Beef Skewers with Asian Salad

So, the recipe called for rump steak, and my closest and local supermarket was out at the time, so I used chicken breast fillets instead.  I imagine the result was very similar - it was a delicious meal!  Easy, very tasty and quite authentic.  I do plan on making it with the specified Rump steak one day....

I like to marinate my flavours, especially chicken over here in the UAE.  Sometimes the chicken here is hit and miss in terms of 'tough-ness' so marinating always helps tenderise the meat here.  I marinated the chicken strips for about 3 hours.

Taken from Olive Magazine's '101 Quick Fix Dishes', page 88, published 2007

Ingredients
Chinese five-spice powder, 1 teaspoon
vegetable oil
sweet chilli sauce
rump steak, 250g, cut into strips
clear honey, 1 teaspoon
White wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon
Thai Fish Sauce
garlic, 1 clove, crushed
salad leaves, small bag
cucumber, 1/2 halved, seeds scooped out out and sliced
spring onions, 3, finely sliced
dry roasted peanuts 50g, chopped
mint leaves, a handful

Method
Heat a ridged griddle pan or grill to very hot.  Mix the five-spice, 1 tbs vegetable oil and a few drops of the chilli sauce in a bowl.  Add the meat and stir until coated.  Thread the strips on to metal or bamboo skewers (soak bamboo skewers in cold water for 20 minutes first) and griddle or grill for 2-3 minutes on each side until cooked through.
Meanwhile, mix the honey, vinegar, 1 1/4 tbs fish sauce, garlic, a few drops of chilli sauce and 2 tbs oil in a small bowl.  Mix the salad leaves, cucumber, spring onions and peanuts and toss with the dressing.  Rip the mint leaves and add to the salad.  Divide the skewers between two plates and serve with the salad and a little bowl of fish sauce mixed with chilli sauce for dipping.


Serves 2.

Sweet & Sour Pork

Yeah, we can get Pork in the UAE and good quality pork at that!  Anyway, it has been a very long time since I made a Sweet and Sour dish and considering that I've been using Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food a lot lately, I thought I'd give his version a go.  It was worth making - it was really tasty, very easy to make and I easily adapted it to suit the girls and what they like to eat.

Jamie served his dish with a gem lettuce and a sprinkling of sesame seeds, which I did not.

My Sweet and Sour Pork 

Taken from Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food, pg 64/65, published 2008

Serves 2
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
200g long-grain or basmati rice
200g pork filler
1 small red onion
1 red or 1 yellow pepper (or 1/2 of each)
a thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 - 1 fresh red chilli, to your taste
small bunch of coriander
groundnut oil
1 heaped teaspoon five-spice
1 teaspoon cornflour
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 x 227g tin pineapple chunks
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

To prepare your stir-fry
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the rice.  Cook according to the packet instructions.  Drain the rice in a sieve, put back into the pan and cover with foil to keep warm until needed.
Halve the pork fillet and cut into 2cm cubes.  Peel and halve the red onion, then dice into 2cm cubes.  Halve the pepper, deseed and cut into 2cm cubes.  Peel and finely slice the ginger and garlic.  Finely slice the chilli.  Pick the coriander leaves and put them to one side.  Finely chop the coriander stalks.

Top left - browning the pork cubes ; Top Right - cooking chopped ingredients
Bottom Left - All ingredients cooking ; Bottom Right - Final serving on bed of rice

To cook your stir-fry
Preheat a wok or large frying pan on a high heat and once it's very, very hot add a good lug of groundnut oil and swirl it around.  Add the pork and the five-spice and toss or stir them around.  Cook for a few minutes until browned, then transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
Carefully give the wok or pan a quick wipe with a ball of kitchen paper and return to the heat.  When it's really hot, add 2 good lugs of groundnut oil and all the chopped ingredients.  Toss or stir everything together and cook for 2 minutes.  Stir in the cornflour and 2 tablespoon of soy sauce.  Let everything cook for 30 to 40 seconds, then add the pineapple chunks with their juice, the browned pork and balsamic vinegar.  Season with black pepper and a little more soy sauce if needed.  Break open a piece of the pork, check if it's cooked through and remove from heat.  Reduce the sauce to a gravy-like consistency by cooking for a few minutes more.

To serve your stir-fry
Divide the rice between two bowls or plates.  Spoon the pork, veg and sauce over the top and sprinkle with reserved coriander leaves.

