Chinese New Year 31st January

It's Chinese New Year on Friday - don't miss the Lion Dance and free lantern-making workshop in Maidenhead (between 11am and 3pm on 1st February in the Nicholsons Shopping Centre). There will also be a parade from the Boy and the Boat statue at the top of the High Street at 1pm.

If you're planning to celebrate at home, check out this Sweet Chilli Chicken Stir-fry recipe from Gas Mark Six. He says: 'This is a quick, easy meal in minutes. You get a sweet chilli kick from the sauce but you can also add some chopped chillies for extra heat. I always prepare all the vegetables and place them on a board next to the hob so I can add the ingredients quickly to the hot wok. This is all about timing, so I cook the hardest vegetables first and the softest last.'

Sweet Chilli Chicken Stir-fry

Serves 6-8, cooking time approx 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 chicken breasts

1tbsp sesame oil

1tbsp of all-purpose seasoning

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

1 large onion

5cm piece of ginger

2 large carrots

Handful of coriander

2 cloves of garlic

Oil for frying

Two green chillies

1 chicken stock cube

A little water

5 tsp of sweet chilli sauce

Steamed basmati rice (to serve)

METHOD

Cut the chicken into cubes and place in a bowl. Pour the sesame oil over the top and add the all-purpose seasoning and mix together. Next, prepare vegetables. Cut the peppers and onion into chunks, slice the ginger into strips, slice 1 carrot into thin strips and 1 into circles. Chop the coriander, crush the garlic and place on a chopping board. Meanwhile, in a wok heat some oil until it's smoking. Chop the green chillies and put to one side. Add the chicken to the oil in the wok, season, and keep stirring until the chicken browns. Add the onion and carrots and stir until they start to soften. Next, add the peppers, chillies to taste, ginger and garlic, stirring continuously. Crush in the chicken stock cube and add a little water, and keep stirring. Once the chicken has cooked and the vegetables have softened, add the sweet chilli sauce and stir in for two minutes. Finally, add the chopped coriander, stir for another minute then serve with some steamed basmati rice.