With multiple TV shows and successful fashion collections under his belt, Gok Wan has earned his reputation as one of the country’s top stylists and High Street designers.

Ready for casual drinks or more high-octane glamour, the new collection has been designed with the party season in mind.

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I consider my culinary tastes to be quite honest and rustic, however there is a side of my personality that plays to the flamboyant. I love fine dining, but it’s not just about ironed tablecloths and hot waiters. It’s also about carefully choreographed dishes served with precision.

But who has the time or patience? This dish screams fine dining but without the hassle or expense. It is hugely dependent on the natural colours of the ingredients: the deepest of greens juxtaposed with the dark speckles of sesame seeds, contrasted with the poached egg. It is worthy of any cover of Vogue – fashion week in a bowl!

SERVES 4
4 eggs
1 large head of broccoli, florets and stalk separated
1 tbsp rice bran oil or vegetable oil
4 spring onions, trimmed and roughly chopped into 2cm pieces
a 2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1L hot, light, low-salt vegetable stock
75g le!over cooked rice (or a packet of instant rice)
a pinch of sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil, plus a little extra to serve
2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tsp black sesame seeds
optional: salt and white pepper

Poach the eggs for 3–4 minutes in gently simmering water, until the white is opaque and the yolk is just firm to the touch. Place in a bowl of cold water until needed.

Chop the stalks of the broccoli into rough 1cm pieces. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the spring onions, the chopped broccoli stalk and the ginger. Sweat in the hot oil for 1 minute before adding the hot stock, cooked rice and the broccoli florets.

Increase the heat and bring to the boil. Add the sugar and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until everything is very tender and !lls apart when pushed lightly with a spoon.

Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil, and then, using a jug or stick blender, blitz until you have a smooth soup.

Taste and season with a little salt and pepper if you think it needs it.

Place a poached egg in the bottom of each soup bowl and pour the soup around the egg. Scatter over the chopped chilli and sesame seeds and drizzle with a little extra sesame oil.

Amidst our hectic modern lives, it is easy to put a dinner date in the diary and then completely forget about it until an hour before your guests are due to arrive.

Well, fear not, as here is a recipe that delivers maximum flavour using only long-lasting store-cupboard basics and which will be ready in under half an hour.

SERVES 4
2 tbsp rice bran oil or vegetable oil
300g frozen prawns
1 red onion, peeled and roughly sliced into thin wedges
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
a 3cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely diced
2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and
finely sliced (leave in the seeds if you prefer it hotter)
80g frozen broad beans
80g frozen peas
80g drained water chestnuts, roughly chopped
350g straight-to-wok thick udon noodles
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp fish sauce
lime juice, to serve
optional: sweet chilli sauce, to serve

Heat half of the oil in a wok over a medium to high heat. When hot, add the prawns and fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring every now and then, until they have defrosted and turned a delicious coral colour (they won’t be fully cooked at this point).

Tip the prawns on to a plate and wipe your wok clean with kitchen roll.

Heat the remaining oil in the wok over a medium to high heat. Once hot, fry the onion for 1 minute before adding the garlic, ginger and chillies.

Stir-fry for a further minute and then return the half-cooked prawns to the wok. Heat through for 1–2 minutes and then add the beans and peas.

Stir-fry the whole lot for a further 2–3 minutes until everything is heated through.

Add the remaining ingredients apart from the lime juice and sweet chilli sauce and toss together until well combined.

Don’t even mess around plating up this dish, just place the wok in the middle of the table with the lime wedges and chilli sauce, if using, alongside and revel in the eating-induced silence that is sure to fall over your friends.

Gok Wan has his fashion, Kwoklyn is into martial arts, but as brothers they couldn’t be closer

“Kwoklyn is my big brother and I love him to pieces. We were brought up pretty much as twins. At about age four or five we’d walk around my dad’s restaurant, both in a dicky bow and mini tux. We called ourselves the BBs, which stood for the Bad Boys. It was me and my brother against the world right from the start. It was a tough place where we grew up – a council estate in Leicester. At first it was harder on me, and then he experienced bullying, too. Kwoklyn’s so protective of me. He changed dramatically from 16 to 18 – he went from being a rocker with long crimped hair and eyeliner to dressing like our dad and defending the family. Our names translate into what we’re like: his meaning is quiet, village life. My real name is Kowkhyn, meaning metropolis, lots of noise.”

Read the full article on theguardian.com

Look out for Gok’s Wok, my brand new cook book stuffed with fast, fresh and healthy Asian recipes. I have absolutely loved developing these recipes for you guys – there are so many dishes to cater for every part of your life – from healthy lunches to tasty, sharing curry feasts, plus ideas for date nights, dinner parties and never-to-be-shared one-pot wonders just for you!
Get your hands on a copy in all really, really good bookshops and online too!