Sizzling Beef with Spring Onions and Black Bean Sauce.

First things first - I quite like Chinese Food, if it's not full of 'fill-in' ingredients like cauliflower, broccoli and silver beet. I like those vegies but I have had many experiences back in Oz where your main dish (usually take-away) is over 50% of those three vegies.

Chinese food over here is good.  Really good, but seeing that we do live a little out of the city, take aways are a rare option for us.  Over the years I have made quite a few Chinese dishes I'm an old dab at. (*wink wink*)  When I discovered this recipe I gave it a go and have made it quite a few times since.  It is tasty, authentic and relatively easy to prepare and cook.

The egg fried rice, prepared and served with this dish is delicious and is a favourite with the eldest daughter! (bar the fact she doesn't like eggs, she happily eats them in this rice.)  When I make this dish, I cook my rice a good few hours earlier to chill it, but you don't have to if you don't have the time.

Sizzling Beef with Spring Onions and Black Bean Sauce

Taken from 'Jamie Oliver's Jamie's Ministry of Food', page 69, published 2008

Serves 2
Ingredients
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
200g long-grain or basmati rice
1 x 230g sirloin or rump steak
a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 a red chilli
2 spring onions
a small bunch of fresh coriander
2 tbs sesame oil
groundnut oil
2 tablespoon of good-quality black bean sauce
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 limes
1 egg

To prepare your stir-fry
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the rice and cook according to the packet instructions. Drain the rice in a sieve, run it under a cold tap to cool, then allow to dry out in the fridge.

Trim any excess fat from your steak and slice the meat into finger-sized strips.

Peel and finely slice the ginger and garlic. Finely slice the chilli. Cut the ends off your spring onions and finely slice. Pick the coriander leaves and put to one side and finely chop the coriander stalks.
get yourself a big bowl and put in the ginger, garlic, chilli, spring onions, coriander stalks and steak strips. Add the sesame oil and mix everything together.

To cook your stir-fry
Preheat a wok or large frying pan on a high heat and once it's very, very hot add a good lug of groundnut oil and swirl it around. Add all your chopped ingredients from the bowl. Give the pan a really good shake to mix everything around quickly. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, taking care to keep everything moving so it doesn't burn.

Add the black bean sauce, and stir in 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and the juice of half a lime.  Keep tossing. Taste and season with black pepper and a little more soy sauce.  Remove the pan from the heat, transfer everything to a bowl and cover with tin foil.

Give the pan a quick wipe with a ball of kitchen paper and put back on the heat.  Add a lug of groundnut oil and swirl it around.  Crack in your egg and add a tablespoon of soy sauce - the egg will cook very quickly so keep stirring.  Once it is scrambled, stir in your chilled rice, scraping the sides and the bottom of the pan as you go.  Keep mixing for a few minutes until the rice is steaming hot, then taste and season with a little soy sauce.

To serve your stir-fry
Dived the rice between two bowls or plates.  Spoon the meat and black bean sauce and sprinkle over the coriander leaves.  Serve with wedges of line - great!

(And because when I made it the other night, early so the girls could eat it too, I decided to put MrL's in a take-away foil container so he could reheat his when he wanted it.  I'm good like that. ;P )

Honey Chicken

Very nice indeed this recipe.  Pretty easy to whip up, even though I don't have a wok (I used my frying pan).  I used chicken breast instead of thigh fillets and I omitted the snowpeas because of a lack of having any!  

*Taken from Murdoch books 'Australian Family Favourites', page 56,published 2007*

Ingredients

500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into cubes

1 egg white, lightly beaten

40g (1/3 cup) cornflour

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 onions, thinly sliced

1 green capsicum, cubed

2 carrots, cut into batons

100g snowpeas, sliced

90g (1/4 cup) honey

2 tablespoons toasted almonds

Method

Dip the chicken into the egg white, then lightly dust with the cornflour, shaking off any excess.

Heat a wok over high heat, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil and swirl to coat the side of the wok.  Add the chicken in tow batches and stir-fry each batch for 4-5 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown and just cooked.  Remove the chicken from the wok and drain on crumpled paper towels.

Reheat the wok over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and stir-fry the sliced onion for 3-4 minutes, or until slightly softened.  Add the green capsicum and carrot, cook. tossing constantly, for 3-4 minutes, or until tender.  Stir in the sliced snow peas and cook for 2 minutes.

