Recipes

Meals

Paprika Nudeln

Slice ten capsicum, three onions and three tomatoes into long thin strips. Skin and slice some large pieces of ginger. Make sure these are extra thin. Crush two cloves of garlic and halve a handful of soft dates.

Sauté the onions and garlic with olive oil in a wok or large saucepan. Once the onions have softened add the capsicum, tomato and ginger. Cover the pan with a lid and cook slowly. Once the mountain of capsicum starts to reduce in volume, add the dates and season liberally with salt and pepper.

When the capsicum is soft with a noodle-like texture the meal is done.

Moroccan Lamb Casserole

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan or pot then brown 1kg lamb which has been chopped into large pieces. Sauté 2 diced onions and 2 cloves crushed garlic with the lamb after the outsides are seared. Add a 400ml can of chopped tomatoes together with a heaped teaspoon each of paprica, turmeric and cumin, level teaspoons of cinnamon and nutmeg, and plenty of salt and pepper.

After the spices are well and truly mixed in, add coarsely chopped pieces of 2 capsicum and 1 large sweet potato together with a 400ml can of chickpeas and 1⁄2 cup dry red lentils. Throw in a cup of walnuts and one fruit worth of orange zest.

Transfer the meal into a large casserole dish, squeeze in the juice from the orange and pour in a little water. Cook in an oven at 180°C for an hour or so.

Isha and Kathryn’s Vege Burger

Make the five components of this recipe separately. You can overlap their preparation somewhat.

Combine all the components in a large mixing bowl with some more olive oil. Mix in some spices: one teaspoon each of paprika, cumin, ground corriander and thyme together with salt and pepper to taste.

Let the mixture stand for a while then roll into balls. Cook in a pan with olive oil. I’m often too impatient to make patties and prefer to just cook it as a ‘tasty mush’.

Sweet Turkish Lamb

Dice 2kg lamb into fist sized pieces. Heat 2tbsp olive oil in a large pan and sear the lamb.

Once the lamb is browned, add 4 diced red onions, 1tbsp ground ginger, 2tbsp mixed spice, 2tsp salt, 2 tsp ground black pepper and a small pinch of saffron threads. Stir occasionally and cook until the onions begin to caramelise.

Add 250g raisins, 1tbsp ground cinnamon and 2tbsp honey and cook a little longer.

Transfer the meal to a casserole dish, add water to a depth of about 2cm and bake at 180°C for two hours.

Aromatic Chicken with Leeks

Salt 500g chicken thighs around half an hour before you begin cooking.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and then carefully place the chicken piece in the oil. Flip the chicken after the bottom has browned.

Add a diced large onion, 2 cloves diced garlic and a similar amount of diced ginger. Season with salt, pepper, ground caramom and basil.

Once the onions have cooked, add in a coarsely sliced leek, 2 large diced tomatos and a diced zucchini. Continue cooking until the veges are tender, adding water if the meal dries out too much.

Braised Sichaun Eggplant

Cut one eggplant into small pieces and submerge in salt water for 15 to 20 minutes.

Slice two small red chillies and place in a bowl. Bring 3 tbsp white vinegar to a simmer and pour over the chillies. After five minutes, stir in 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tbsp sugar, 2 tsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp cheap balsamic vinegar. Add a heaped tsp cornflour to thicken the sauce.

Drain and dry the eggplant, then cook in peanut oil until browned. Add in some garlic, ginger and spring onions. Cook until the onions just start to soften. Mix in 2 tbsp hoisin sauce. Add the chilli sauce and cook about three minutes until done.

Better Apricot Chicken

Cut 1.5kg chicken breast into large pieces and rub in a mixture of 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp ground coriander, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground turmeric, 2 tsp chilli flakes and 1 tsp black pepper. Sear the chicken with olive oil in a large pan and then set it aside.

Saute 1 diced onion, 6 cloves crushed garlic, 100g chopped fresh ginger and 2 diced green chillies in the oil remaining from the chicken. Stir in 3 tbsp tomato paste, a pinch of saffron threads and 5 sprigs of thyme.

Add 200ml white wine, 200g dried apricots, zest and juice of 1 lemon, 2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp vegetable stock powder and a handfull of pistacios. Bring the liquid to a simmer and return the chicken pieces to the pan.

Add water until the chicken is just covered. Simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes and then for a further 15 minutes without the lid.

Beetroot Curry

Coarsely dice one onion, a medium sized chunk of ginger and two cloves of garlic. Heat some olive oil in a pot then sauté the onion, ginger and garlic.

