Celebrity chef gives support to Mary’s Meals campaign

Ching He Huang MBE celebrates the mums who make Mary’s Meals

The celebrity chef and food writer is supporting Mary’s Meals this Mother’s Day

Ching He Huang MBE is just one of the famous faces featured in a special Mother’s Day recipe book which has been created in support of Mary’s Meals.

The celebrity chef and food writer has donated a recipe for her mum’s golden sticky rice cabbage ‘money bag’ parcels to the school feeding charity. It features in an online cookbook, alongside Judy Murray’s mum’s traditional shortbread recipe, and Nadiya Hussain’s mum’s Bengali chicken korma recipe.

Mary’s Meals serves nutritious school meals to more than two million children every school day in 20 of the world’s poorest countries, including South Sudan, Ethiopia and Malawi. The promise of a good meal attracts children into the classroom, giving them the energy and opportunity to learn, and the chance of a brighter future. 

Ching He Huang says: “My mum’s presence can often be felt in my cooking. Whenever I use sticky glutinous rice it always reminds me of mum – she always says if you eat sticky rice you will always stick with your family.

“I am proud to join Mary’s Meals in celebrating the important role of mothers across the world, delivering food, joy and hope to children living in the world’s poorest communities.”

The charity is offering a range of lovely Mother’s Day gifts, starting from just £15.90, that will feed a hungry child every school day for a full year. Each gift includes access to the online recipe book – featuring Ching’s recipe and more.

In the countries where Mary’s Meals serves its life-changing meals, it is most often mothers who volunteer to prepare and cook the food. They do this so that their children, and children living in their communities, can have the chance of a better life. Here in Wales, many mothers volunteer their time to raise funds for the charity and raise awareness of its work.

Emma Hutton, head of grassroots engagement, says: “Mums really do make Mary’s Meals! Without the support of the amazing mums, grandmothers and aunts who volunteer for Mary’s Meals, we simply wouldn’t be able to feed over two million children every school day.

“We are delighted to have Ching’s support for our Mother’s Day campaign, which celebrates the love and work that is involved in preparing and serving Mary’s Meals to children living in the world’s poorest countries.”

To find out more, please visit marysmeals.org.uk

Box out: Ching’s mum’s recipe for Golden Sticky Rice Cabbage ‘Money Bag’ Parcels

Ingredients

• 300g (10½oz) glutinous rice, washed until the water runs clear
• 300ml (10fl oz) vegetable stock 1
• tbsp + 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tsp finely grated fresh root ginger 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, finely diced
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• 100g (3½oz) smoked tofu, drained, rinsed in cold water and diced into 3mm (1/8in) cubes
• 50g (1¾oz) long-stem broccoli, finely diced 6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, sliced
• 2–3 tbsp tamari or low-sodium light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp brown rice vinegar
• 1 spring onion, trimmed and finely chopped small handful of coriander, finely chopped

For the ‘money bag’ parcels

• 6 whole savoy cabbage leaves
• 6 garlic chives or onion chives

To garnish

• micro shiso
• micro coriander
• edible flowers

Method

• Put the rice in a saucepan over a medium heat.
• Add the stock and bring to the boil, then cover with a lid, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until all the stock has been absorbed.
• Turn the rice out on to a tray and cool at room temperature for 15 minutes. Once cool, add 1 tbsp sesame oil to stop the rice from sticking together when it’s added to the wok.
• Meanwhile, prepare the cabbage leaves. Prepare a saucepan of hot water and a bowl of iced water. Blanch the cabbage leaves in the hot water until tender (less than a minute), then rinse, drain, plunge into the iced water and pat dry with kitchen paper. Set aside.
• Place a wok over a high heat until smoking, and add the rapeseed oil. Once hot, add the garlic, ginger and chilli and stir-fry for 3 seconds, then add the carrot and turmeric and cook, tossing, for 10 seconds.
• Add the tofu, broccoli and mushrooms and toss for a further 10 seconds. Now add the rice and start to break it down, but don’t stab at it and make it claggy.
• Season with the tamari or light soy sauce and rice vinegar, pouring them evenly across the rice, followed by 1 tsp toasted sesame oil. Stir-fry for 2 minutes to mix the flavours. The rice should be quite ‘clean’ and golden in colour. Sprinkle over the spring onion and coriander.
• To create the ‘money bags’, spoon some of the rice mixture into one of the cabbage leaves. Use a chive to tie it into a money bag shape. Repeat with the remaining cabbage leaves and rice, garnish with the micro herbs and flowers and serve immediately.