roasted beets with sauteed greens, topped with pine nuts and feta. Delicious on its own or as a side. So yummy, I am going to make this again this weekend.

                                                            perfect 'golf ball' size to be still tender

​To Make: for 2 as a side dish
3  to 4 red beets                                olive oil                                      salt                                                  honey(optional)
2 Tbs pine nuts                                  water                                          pepper
2 garlic cloves                                    100g feta                                  chilli flakes(optional)

Wash the beets thoroughly.
Twist the beet greens off at where they connect with the red beet. Cut into 6 in length.
Wrap the beets in foil individually and roast at 180C for an hour till they are still al dente or just tender to the touch.
Let cool.
Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts carefully in a dry pan. Stir and toss around the pan. Be careful not to burn them . Set aside.
Mince the garlic.
When cool enough to handle, remove skin and cut into bite sized pieces.
Heat some olive oil in a pan and fry the garlic  and some chilli flakes over medium heat till fragrant.
Add the stems and fry for about 5mins. Add the leaves and fry till tender. About mins 10 mins.
(depending on how young your leaves are. Test in between).
Add a splash of water if the pan gets too dry.
When the greens are tender, turn off the heat. Toss in the beet, and pine nuts. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. 
Serve with crumbled feta.
​Enjoy!

Tip:
Drizzle a little honey over the dish to increase the flavour profile. You get an earthy, savoury and sweet with tangy from the feta Yum!

Note: red beet juice can cause staining. Use gloves or some protection to cover your hands and chopping board while cutting it.

    greens twisted off the beets                      the beet greens                                   the other ingredients

           taproot removed                                    cut into 6in lengths                                 pine nuts in dry pan

         toast till golden brown                        add   stems first                                                 add leaves

                  cook till tender                               wrap beets individually                            roasted for and hour

                add water if dry                                 protect hand to peel                                cut into bite size

                   add to greens                                             add feta                                            top with toasted pine nuts

                                                                           the yield from our truffle hunt

 

​I adore truffles and can eat them on anything or in anything! Although I have loved truffles from the very first whiff and taste, I have never been on a truffle hunt. Of course I have read about how it is done and seen on television how dogs or pigs are used for truffle hunting. Nothing beats the excitement of going into the forest with a guide and a truffle hunting dog! There is an excitement and a sense of expectation in the air. Even the muddy grounds from the rains of the previous night  could not dampen our enthusiasm.

Whoever came of the idea to taste truffle must have been very adventurous and curious; but I sure am glad that he/she did! This precious fungus, found in the ground at the base of certain types of trees is certainly not much to look at. It resembles a lump of earth when first dug out. The fact that we cannot see nor smell this elusive, but oh so delightful delicacy, until it is dug out from its underground habitat makes it even more mysterious. Honestly, I think that if my pig or dog dug out a lump of earthy root and started chomping on it, I would just leave the animal to it. At most, I'll remove the article but will most likely not take a bite out of it. But, since truffles have been discovered and became a precious commodity in the 17th century, it has maintained its revered status at the dining table and in the chef's kitchen, not to mention its high price.

On this truffle hunting trip in the Tuscany, our truffle hunt guides and dog handler, used an adorable 8 month old, Lagotto Romagnolo. This breed is a water dog, or water retriever, traditionally a gun dog, but is often used for truffle hunting nowadays. They are very trainable and have a great sense of smell. Riccardo, our truffle hunting puppy proved himself many times over. Though young and not fully trained yet, his promising attitude and great sense of smell made him a star!

From the greeting at the brink of the forest and all through the hunt, Riccardo was friendly, reliable and focused. He certainly had fun. There were a couple of moments when he was most tempted to gobble the precious find but yielded obediently when commanded by his handler to do so. One can see the rapport between master and hound. There was much mutual affection and respect. Riccardo was praised profusely and rewarded with snacks on each triumphant find. As soon as he received and devoured his treat, Riccardo was off again to the next spot where another truffle would be found.

Due to the days of rain preceding our planned truffle hunt, the ground was rather muddy and precarious but nothing  was going to prevent us from proceeding. Our group of 12  were given bright blue shower cap-like footwear covers to keep our footwear clean. Then begun our exciting trip into the forest with Riccardo rushing ahead, his tail wagging furiously. Within seconds, Riccardo was digging crazily with his snout in the ground and his back in the air, wriggling his backside with energetic enthusiasm. The handler moved swiftly with his stick to dig out the truffle and retrieve it before the dog had a chance to gobble it up. Finding the first lump of earth covered truffle was such a thrill but only because I knew what it was. Otherwise, looking at the small lump of soil would definitely be puzzling. ( At this juncture, I need to briefly share a true incident which never fails to bring a gasp to anyone hearing it. Our neighbour, a professional photographer, bought a good sized truffle which he photographed for a food magazine, then popped into the refrigerator for later consumption. Imagine his horror when he went to retrieve the precious lump in anticipation of a delicious perfumed meal, to discover that his wife had thrown it away! She thought that it was some shriveled old thing in the refrigerator.)

Riccardo, outdid himself again and again. ​Our half a morning hunt yielded about 500g of this precious ingredient. We were thrilled by our hunt and looked forward to tasting the truffles. 

We separated from our truffle hunt dog handler and the precious Riccardo, We drove with anticipation to our lunch venue where a truffle meal would be prepared for us. Following our  guides, we stopped on a hill top at their family farm where they cultivated olive trees, vine and produce.  The rose lined path led us to a glass house with unobstructed views of the undulating countryside covered in olive groves and neat rows of vine. Never in my mind's eye did I imagine eating in such beautiful surroundings and from such freshly made food. The olive oil and wine came from the soil on which we were standing. The produce were pick just after dawn, with the dew drops still glistening on them. THIS is my paradise on earth. From the fields and the toils of the land, directly into the pots and onto my table. Food cannot get any fresher than this.

