Curried mint chicken with peppers and rice

THE Fat Kid has been on the phone again.
"What are you buying me for mother's day?" she asked coyly.
"But you're not my mother Fat Kid! Why should I buy you anything?"
"Well, I am A mother. And I need some new trainers for the gym. They cost about £35."
The truth is I don't believe in Mother's Day - it's an invention of card companies who just want to make more money out of us all. But I DO believe in a quiet life. There is a cheque winging its way to her as we speak.
Big Boy is crawling now apparently, and he went swimming for the first time last week. He loves it, so the Fat Kid tells me.
Fat Kid also informed me she wants to take the kids on holiday. I told her it would cost £200 and asked where she was planning to get the money from.
After avoiding the issue she slipped in another question: "Are you taking us on holiday this year?" Having spent so much in Australia, it will have to be a freebie I reckon.

It's been a very busy Saturday at work. Lo and behold, Wales actually won a rugby match. Not only that, but it was against the English, so my colleagues are back to their crowing best. It will all end in tears when the World Cup comes around.

One of my favourite meals came from a TV programme involving Ken Hom. It mixes the wonderful flavours of curry with mint.
For the marinade you need:
2 Chicken breasts cut into chunks
The white of an egg
2 teaspoons of cornflour
salt
(marinate in fridge for 20 minutes)

Ingredients for the sauce:
Chopped red and green pepper
1 chopped garlic and 1 chopped red onion
Dash of soy sauce, dash of chinese rice wine
5 fluid ozs of chicken stock.
2 tablespoons of Madras curry paste.
2 teaspoons chilli bean sauce.
chopped mint leaves.

To do: Heat a wok so it is very hot, add groundnut or vegetable oil and when it starts to smoke quickly sear the marinated chicken until it turns golden, then remove and set aside.
Cook the garlic and red onion in the pan, then add the peppers, soy sauce, rice wine and stock. Cook until the peppers soften, then add the Madras curry paste and chilli bean sauce before returning the chicken to the pan.
Stir regularly and reduce liquid until you have a thick, chinese style curry sauce.
Add the mint and spring onions if desired, and serve on a bed of rice.