Appetisers
Coconut Potatoes
Ingredients 1kg potatoes cut into chunks 1 onion diced 4 green chillies seeded and chopped 2 cloves garlic chopped 1 tbsp black mustard seeds 100g peas 1 tsp turmeric 1 cup shredded coconut 2 cups coconut milk 60ml Oil or ghee 100g roasted cashew nuts MethodBoil potatoes with a little salt until tender. Drain. Soak the coconut in the coconut milk. Heat oil or ghee in a large frying pan and add the mustard seeds, and cook until they ‘pop’ add the onion and sauté until soft. Add chilli, turmeric and salt. Add coconut and cook for a few minutes. Add the potato and peas. Season to taste and add cashew nuts and serve garnished with a fresh coriander leaves.
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Pork & Prawn Dumplings
Makes approx 24 dumplings For the Broth Ingredients Oyster sauce Soy sauce Bean sprouts Celery leaf Coriander leaves Dried shitake mushrooms Ginger Spring onion, sliced For the Dumplings 200g pork mince 60g prawn meat 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp Chinese wine 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger 1 clove garlic finely chopped 2 spring onions, finely chopped 2 tbsp coriander, finely chopped 2 tbsp water chestnut, chopped 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 egg white Pinch of sugar Pinch of white pepper 1 pkt wonton or gowgee wrappers 4 dry shitake mushrooms, rehydrated and chopped Dipping Sauce 1 garlic clove chopped 1 tsp ginger chopped 3 birds eye chillies, sliced 160g light soy sauce 60ml rice vinegar Chilli Oil 1 cup peanut oil 2 tablespoons dried chilli flakes Method For the Mushroom Broth Add a handful of washed dried shitake mushrooms to a litre of water. Add a few rough slices of ginger, 20ml light soy sauce & 2-3 tablespoons good quality oyster sauce. Bring to boil, then allow to simmer for at least 20 minutes until the mushrooms are tender. Season to taste with more soy or oyster sauce, remove the mushrooms & cut away the stalk & discard. Slice & reserve some mushrooms for the dumpling filling & add the remainder into serving bowls, then ladle the broth into the bowls, add a small handful of bean sprouts, a few steamed dumplings, chopped coriander, spring onion & asian celery leaf & serve with a drizzle of sesame oil, dipping sauce & chilli oil on the side. For the Dumpling Filling In a bowl combine all of the ingredients. Place a small spoon of filling into the centre of the wrapper. Brush the edge with a little water or cornflour mixed with water & wrap into desired shape. Place into a steamer basket lined with banana leaf, grease lightly so that they do not stick, allowing space so that steam can flow through. Heat water in the base of a wok until boiling. Add the steamer & steam for about 5 minutes until cooked through. Enjoy as they are, with dipping sauce & chilli oil or in the light mushroom broth. Dipping Sauce Combine all ingredients in a small dipping bowl. Chilli Oil Place the oil in a pan and add chilli. Bring to a gentle simmer and turn off the heat. Cool and store in an airtight container.
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Multigrain Bread
Makes 3 loavesIngredients 500g multigrain flour (I like the german grain flour mix) 500g organic bakers flour ½ cup linseeds ½ cup sunflower seeds ½ cup pepitas 10g dried yeast 10g salt 10g sugar MethodMix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add warm water & mix together until combined, this is a wet & sticky mix. Cover with cling film & leave in a warm place until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 210°C. Flour your work surface & turn out the dough. Divide into 3 equal pieces & roll into a log shape & place into greased loaf pans. Leave in a warm place until doubled. Slash the top with a sharp knife & sprinkle with oats, seeds or flour. Place into a hot oven & bake for 10-15 mins. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C & bake for a further 10-15mins. Carefully tip a loaf out & tap on the bottom to hear a hollow sound to ensure it is cooked through. Cool on a wire rack & enjoy with butter, your favourite jam, or sandwich topping. Great toasted for a healthy start to your day…
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Corn Bread
Makes about 48Ingredients 1 egg 1 can creamed corn 1 green chilli, finely diced 120g sour cream 1 cup polenta 1 cup plain flour ½ tsp salt 2 tsp baking powder 1 cup grated cheddar cheese 1 spring onion finely sliced Pepper to taste ½ tsp bicarb soda 1 tbsp sugar 50ml oil or melted butter 1 cup milk MethodHeat oven to 180°C. Sift all dry ingredients together into a bowl. Add the wet ingredients and mix together gently. Spoon into a greased cornbread mould and bake 15-20min until golden.
