Stir-fry vegetables with Sweet soy sauce
This is a good basic stir-fry that you can adapt according to what you have to hand – no meat? Use the egg pancake from the fried rice recipe. Style it up with fresh noodles, cashew nuts and coriander. Mid week mayhem? Bulk it out with some veg from the freezer…
1 clove garlic crushed
2 carrots thinly sliced
2 capsicum thinly sliced
2 stalks of celery thinly sliced
1 cup of bean sprouts
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp Kechap Manis – Indonesian sweet soy sauce available in supermarkets and Asian grocery stores
1 tsp ginger
Sesame oil
Meat optional: 1-2 boneless chicken breasts finely sliced or 350 g of beef or pork schnitzel finely sliced
Heat oil in pan, if using meat add it a little at a time and cook until it is completely sealed (you’ll notice the colour changes). Remove the meat and add a dash more oil then cook the garlic for 2 minutes. Add the prepared vegetables and ginger and stir fry until tender crisp. Return the meat to the pan, add the sauces and mix well.
When the meat and vegetables are cooked the dish is ready to serve. If you like a “saucy” stir fry add a ¼ cup of stock and thicken with a tablespoon of cornflour mixed with a dash of cold water.
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Thai chicken curry
500 g boneless chicken breast or thigh in small pieces or
1 red onion chopped
2 tbsp red curry paste – bought or homemade
1 can coconut milk
1 tbsp brown sugar
½ cup chopped cherry tomatoes optional
Handful of basil leaves torn
2 tbsp oil
¼ cup toasted cashew nuts
Basmati rice to serve
Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion. Add the boneless chicken meat and stirfry till cooked. Stir in 1-2 tbsp curry paste and a can of coconut milk. Simmer till chicken is cooked and sauce reduced. Stir in sugar and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve on a bed of boiled basmati rice and garnish with torn basil leaves, chopped cherry tomatoes (when in season) and a handful of toasted cashews.
Red Curry paste
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp peppercorns
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 cup chopped red chillies
2 onions chopped
4 garlic cloves crushed
3 tbsp oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp turmeric
Grind the cumin, peppercorns and coriander in a food mill or pound in a mortar and pestle. Add other ingredients and blend to a smooth paste. Add more oil if necessary. Store in sterilised jars with a layer of oil on the surface and keep refrigerated.
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Coconut Meringue Roulade with berry crème
This is the sweet taste of summer. Perfect as a celebration dessert and easy enough for anytime, frozen berries can be substituted for all year round indulgence.
Serves 8
4 egg whites
1 cup caster sugar
½ tsp vanilla essence
75 g coconut - see cooks tips
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tbsp corn flour
½ cup whipped cream
½ cup “lite” berry yogurt
1 cup chopped berries – strawberries, raspberries or a mixture
Pre heat the oven to 180°
Line a sponge roll tin with non stick baking paper.
In a large clean bowl beat egg whites till stiff. Gradually add the sugar, beating continuously, then fold in the vanilla, vinegar, corn flour and Coconut. Bake in the prepared tin for 15-20 minutes.
When cooked the meringue should be golden brown but soft to the touch.
Lay a sheet of greaseproof paper onto the bench and sprinkle it with coconut. Turn the sheet of meringue onto the paper. Gently peel off the non stick baking paper, and using the greaseproof paper, roll the meringue up like a swiss roll, rolling from the short side, and leave to cool.
While the roulade is cooling make the filling. Whip the cream to firm peaks then fold in the yoghurt and berries. Refrigerate till needed.
To assemble the roulade gently unfold the roll on a flat surface ( it may crack a little) spread the berry crème filling on to the meringue leaving a border around the sides as the filling will spread as you roll it up. Gently re roll the roulade finishing with the join underneath. Place on a serving platter and garnish with additional berries. Serve in slices.
Cooks tip: I like to use a combination of dessicated coconut and thread coconut for the pretty appearance and texture but either one on its own will be fine.
If using frozen berries defrost completely and drain off as much liquid as possible before folding into the crème.
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Easy Cheesy Quick bread whirls
Fast and filling these savoury snacks take 5 minutes to make and 15 to bake. Like all quick breads they are best eaten fresh so if you aren’t going to use them all, freeze the rest and microwave them to reheat. Great for the office, lunch box or with soup.
2 cups self raising flour
2 cups grated cheese (I use edam because its lower in fat)
1 tsp mixed herbs
A pinch of salt
1 cup milk
½ cup chutney
Preheat the oven to 210°
Combine the flour, herbs, salt and grated cheese in a bowl. Add enough milk to form a moist dough and then place on a floured bench.
Roll the dough into a long rectangle roughly 35 cm x 10 cm. Spread liberally with chutney and roll up, from the long side into a log. Slice into thick slices and place spiral side up on a greased tray.
Bake in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until well risen and golden.
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Breakfast bars
A breakfast bar should be like a portable bowl of cereal, nourishing, filling and not too full of sugar, it should contain some whole grains or complex carbohydrates for energy and some fibre. This recipe is a good foundation, you can add a topping or vary the ingredients to your taste, add some flax seeds or nuts, drizzle it with an icing or just enjoy it is as is.
Makes 18 bars
5 tbsp Olivani or margarine
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup wholemeal flour
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup coconut
1 cup dried fruit – I use ½ apricots and ½ raisins
5 weetbix crumbled
1 cup apple either grated with the skin on (2 small apples) or a can of apple puree
½ cup brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
1 egg lightly beaten
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup boiling water
Preheat the oven to 180°
In a large saucepan melt the Olivani or margarine and golden syrup. Add all the dry ingredients except the baking soda and mix a little. Add the dried fruit, apple and egg, and then combine the boiling water and baking soda and fold into the mixture. Spread the mixture into a greased Swiss roll pan (approx 25cmx35cm) and bake in the preheated oven for around 25 minutes, until golden.
Slice into bars and store in an airtight container. Makes 18 bars.
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