Runner Bean Stir Fry with Togarashi Seasoning

I just came across Togarashi recently - a Japanese seasoning that's a blend of chili, sesame seeds, orange peel, szechuan pepper, ginger and seaweed and which apparently is usually used in fish dishes.

Runner beans are one of those lovely but over-plentiful crops that you need to find different things to do with, and this bit of improvisation turned out to be a nice stir fry recipe with a bit of heat and plenty of nutty background that seemed to complement the flavour of the beans well.

Ingredients:

• Runner beans, cut diagonally into 2cm strips
• Peppers - either red or yellow if you have them, to provide some colour contrast - about half the quantity of the beans, cut into pieces of similar size
• Onions, sliced, about 1/4 the quantity of beans - or use spring onions
• A good sprinkling of togarashi (it's quite hot)
• A splash of sesame oil

Method:

- Get the wok good and hot with a fair amount of olive or sunflower oil, or whatever you generally use
- Add all the vegetables, the seasoning and the sesame oil and stir over a high heat till the vegetables are getting soft but still have some bite - the onions should be coloured
- Season with salt if you like

Grilled Courgette and Halloumi Salad

• Whatever quantity of courgettes you have to hand, ideally of different colours and no more than 15cm long (i.e. young ones not semi-marrows!)
• About 1/3 to 1/4  that amount of halloumi cheese

- Slice the courgettes lengthways, about half a cm thick.  Salt them and leave to drain for at least half an hour
- Slice the halloumi to the same thickness
- Brush both with oil lightly and grill for a few minutes on each side, either on a barbecue or a griddle, so that you get nice black lines.  The courgettes should be a bit al dente still
- Combine in a bowl and dress lightly with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
- At the last minute, toss in a small handful of basil leaves

Ideally serve still slightly warm