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Baked Brie
Ingredients 1 small brie or camembert in wooden box 3 cloves garlic finely sliced 10 pink peppercorns lightly crushed A few sprigs fresh thyme 6 small bayleaves Splash white wine Freshly cracked black pepper MethodUnmould the brie & line the tub with baking paper. Cut a few slashes in the brie & poke in the garlic slices. Scatter over the bay leaves & the fresh thyme. Splash over a little wine & both peppercorns. Cover and bake in the oven at 180°C for 15-20 mins until warmed through & nice & runny. Serve with crackers & a baquette as a delicious add to your cheese board or with crudites as a healthier option.
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Potato Fritters
Ingredients 2 waxy potatoes 4 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed 1 tbsp cracked pepper 4 green chillies 3 cloves garlic 200g besan(chickpea) flour 20g rice flour 300ml water 1 tsp salt ½ bunch chopped coriander leaves Oil for frying MethodMix the pepper and coriander seeds together and set aside. Crush the chillies and garlic with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle. In a bowl add the flours, chopped coriander leaves, salt, chilli garlic mix and water to form a runny batter. Heat oil in a pan. Cut the potatoes in 5mm thick rounds, and lightly dip into the batter and place in hot oil. Fry until golden on both sides. Drain and sprinkle with pepper and coriander mix, serve as they are or with raita.
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Vietnamese Platter
IngredientsPandan Chicken 6 chicken thigh fillets 3 garlic cloves 1 tsp white peppercorns 1 inch piece ginger, chopped 2 tbsp soy sauce (or use ketchup manis) 2 tsp sugar 3 coriander roots, washed and scraped 1 tbsp sesame oilpandan leaves (fresh or frozen) Toothpicks Peanut oil to fry Sugar Cane Prawns 500g peeled, de-veined green prawns 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1 inch piece ginger, grated 2 tbsp palm sugar 1 tsp salt 4 tbsp coriander, chopped 1 large chilli, chopped 2 egg whites 10g cornflour 40g pork fat, (optional) 2 teaspoon fish sauce Splash of rose wine (optional) Peanut oil 1 can sugar cane drained, or fresh if available Pork Balls 500g minced pork 1 tsp turmeric 2 lemon grass stalks, finely sliced 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1-2 shallots, minced 1 inch piece of ginger, chopped 1 tomato, finely diced 4 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste MethodPandan ChickenCut the chicken into bite-size pieces. In a mortar crush the coriander root, garlic, ginger and white pepper. Add the sugar and soy sauce. Add the sesame oil, and then marinate the chicken for a few hours. Wrap each piece of chicken with pandan leaves (cut to size) and secure with a toothpick. Fry in hot oil over a medium heat for a few minutes until cooked through. Drain onto paper towel. Serve with a squeeze of lime, and chilli dipping sauce, or in cold rolls, or toss into a salad. Sugar Cane PrawnsSlice the sugar cane into 7cm lengths, then quarter. In a food processor blend the prawn meat, pork fat, garlic, ginger, palm sugar, chilli and salt until nearly smooth, add fish sauce, rose wine, egg whites and cornflour, then fold through the coriander. With oiled hands, wrap mix around the cane sugar sticks to form a ball. Line a steamer basket with paper to stop the prawn mix from sticking, and place the sticks in the steamer and steam with the lid on until they are firm to the touch, (about 5 minutes) then deep fry to get a nice golden skin. Serve as they are, with dipping sauce, or cut into a cold roll. Pork BallsIn a bowl combine the pork mince and the turmeric. Set aside. In a mortar or a small blender combine all the remaining ingredients except the tomato, and coriander, and blend, but not too fine. Add to the pork mince along with the chopped tomato and coriander. Season with salt and pepper and then roll into small balls and fry until golden. Serve as they are with a lettuce cup and chilli dipping sauce, or in cold rolls or in a noodle salad.
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Cold Rolls
Ingredients Rice vermicelli noodles (blanched and refreshed) ½ green mango (optional) in ribbons 1 carrot cut into ribbons 1 Lebanese cucumber cut into 5-6cm lengths and cut into small stripes Hand full of bean spouts ½ bunch rau ram ½ bunch coriander leaves ½ bunch mint Pandan chicken Pork balls Sugar cane prawns Rice paper wrappers Lettuce leaves MethodBoil water and then quickly dip the rice paper sheet into the boiling water taking care not to burn yourself. Place onto your plate/work surface and proceed to layer a small amount of ingredients on the bottom third of the wrapper. Roll over the edge then fold in the sides and continue to roll to a cigar shape. Serve with nuoc cham dipping sauce.