And if the beauty and the joy of truffle hunting could be topped, it was certainly  topped by being spoiled by a professional chef making absolutely fresh and delicious local specialties and delicate truffle dishes for us to enjoy, accompanied by the superb wines from the vineyard and in delightful, much loved company.

Definitely a wonderful treat to be savoured and to be etched in the heart. A wonderful day, making new and pleasurable experiences shared with loved ones. Indelible.

Photo credits : Lawrence Lew

                   the dog handler with Riccardo                                                           a treat for Riccardo

                      the menu                                     fresh pumpkin flowers                    fried pumpkin flowers and sage

    pumpkin soup with truffles               scrambled eggs with truffles                  crostini with fresh porcini                                                                                                                                                                              and truffles ​                     

                                                                  excellent wines from the vineyard

To-mah-toes, to-may-toes; whichever way you say it, in any form and colour, red, yellow, green, purple pink or even blue! is a joy to the eyes and a treat to the palate. Its natural acidity brings a brightness to any dish. It is such a versatile fruit/vegetable and comes in all shapes and sizes, making it suitable for a snack to pop into your mouth and taste the juicy sweetness ooze onto your tongue or it can be made into sauces, baked, stuffed, fried and more. Any which way you enjoy this wonder fruit, it is always delightful. can you imagine life without tomato sauce or ketchup?

Soon the summer season will be upon us and this most delightful and delicious, not to mention healthy and nutritious food will be abundant in the market in all its forms and colours. I managed to get a head start on these amazing fruit/vegetable while on a trip to Italy this May. (Of course I could not resist a trip to the local markets whilst there). A stroll through the tomato stands are enough to make one swoon. The many varieties, all vine ripened gave out a heady smell of sweet tomato-ey goodness. From the various tomatoes we bought, I carried two precious tomatoes home to Germany with me. I love to extend my holiday pleasures with food brought home. I brought back two ribbed Ligurian beef tomatoes also known as oxen heart tomatoes. In fact I was so impressed by them that I have also planted one of these tomato plants in a pot, in my vegetable garden. Can't wait to see how well they will grow in the North German climate.

With one of the tomatoes, I made a pasta, inspired by the simple ingredients used by native Italians. It is a raw tomato sauce and was very refreshing and highlighted the sweet juiciness of the tomato.
With the second tomato, I made a delicious bright tomato salad with fresh thyme, capers and anchovies. A lovely combination of sweet, savoury with a touch of acidity.


To Make:  Pasta with raw tomato sauce for 2
​
One  large tomato                        1.5 Tbs capers                                   salt
200g pasta                                       1 Tbs evoo
1 garlic clove                                   freshly ground pepper

Chop the tomato into cubes.
Mince the garlic.
Place in a bowl large enough to toss your pasta in.
Add the evoo, capers, salt and pepper to taste. (Bear in mind that the capers are salty).
Marinate the tomatoes for at least 10 mins. Better for 30mins.
Cook the pasta till al  dente as per instructions.
Drain the pasta and toss with the marinated tomatoes. Adjust seasoning.
Enjoy!
​

            the ingredients                                     gorgeous red tomato                        add capers to chopped tomato

add the rest of the ingredients            toss well and adjust seasoning                         enjoy!



To Make: a simple tomato salad for 2

​1 large tomato                                       1 Tbs evoo
a fistful of fresh thyme                       salt
1 Tbs capers                                            freshly ground pepper
2 anchovies

Chop the tomato into small cubes. Place in a bowl.
Strip the thyme and add the leaves to the tomato.
Mince the anchovies.
Add the anchovies and capers to the tomato.
Stir in the evoo. 
Add freshly ground pepper and salt if at all to taste. (both the capers and anchovies are salty!).
Let stand for about 10 mins.
​Enjoy!

                                         the ingredients                                       add thyme to tomato               let stand for 10 mins

As Summer approaches, I get very excited with the idea of eating cool salads. Instead of the usual tomatoes, cucumber or lettuce, for a change of beat, I thought that it would be fun to mix things up. So, I came up with a fusion of ingredients which most of us have easy access to but still brings a dance to our tastebuds.

Chicken, spiced up with some peanut butter, honey, sesame dressing with a touch of chilli flakes for a kick. Juice of a lime for a touch of brightness. Some Chinese or Napa cabbage for crunch, some glass noodles and rice vermicelli to add some substance.And a small carrot for added crunch and sweetness. This also adds a touch of colour.

This salad is very versatile and can be made as a small starter dish or just multiply the amounts to feed a crowd. Fun and definitely a conversation starter at any gathering. I have often been asked for the recipe.

To make:
1 chicken breast                                           4  Tbs peanut butter                              pinch of chilli flakes
40g glass noodles                                        2 tsp honey                                                1/2 cup warm water
50g rice vermicelli                                      2 tsp soya sauce                                       juice of a lime
9  Napa cabbage leaves                            2  tsp sesame oil                                      1 small carrot

Cook the chicken breast till just done. Let cool and shred into bite sized pieces.
Soak the glass noodles and rice vermicelli in hot water for about 20mins. Drain well.
Wash and slice the cabbage leaves into narrow strips crossways.
​Julienne the carrot.
In a container  whisk together the peanut butter, honey, and warm water till smooth.
Add the soya sauce, sesame oil and chilli flakes to taste. Whisk well together.
Add the to the rest of the ingredients and coat well.
Tastes best if let to stand and to allow the flavours to soak in for at least 30 mins.

                 glass noodles                                           rice vermicelli                                      cooked chicken breast

noodles soaked in hot water                           drain noodles well                                    shred chicken

          Napa cabbage leaves                           cut into strips crosswise                          julienned carrot