king prawn and salmon crispy wontons.

With 2016 seeing in the Chinese New Year of the Fire Monkey, what better time to be inspired by some delicious and super simple Chinese recipes. I especially love making Oriental inspired appetisers, and since I learnt how easy it is to make your own wonton pastry at home I've loved creating new flavours, fillings and shapes. 

Featuring Blue Dragon light soy sauce, I've created some crispy king prawn and salmon wontons that go perfectly with a squeeze of lime and their sweet chilli dipping sauce. Serve as a sociable starter at a Chinese dinner party - ideal to make ahead and fry off when you're ready to indulge!

slim's pork chop express, liverpool.

Yet another utterly cool dining venue in Liverpool - Slim's Pork Chop Express. Inspired by the owners' enthusiasm with the film Big Trouble in Little China, you'll find subtle (and not so subtle) hints to the film itself. Found just a short walk away from indie-friendly Bold Street on Seel Street, the black exterior is lit up with modern neon lights in the shape of a pig and cow - you'll know you've found it! The menu focuses on the whole pork chop sandwich idea, with big smokes, low and slow cooked meats, pimped out fries and craft beers to go alongside.

pumpkin chinese steamed buns.

Planning a Halloween party this year? Make sure you have all those spooky essentials at the ready. pumpkin? Check! Scary decorations? Check! Fancy dress outfit? Check! Chop sticks... what? 

When traditional Chinese sauce brand Lee Kum Kee got in touch to see how I fancied writing a Chinese pumpkin recipe i couldn't wait to step up to the challenge. inspired by my trip to flesh & buns, i set about developing a Chinese steamed bun recipe.

fragrant tofu guotie.

guotie, also known as potstickers, are a north chinese dim sum delicacy, which can be served as street food or in restaurants alike. when i read on the foodies 100 that cauldron foods were hosting a cookery challenge to celebrate the annual british street food awards, i couldn't wait to create a vegetarian street food inspired recipe. known for their tofu, falafels and veggie sausages, you can be as creative as you like with their products. 

since i love trying my hand at dim sum, i thought i'd use the skills i learnt on the school of wok chinese cookery class to create my street food style interpretation of guotie, with cauldron's original tofu. 

the basin, loughborough.

i think i may have found the best sesame prawn toast i've ever eaten in my live. where? the basin in loughborough. with a cooked to order menu packed with the best of japanese, chinese and thai cuisine, the basin boasts a beautiful pad thai, succulent sesame prawn toast and refreshing sushi platters. it certainly ticked a lot of boxes for me.

school of wok: flavours of china and dim sum delicacies.

last weekend i went along to school of wok in london for a dim sum delicacies course that tested my tastebuds, sharpened up my knife skills and expanded my knowledge of chinese cuisine. 

this cookery course was everything you could ask for; including a tour around china town, learning how to shop for and select the best ingredients, where to find kitchen tools and how to use them, knife and preparation skills and of course the best lesson ... on how to devour a chinese feast with a glug of specially paired wine.

vegetable won tons.

move over pasta machine, i've found a new foodie toy in my bamboo steamer. having recently tried out vietnamese summer rolls with king prawns and steamed pork dumplings i thought i'd set about finding a vegetarian dim sum recipe with the won ton wrappers i'd just bought. to my surprise, there were hardly any veggie won ton recipes out there. so i don't profess to this being authentic by any stretch but i hope you enjoy my recipe of oriental infused vegetables :) oh and do you like my new bowl and dipping bowl?

steamed pork dumplings.

i absolutely love the type of meals with lots of little dishes - dim sum, tapas and sushi especially. i recently bought a bamboo steamer basket as i've always wanted to try making my own dim sum. i loved the idea of making something again with the stack of rice paper wrappers i bought in chinatown - having made vietnamese summer rolls the other week. so this is a bit of a mix and match of my favourite asian inspired flavours to make these steamed pork dumplings.

i bought this bamboo steamer set with two tiers from amazon for £9.99. i could've maybe picked one up at a local chinese supermaket - though the three near me all close around the same time i finish work :( so what next?