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Grilled Chicken Satays
IngredientsFor the Spice Mix 25g chilli 60g garlic 120g shallots 25g galangal 25g ginger 60g turmeric 40g cashew nuts 25g palm sugar 60g coconut oil 125ml water 2 lemon grass stalks Salt For the Chicken 500g chicken breast cut into strips 1 chilli finely chopped 2 tbsp palm sugar 125g spice paste Salt For Peanut Sauce 6 lime leaves 20g ginger 20g garlic 20g lemongrass ½ cinnamon stick 5g ground coriander 25g chilli paste 25g ketchup manis 100ml lemon juice Salt 250g roasted peanuts, coarsely ground 800ml coconut milk 10g sugar Lime juice 1 onion 5g cumin MethodFor the Spice MixBlend all ingredients together (except the water) in a food processor or pound in a mortar & pestle. In a saucepan combine the paste with the water & cook together for about 1 hour until the water has cooked out, & the paste becomes golden. Allow to cool before use.For the ChickenCombine ingredients together, skewer & marinate for several hours or overnight. Grill chicken over hot coals basting frequently & cook until chicken is golden. (Basting mix: combine 60g spice mix & 60g coconut oil)For Peanut SauceBlend the ginger, garlic & onion together & cook in a pot with the remaining ingredients until it thickens & the oil comes to the top. Serve hot or cold.
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Turkey Pasties
Ingredients 1 medium brown onion finely chopped 1 carrot peeled cut into small dice 1 large potato cut into small dice 1 small swede cut into small dice Sea salt & black pepper Left over roast turkey diced (about 350g) Good quality puff pastry Eggwash to brush MethodSauté the onion in a little olive oil until soft. Heat oven to 190°C Blanch the chopped vegetables in salted water until just tender but not soft. Drain. Combine all ingredients together & season generously with pepper. Roll out the puff pastry & cut to size (into rounds) or cut into two large rectangles & make long pasties. Brush the edge with egg wash & seal. Brush with egg wash & sprinkle with sea salt. Bake in a hot oven until golden brown. Serve with tomato cranberry sauce. Alternatively if you have left over roast vegetables, dice & fold through chopped turkey. A simple delicious way to savour tasty leftovers. These also freeze well uncooked, just defrost & bake, or freeze left over mix until you are ready to use.
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Cured Salmon (Gravalax)
Ingredients 1 side salmon, pin boned 600g salt 600g castor sugar 1 bunch dill chopped 20g fennel seeds lightly crushed 2 heaped tbsp pink peppercorns lightly crushed 2 lemons zested 1 orange zested 4 star anise MethodCombine all ingredients in a bowl except the salmon. On a flat tray with a lip, sprinkle a couple of handfuls of mix on to the tray. Place the salmon skin side down, and heap the remaining mixture on top to completely cover the salmon. Cover and place in the fridge overnight. The next day it will start to become liquidy, so scape off the mixture and cover on both sides again for another day. On the next day, scape off the mixture and wash well. Slice finely and serve with potato pancakes, or as you would for smoked salmon, on a pizza, in a salad…
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Moroccan Lamb Meatball Soup
(serves 8-10) Ingredients For the Lamb 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ras el hanout ½ tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp chili powder Salt and pepper to taste 3 tbsp tomato paste 750g lamb mince 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tsp paprika ½ brown onion, grated ½ small bunch parsley chopped ¼ bunch mint chopped Salt and pepper 1 egg For the Soup 200g pearl cous cous, boiled, rinsed and set aside 1 onion finely diced 1 tsp fresh grated ginger 2 carrots diced 2 zucchini diced 4 cloves garlic, crushed 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock 2 cups water ½ can crushed tomatoes 2 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp coriander powder 2 sticks cinnamon Good pinch saffron Lemon juice to taste 1 red chilli, left whole 2 tablespoon preserved lemon finely sliced Toasted flaked almonds to garnish Fresh mint, parsley, and coriander to garnish Method For the Lamb Combine all ingredients together and mix well. Season well with salt and pepper. Roll into balls and fry in a frypan with a little heated oil until browned. Set aside. For the Soup In a large saucepan or cast iron pot, heat a little olive oil, add the onion, garlic, ginger and carrot, and saute for about 1 minute. Add the ground cumin, coriander ¸cinnamon, chilli saffron and salt. Add the stock, water and tomato, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and add in the meatballs and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add the cous cous, and zucchini, lemon juice to taste and adjust seasoning if needed, simmer for a few minutes. Spoon into serving bowls, and garnish with chopped herbs, toasted almonds and preserved lemon slices. Serve with toasted Turkish bread.
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