After the onions have browned, add generous pinches of ground garam masala, cumin, tumeric, mustard seeds, salt and pepper. Stir the spices through the onion and toast for a little bit.

Add a can of baby beetroot and a diced sweet potato. Pour in a cup of coconut milk and allow to simmer until the potato is soft.

Rice Lunch

Prepare 2 cups brown rice on the side. Add 1 tbsp coconut oil to a wok and heat. Throw in 2 diced onions and some salt. Once the onions have begun to brown, put 500g pork or beef mince in the wok. As it cooks, season with salt, pepper and your choice of spices. I like to use an exotic chilli blend. Add soy sauce to the mince one tablespooon at a time until the meat is covered. Throw in diced celery, capsicum and leek. Once the veges are done stir the the rice and remove from the heat.

Pad Thai

Prepare all the components of the meal beforehand and cook in batches to avoid overloading your wok.

Mix the sauce with 3 parts fish sauce, 1 part soy sauce, 5 parts brown sugar and 2 parts tamarind paste.

Heat peanut oil in a wok and cook some diced chicken, minced garlic, minced chilli and the white parts of some spring onions. Beat an egg in a bowl and scramble in the wok. Add some of the sauce along with a handful of bean sprouts and rice noodles, and a sprinkle of crushed peanuts. Top the dish with some more crushed peanuts, the green parts of the spring onions and a few wedges of lime.

Soups

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Coarsely dice half a pumpkin and one large sweet potato.

Saute one finely diced onion with some ginger and crushed garlic in olive oil using a large pot. Spice with salt, pepper, 1tsp cumin and 1⁄2 tsp nutmeg.

Add the pumpkin and sweet potato and cover with 750ml vegetable stock. Bring the soup to the boil and allow to gently cook until the vegetables are soft.

Mash the pumpkin and sweet potato and continue cooking until the mixture has reduced in volume to the desired thickness. Stir in one cup coconut milk.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Dice one large onion and similar amounts of carrot and celery. Saute the vegetables with olive oil in a large pot.

Add 4 cloves crushed garlic, 2 bay leaves and 4 sprigs thyme. Pour in 1L chicken stock and brink to a simmer. Salt and poach chicken thighs in the broth for 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken and slice / tear into small pieces. Add 200g rice noodles and cook for a further 5 minutes. Put the chicken back in and add salt and pepper to taste.

Tomato Soup

Finely dice some garlic and saute with olive oil in a large pot. Add salt, pepper, oregano and thyme. Pour in a large can of tinned tomatoes and cook the liquid down.

Transfer the tomato mixture to a food processor and add some torn up chunks of bread. Return it to the pot and cook until it reaches your desired consistency.

Leek and Potato Soup

Saute 1 diced leek in 25g butter and a similar amount of peanut oil. Peel and wash 500g potatoes. Cut the potatoes into batons and then slice into fine squares. Don’t wash the potatoes again as the starch helps thicken the soup. Add the potatoes along with some salt and pepper to the leaks then pour in 1L chicken stock. Bring to the boil and then boil gently for around 15 minutes.

Fundamentals

Annie’s Chicken Marinade

Mix equal parts of olive oil, soy sauce and lemon juice in a bowl. Add some fresh grated ginger. Place the pieces of chicken in the marinade and allow to sit overnight, absorbing the flavour.

Annie’s Steak Marinade

Mix two tablespoons olive oil, one tablespoon soy sauce, one tablespoon vinegar and one desert spoon honey. Add one crushed clove garlic, diced ginger and two sliced shallots. After stirring the marinade well, mix the beef in the marinade and let it sit overnight.

Actually Tasty Couscous

Bring 1 3⁄4 cups water (or stock), 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp olive oil and 1⁄2 tsp salt to the boil. Add 1 1⁄2 cups couscous and return to the boil. Remove the pot from the heat, seal the lid tightly and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

Jasmine’s Rice

Sauté one diced onion and two cloves crushed garlic with olive oil in a pot. Once the onions begin to caramelise, add salt, pepper, turmeric, ground clove and cardamon.

Stir the spice through the onion then pour in 1 cup long grain rice. Allow the rice to toast for a little, then stir in 1 diced capsicum and a handful of raisins.

Add 1 1⁄2 cups of water and bring to the boil. Put a tight fitting lid on the pot and reduce the heat. Let the rice simmer for around 20 minutes or until it’s done.

Popcorn

1⁄2 cup popcorn, 2 tbsp olive oil. In wok with lid / aluminium foil with holes poked. Constantly shake