Ensure the wok is still very hot, then pour in the honey and toss with the vegetables until well coasted.  Return the chicken to the wok and toss thoroughly until heated through and well coasted in the honey.  Remove the wok from the heat and season well.  Serve immediately, sprinkled with the toasted almonds.  Serve with steamed white rice.

Serves 4

Malaysian Chicken Curry

This is a fabulous recipe from Gordon Ramsay.  It is really tasty and even though it looks time consuming, it isn't.  I made this early one morning and re-heated it up for dinner that evening as curries generally taste better 'the next day'.  This recipe made a lot so it served us a couple of good-sized meals.  Will definitely be making this again in the future.  You should too.

*Taken from Gordon Ramsay's 'Sunday Lunch', page 116, published 2006*

Ingredients

For the Curry Paste

5 garlic cloves, peeled & roughly chopped

4-5 long, red chillies, trimmed, deseeded & roughly chopped (I used 3)

3 lemongrass stalks, trimmed, outer leaves removed & thinly sliced

5cm piece root ginger, peeled & chopped

4 large shallots, peeled & chopped

1 tsp ground tumeric

2-3 tbs groundnut oil

For the Curry

1 kg skinless & boneless chicken thighs

2 tbs groundnut oil

2 onions, peeled & thinly sliced

sea salt & freshly ground pepper

4 kaffir lime leaves

1 cinnamon stick

3 star anise

400ml coconut milk

100ml Chicken stock

1 tsp palm sugar (or soft brown sugar)

2 tsp light soy sauce

2 tbs fish sauce

400g green beans, trimmed & cut into 5cm lengths

handful coriander leaves, roughly torn

Method

First make the curry paste.  Put the garlic, chillies, lemongrass, ginger, shallots and tumeric in a food processor and whiz to a paste.  With the motor running, trickle in the groundnut oil and blend well, scraping the sides of the processor several times.  (Or you can pound the ingredients together in batches using a pestle and mortar.)

To make the curry, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.  heat the groundnut oil in a large cast-iron casserole or heavy-based pan.  Tip the curry paste and stir over a medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant.  Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until they are beginning to soften.

Season the chicken piece with salt and pepper.  Add to the pan and stir to coat them in the spice paste.  Add the lime leaves, cinnamon stick, star anise, coconut milk, stock, sugar, soy and fish sauces and bring to the boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook gently for 30-40 minutes until the chicken is tender.

Skim off any excess oil on the surface of the curry.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.  Tip in the green beans, put the lid on and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the beans are tender.  Scatter the coriander leaves over the curry and serve with rice.

Serves 6

Fragrant Chicken Curry

I'm always on the lookout for a good chicken curry recipe.  I found this tucked away in my cupboard, photocopied from some book.  (I think it might have come from a BBC 101 Recipes type book, but I am unsure which one..)  

It was super easy to make and the result was delicious.  Very tasty indeed.  Just the right amount of heat for my liking.  Instead of chicken breasts I used chicken thighs and I also halved the recipe.  I served it with poppadums and steamed jasmine rice.  It is also very low in fat (something like 4 grams)

Ingredients

3 onions, quartered

4 fat garlic cloves

5cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled & roughly chopped

3 tbs moglai (medium) curry powder

1 tsp tumeric

2 tsp paprika

2 fresh red chillies, seeded & roughly chopped

40g fresh coriander

1 chicken stock cube

6 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

2 x 410g cans chickpeas, drained & rinsed

natural low-fat yoghurt, naan bread or poppadums to serve

Method

Tip the onions, garlic, ginger, curry powder, ground spices, chillies and half the coriander into a food processor.  Add 1 tsp salt to blend to a puree (you may need to do this in 2 batches).  Tip the mixture into a large saucepan and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  

Crumble in the stock cube, pour in 750ml boiling water and return to the boil.  Add the chicken, stir, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

Chop the remaining coriander, then stir all but 2 tbs into the curry with the chickpeas.  Heat through.  Serve topped with the reserved coriander and the natural yoghurt, with naan bread or poppadums on the side.

Serves 8 

Green Chicken Curry

Always on the hunt for a good Green Chicken Curry recipe, this one came pretty close. Our only complaint was that it was a bit too spicy for our likings (and Lyndon loves spicy foods!) Next time I would minus one of the tablespoons of curry paste, but otherwise this was pretty tasty...

