Why not spice up the dark evenings with some quick and easy meal time ideas that you can whip up in minutes in your wok. Ken Hom brings you some of his recipes to keep you cosy kicking off with making veggies more appetising. Next week, something sweet to finish off the meal and - yes - you can cook it in the wok too!

Red-Cooked Winter Vegetables

Serves 4
Red-cooking is usually reserved for meats - simmering them in red sauce of Chinese Spices. The technique works well, however, with winter root vegetables making a quick tasty stew. This dish goes perfectly with red meat or poultry and a salad.
1 lb (450g) carrots
8 oz (225g) turnips
Garlic
Fresh root ginger
1 lb (450g) carrots
8 oz (225g) turnips
1 tablespoon oil (preferably groundnut)
2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh root ginger
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
5 fl oz (150 ml) water
Peel and cut the carrots into 1 inch pieces. Peel the turnips and cut them into 1 inch cubes. Heat a wok or large frying pan then add the oil, garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds and add the carrots, hoisin sauce sugar and water. Cover and cook over a high heat for 8 minutes. Add the turnips and continue to cook for another 3 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. There should be very little sauce left. Turn onto the platter and serve at once.

Potatoes in Curry-Coconut Stew

Serves 4-6
This is essentially a potato stew, but one given new dimensions by the savoury and exotic seasonings. Moreover, it is ready in little more than 30 minutes and if it is more convenient you can peel the potatoes up to four hours in advance and leave them covered with water in the refrigerator until you want to cook them. You can also substitute carrots or turnips for the potatoes. The rich flavour and substantial nature of this dish makes for a satisfying vegetarian meal. Serve it with green vegetables or salad.11/2 lb (700g) potatoes
8 oz (225g) onions
Garlic
Fresh Root Ginger
11/2 lb (700g) potatoes
8 oz (225g) onions
11/2 tablespoons oil preferably groundnut
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh root ginger
3 tablespoon curry paste
15 fl oz (400ml) tinned coconut milk
4 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 inch cubes. Peel and coarsely chop the onions. Heat the wok or large frying pan then add the oil, onions, garlic and ginger. Stir-fry the mixture for 1 minute Add the potatoes, curry paste, coconut milk, water, soy sauce and sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Serve at once.