Plus join me in a fab live cookalong on Weds 16th October – all the details here!

• Gok Wan: Sweet miso marinated chicken and pak choy
• Gok Wan: Salmon and cucumber sashimi
• Gok Wan: Lamb rendang
• Gok Wan: Beef cobbler with coriander dumplings
• Gok Wan: Packed lunch broth
• Gok Wan: Mango and lemongrass sorbet

Gok’s Wok will be published on Thursday by Ebury Press, price £20. Chapters include Quick & Healthy * Asian Salads* Lunchtime * Asian-inspired Curries* Dinner Parties* Date Night* Stir-fries* Anglo-Asian* Desserts & Goktails. To order a copy for £15.99 with free p&p, contact the YOU Bookshop on 0844 472 4157, you-bookshop.co.uk.

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I don’t even know where to start with Kids Company- they really are a remarkable bunch of people! I had the privilege of working with them when we were filming the documentary Secret Millions. Although together we managed to get them some much needed funding from the National Lottery, sadly its just not enough to support all those kids and families who really suffer everyday- in conditions I didn’t think existed in this country anymore! Please, please, please take a few minutes out of your day to have a look at their amazing work and find out how you can support them!

Big love to you all! xxx

Kids Company was founded by Camila Batmanghelidjh in 1996. We provide practical, emotional and educational support to vulnerable inner-city children.

Our services reach 36,000 and intensively support 18,000 children across London, including the most deprived and at risk whose parents are unable to care for them due to their own practical and emotional challenges. For many, the roles of adult and child are reversed and, despite profound love, both struggle to survive.

These exceptionally vulnerable children not only negotiate significant challenges in their family homes, they also face immense threat within their neighbourhoods. Often they are exposed to relentless violence, some are forced into working as drug couriers or prostitutes, and many experience chronic abuse.

We provide a safe, caring, family environment where support is tailored to the needs of each individual. Our services and support empower children who have experienced enormous challenges to lead positive and fulfilling lives. Despite great difficulties, the children we work with are hugely courageous and embrace the support we offer.

In 2007 Kids Company was awarded the Liberty and JUSTICE Human Rights Award. In 2010 we were selected as a ‘Child Poverty Champion’ by the End Child Poverty project for our success in enabling children to achieve their full potential.

Poverty Busting

Many of the 18,000 children and young people that we support live in exceptional poverty and have experienced chronic neglect and abuse. We see the impact of such acute deprivation at our centres every day, which is why we need your help to restore dignity and hope to these courageous children.

Our Child Poverty Busting Programme strives to get the basics in place so that our young people feel empowered to improve their lives. Some children lack a bed to sleep in, warm clothes, and are surviving their childhood without food in their homes.

Whether you can help with practical items like furniture or new clothing, or help raise funds, or offer some of your time – we would love to hear from you. Please contact us at povertybusting@kidsco.org.uk to discuss how you can get involved. Unfortunately we cannot accept any second hand goods.

Alternatively, you can buy items right away from our John Lewis gift list. They will go directly into the homes of our young people, overseen by our team. (Gift list number: 539419.)

We thank you wholeheartedly for your kind support.

Gladrags and Handbags

Kids Company and Grazia Gladrags & Handbags Designer Fashion Sale 11th – 13th October 2013
On 11th – 13th October, Kids Company and Grazia are joining forces for Gladrags & Handbags, our annual three day designer fashion sale!

Gladrags & Handbags will take place at the Loading Bay Gallery, Old Truman Brewery, Dray Walk E1, just off Brick Lane.
Supporters will be able to lay their hands on stunning clothing, bags and accessories from top brands including Burberry, Alexander McQueen, Prada, Vivien Westwood, Paul Smith, Mulberry, Reiss, and many more, at amazingly reduced prices. All items are donated with 100% of the proceeds going directly to Kids Company.

The event will raise money for our Christmas period, when we will be supporting over 4,000 of London’s most vulnerable children, young people and their families on Christmas day. Each child will receive gifts and a yummy Christmas meal as well as a party with games and entertainment for all. We will also provide food gift bags for over 7,500 people in the hope of easing the stress during what can be a very difficult time of year.

Loading Bay Gallery, Old Truman Brewery, E1

Nearest tube: Shoreditch High Street, Liverpool Street or Aldgate East

Opening times:
Friday 11th October: 9am – 8pm
Saturday 12th October 10am – 6pm
Sunday 13th October 11am – 5pm

To celebrate the release of Gok’s Wok, I have teamed up with Mumsnet and Sainsbury’s to host a live Google+ cookalong on Wednesday 16th October at 7pm!

For more details on how to cookalong at home, head over to the Mumsnet website