*Taken from Murdoch Books 'Australian Family Favourites'*

Ingredients
250ml (1 cup) coconut cream
4 tbs green curry paste
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 chicken breasts, cut into pieces
250ml (1 cup) coconut milk
4 Thia eggplants (aubergines) or 1/2 purple eggplant, cut into chunks
2 tbs shaved palm sugar or brown sugar
2 tbs fish sauce
4 mukrut (kaffir) lime leaves, torn
1 handful Thai basil leaves
1-2 large red chilies, sliced
coconut milk or cream, for drizzling

Method
heat a wok over a low heat, add the coconut cream and bring to the boil. Stir until the oil separates out.

Add the green curry paste, stir for 1 minute then add the chicken. Cook the chicken until it turns opaque, then add the coconut milk and eggplant. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender. Add the sugar, fish sauce, line leaves and half the basil, then mix together.

Garnish with the rest of the basil, the chilli and a drizzle of the coconut milk or cream. Serve with rice.

Serves 4

Coriander and Lime Chicken

This was delicious and very easy to make. Does not take much time at all to make either and I love that!

*Taken from the Family Circle book 'Quick Short Chicken Recipes' published 1999*

Ingredients

2/3 cups (160g) coconut cream

1/2 cup (125ml) chicken stock

1 1/2 tbs lime juice

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

4 chicken breast fillets

plain flour, for dusting

2 tbs oil

2 tbs chopped fresh coriander leaves

fresh coriander leaves, extra, to garnish

Method

Whisk the coconut cream, stock, lime juice and ginger together in a medium bowl. Cut the chicken across the grain into 1 cm slices and lightly coat with flour.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and keep warm. Add the coconut cream mixture to the pan and bring to the boil. Cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce is reduced by half and thickened slightly.

Return the chicken strips to the pan, add the coriander and simmer for 1 minute to heat the chicken through. Garnish with the extra coriander leaves. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Serves 4

Caramel Pork and Pumpkin Stir-Fry

I was a little unsure what this recipe would taste like but when I say "Oh. My." you know it must be good. It was so very delicious and if I had of served it up in Asian Takeaway Plastics then you would have sworn it was from a restaurant. Yep - it was that good. It kinda tasted like Cantonese food. I will definitely be making it again, especially because Monet liked it so much, along with her father!

The recipe calls for a pork fillet, but I used butterflied pork steaks (?). To thinly slice raw meat for Asian-type meals, what I do is partially freeze the meat as it makes cutting so much easier. Trust me on this. I didn't use my wok either. I used my ever-trusty large frying pan. I also cooked my Asian greens in my steamer I use in a saucepan, rather than the method stated here.

*Taken from the Murdoch Book 'Fast Food'*

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups jasmine rice

500g pork fillet, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2-3 tbs peanut oil

300 g butternut pumpkin, cut into 2cm x 4cm pieces about 5mm thick.

1/3 cup (60g) soft brown sugar

1/4 cup (60 ml) fish sauce

1/4 cup (60 ml) rice vinegar

2 tbs chopped fresh coriander leaves

1.25 kg mixed Asian greens (bok choy, choy sum, gai larn)

Method

Bring to the boil, a large saucepan of water. Add the rice and cook for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain.

Combine the pork with the garlic and 2 tsp of the peanut oil. Season with salt and plenty of pepper.

Heat a wok until very hot, add 1 tbs oil and swirl to coat. When just starting to smoke, stir-fry the pork in two batches for about 1 minute per batch, or until the meat changes colour. Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining oil to the wok and stir-fry the pumpkin for 4 minutes, or until tender but not falling apart. Remove and add to the pork. Keep warm.

Combine the sugar, fish sauce, rice vinegar and 1/2 cup (125ml) water in the wok and boil for about 10 minutes, or until syrupy. Return the pork and pumpkin to the wok and stir for 1 minute, or until well coated and heated through. Stir in the coriander.

Put the mixed Asian greens in a paper-lined bamboo steamer over a wok of shimmering water for 3 minutes or until wilted. Serve immediately with the stir-fry and rice.

Serves 4

Mini Dim Sims

In my time I have made up my own version of spring rolls, which I always enjoy. But I have never been motivated or even remotely interested for that matter, to make my own Dim Sims. I live with the Dim Sim King (Lyndon loves a good dimmie) and I thought I might take a chance and make some, after I spied a packet of Dim Sim wrappers in the fridge department of my local Coles.

