Recipe: Quinoa, mushroom and soy bowl with crispy fried egg

Serves 4

90ml light olive oil

4 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, finely grated with a microplane

10g peeled ginger, finely grated with a microplane

180g quinoa, rinsed under cold water until the water runs clear

400ml hot chicken or vegetable stock (or hot water)

100ml soy dressing (see below)

2 sheets nori

300g mixed mushrooms

100ml soy sauce

80ml rice vinegar

160ml sesame oil

4 eggs

100g Chinese cabbage (wombok), thinly sliced

1 carrot, peeled and julienned

2tbs sesame seeds, toasted

Soy dressing

100ml soy sauce

50ml sesame oil

50ml rice vinegar

50ml water

For the dressing

Put all of the ingredients in a small container with a lid. Seal and then shake the container for a minute to combine. Store in the fridge for up to a month. Shake

before each use.

For the bowl

Heat 2tbs of the olive oil in a castiron pot or heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add most of the spring onion (reserving some for garnish), the garlic and ginger and cook for a few minutes, stirring regularly, until softened.

Stir in the rinsed quinoa, then add the hot stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for 12 minutes, then turn off the heat.

Leave to stand for five minutes before removing the lid. Season the cooked quinoa with the soy dressing and stir with a fork to combine. Set aside with the lid on. Using tongs, hold the nori over a low gas flame (or medium heat

if your stove is electric) and toast it for a few seconds until dark green and crisp.

Repeat with the second sheet. Tear the nori into pieces and reserve.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan over high heat. Cook the mushrooms for 3-4 minutes until they soften and start to caramelise.

Add the soy sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes until the soy has almost evaporated. Stir in the rice vinegar to deglaze the pan and then remove from the heat. Pour the mushrooms onto a warm plate.

Wipe the frying pan clean with paper towel. Add the sesame oil and heat over medium-high heat. Crack the eggs into the pan and fry for a couple of minutes until the whites start to crisp up around the edges and the yolks are heated through but still runny. Remove from the heat.

Divide the quinoa among four bowls and spoon the mushrooms and pan juices over the top. Add the sliced cabbage and carrot to the bowls, then top with a crispy fried egg. Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds, nori pieces and remaining spring onion.

Serve immediately.