How to make a passable Tinto Verano

Gosh, it's quite humid isn't it? Not having all the right stuff in the house to make a Pimm's (ie. a bottle of Pimm's, for starters), I have just knocked up a Tinto Verano to remind me of those lovely, long Spanish summer evenings....

All you need is a bottle of red, and some not-too-sweet lemonade (in Spain they use Casera, I reckon Sainsbury's Diet Lemonade isn't too bad). Simply mix half and half in a tall glass with a couple of cubes of ice and a slice of lemon.

Drink six, sleep heavily :O)

Pad Thai Noodles Recipe

Pad Thai noodles, as any backpacker knows, are the staple food of anyone travelling through Thailand and Asia, and are available from the highest class restaurants through to roadside stalls.

Naturally nothing ever tastes as good as it does when you are on holiday, but I reckon these are about as close as you can get without going long-haul!

4oz rice noodle
8oz king prawns, or chicken
2 tbsp finely chopped shallots or red onion
3 cloves finely chopped garlic
6oz beansprouts
2 beaten eggs
2 chopped spring onions
1 lime juiced
2oz dry roast peanuts
2tbsp Thai fish sauce
1 tbsp white vinegar
1tbsp sugar
1tbsp water
2 red chillies, seeded and chopped
cucumber slices
lime wedges
prawn crackers

Soak the rice noodles in warm water for an hour (or use those ones that are ready cooked from Sainsbury's). Heat a spoonful of oil in a large wok; fry half the chillies and garlic for one minute, then add the prawns and chicken and cook.
Add the sugar, vinegar, lime juice, water and fish sauce and mix, then add the noodles, bean sprouts and half the peanuts. Cook until warmed through.
Now push all that lot over to one side of the wok, then pour in the beaten eggs and cook; when its nearly done, shred it a bit with your spatula and mix into everything else.
Put the pad thai into two dishes, then garnish with chopped onion, the rest of the peanuts and chilli, plus cucumber and lime wedges. I also like to eat a bag of prawn crackers simultaneously.