Well, weren't they delicious? They were easy to make, not at all fiddly (truly) and I will probably be making them again in the very near future. And to top things off, Monet loved them and so did Lyndon!! Next time I would probably add a little chopped Chinese cabbage to make them a little more authentic. I fried half and I steamed half. Either way they took hardly anytime to cook and either way was nice.

This recipe was taken from the back of the Dim Sim wrappers pack, but I added quantities.

Ingredients
1 packet 30 dim sim wrappers
350 g mince (I used chicken)
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 egg

Method
Mix all ingredients together until combined. Using dim sim wrappers, place a teaspoon of combined ingredients on each. Fold the ends in and roll, using a little water to make the two ends meet.

Either fry until golden, or steam until cooked through.

Enjoy with soy sauce.

Makes about 30.

Chicken & Sweetcorn Soup

I don't know where I originally got this recipe but over the years I have added and changed a few things, so I am claiming it as my own recipe now! We love this soup, especially Monet!!

Ingredients

Olive oil

1 onion, chopped finely

4 cups chicken stock

1 cooked chicken breast, chopped into small pieces (or use left over roast chicken like I usually do)

1 can creamed corn, (use either 310g or 440g tin)

1 handful frozen corn kernels

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 handful of uncooked vermicelli pasta (optional - good for thickening)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Method

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and fry the onions until soft, but not brown. Add the chicken stock to the pan followed by the chicken, creamed corn, corn kernels, spring onion and pasta (if using). Bring slowly to the boil (or wait until pasta is cooked through, if using). Add the egg in one long stream, using a fork where it meets the liquid soup, to beat into the mixture. Cook for one minute. Enjoy.

Serves 4-6

Chow-Mein-Style Beef with Cabbage, Peas and Vermicelli

I like a good chow-mein. It warms the soul. This recipe was a little different from what I was used from and a hell of a lot more spicy, but still delicious. I recommend only a quick dash of chilli powder (if any), I think I put too much in it for my liking but I coped. Lyndon is a fan of hot and spicy food so he thought it was really good, even if he usually doesn't like Chow-Mein.

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where the Heart is'*

Ingredients
3 tbs olive oil
400g beef mince
2 pinches Chinese five-spice powder
2 pinches chilli powder (optional)
1 large brown onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
50g fresh ginger, grated
1/4 cabbage, finely sliced
1 1/2 tbs oyster sauce
100ml tamari* (I used 30ml normal soy sauce)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 cup frozen peas
4 spring onions, sliced diagonally
3 green chillies, sliced
100g vermicelli (thin rice noodles) cooked in boiling water for 1 1/2 mins
salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Method
Heat oil in a large wok over very high heat. Add beef and cook, stirring to break up, for 3-5 minutes or until well browned. Sprinkle in five-spice powder and chilli powder if using.

Add onion, garlic and ginger and stir. Add sliced cabbage and 125ml hot water and stir again. Stir in oyster sauce, tamari and sesame oil. Add peas, spring onions, chillies and noodles. Stir, then, if needed, add a splash more hot water. Check seasoning and serve immediately.

Serves 4

I actually cooked mine in my French Chasseur dish instead of a wok. I kept it at a low heat after doing all the above steps and added a bit more water and a handful of rice. It was pretty spicy before I did all that and I wanted Monet to be able to eat it without her telling me it was "too spicy".

*Tamari is a naturally fermented soy sauce made from soybeans and without any wheat. It is usually darked in colour than the more common soy sauce

Mango & Lettuce Rolls

A little fidely to make but very tasty...

Ingredients
3 mangoes
1/2 cup Asian-style plum sauce
1 tbs sweet chilli sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
2-3 cups hot water
12 8 21 cm (diameter) rice paper wrappers
2 cups finely shredded iceberg lettuce
250 g cooked smoked skinless chicken breast fillet, sliced thinly
1 small Lebanese cucumber, cut into thin strips

Method
Cut flesh off mangoes and remove skin. Thickly slice flesh. Combine sauces and 2 tbs coriander.

Pour hot water into a large shallow bowl. Immerse one wrapper in the water for 20-30 secondes or until softened. Lay on a clean surface.

Place a small amount of lettuce, chicken, mango, cucumber and coriander in the center of the wrapper. Drizzle with 1/2 tsp dipping sauce. Fold the top section of the wrapper over. Fold in the sides and roll up to enclose filling. Place rolls on a plate, cover loosely with damp paper towel. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. Serve with dipping sauce.

Serves 4