Recipy week (day four)

Fish Salad with Lemon Grass, Chilli and Lime

Serves 4

• 500g trout or white fleshed freshwater, fish, such as barramundi, cleaned


• salt and freshly ground pepper


• vegetable oil


• 1 lemon grass stalk, tender part only, cut in 6cm lengths and shredded finely


• 4 kaffir lime leaves, shredded very finely


• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced


• ½ cup Thai basil leaves


• ½ cup coriander leaves


• 5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice


• 2 tablespoons fish sauce


• 2 teaspoons caster sugar


• 1 tablespoon toasted ground rice*


• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper


• 2 mild red chillies, seeded and shredded finely

Season the fish well with salt and pepper, put on a plate and steam for 8 minutes over simmering water. Set aside to cool. When cool, flake the flesh into a large bowl, discarding the bones and skin. In a wok, heat a tablespoon of oil until hot but not smoking. Fry the lemon grass and lime leaves until softened, then remove from the oil and drain on paper towel.

Add three or four tablespoons of oil to the wok and when hot, fry the garlic until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towel. Fry the eschalots until crisp, then drain. Add the fried ingredients to the fish with the basil and coriander. Stir the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, ground rice and cayenne pepper together in a bowl. Taste and add more fish sauce if necessary. Add to the salad ingredients and toss lightly. Divide between bowls and scatter with shredded chillies and a little more toasted ground rice to serve.

*Toast four tablespoons of uncooked rice in a hot pan until golden brown, stirring constantly. Cool, then process to a powder in an electric spice mill.

Recipy week (day three)

Chicken biryani

(serves 4)

300g (1 ½ cups) long-grain rice
40ml (2 tablespoons) olive oil
1 onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
4 chicken breasts, cut into 2cm dice
½ teaspoon ground chilli
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cinnamon sticks
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
6 fresh curry leaves (optional)*
150ml thick plain low-fat yoghurt
2 tablespoons sultanas
3 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
1/3 cup roughly chopped coriander leaves

Cook the rice in salted water for 8 minutes, then drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a large frypan over medium heat, add the onion and cook for 1-2 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic, ginger and chicken, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the spices, curry leaves, yoghurt, and sultanas, stir for 1 minute, then reduce heat to very low.

Place the rice on top of the sauce. Cover the top of the pan with a folded tea towel, then place the lid on top of the tea towel. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove lid, add nuts and half the coriander and stir well to combine. Garnish with the remaining coriander, and offer chutney and sliced tomatoes and onions with the dish.

Recipy week (day two)

Curried Lentil and Pumpkin Soup

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons curry powder
1½ cups dried red lentils
1kg grey pumpkin, peeled, seeds removed, and chopped
5 cups vegetable stock
natural yoghurt, to serve

Heat oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cooking for 2 to 3 minutes until soft. Stir in curry powder and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

Add lentils, pumpkin, and stock. Stir until well-combined. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, partially covered, for about 20 minutes, stirring regularly until pumpkin is just tender.

Serve immediately, topped with a dollop of natural yoghurt if desired.

Per serve (yoghurt no included): 1678 kJ; 8.8g fat; 2.6g sat fat; 14.6g fibre; 53.3g carb; 28.6g pro; Omg chol; 593mg sod.

Recipy week (day one)

Beef, Snake Bean and Walnut Stir Fry

Serves 4

500g tender lean beef, sliced very thinly
2 teaspoons kecap manis* or Soy sauce
2 tablespoons shaohsing (rice wine)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon grated fresh galangal
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 cup walnut pieces
4 eschalots, peeled and sliced
bunch (about 300g) of snake beans, trimmed and cut into 5cm lengths
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
1 large dried red chilli, torn into pieces, or 1 fresh red chilli, sliced

TO SERVE:

Steam jasmine rice

Put the beef in a bowl with the kecap manis, shaohsing, garlic and galangal and toss until coated, then set aside. Heat two tablespoons of the oil in the wok, then stir-fry the walnuts until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Wipe any nut residue from the wok, then place the wok over a high heat. Add a tablespoon of the oil, then stir-fry the beef in batches for about 2 minutes each until it changes colour. Transfer the beef to a bowl as it cooks.

Add the remaining oil to the wok, then stir fry the eschalots and snake beans for 2 minutes. Mix half a cup of water and the fish sauce with any remaining beef marinade, then add to the wok and simmer for 1 minute until the beans are tender but crisp. Return the beef and walnuts to the wok.

Add the chilli and stir gently until heated through. Serve with steamed rice.