Grab Your Chopsticks!

Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 4

Chicken & Sweetcorn Soup

Ingredients

200g chicken breast
1 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup creamed corn
1 tablespoon cornflour
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 spring onions

Method

1. Place chicken in a food processor and blend until smooth adding salt.
2. Beat the egg whites and add to the mixture.
3. Bring the chicken stock to the boil and add the corn, add the cornflour/water mixture, and add stirring until the soup thickens.
4. Turn down the heat and add the chicken, breaking it up with a fork. Stir for 3 to 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
5. Add soy sauce to taste and serve with chopped spring onion to garnish.

Result

Quite nice! But watch how much soy you put in. I put in a little too much and it was quite salty.

Preparation Time: 90 mins
Cooking Time: 60 mins
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 4

Coconut Beef Curry

Ingredients

350g steak
6 red chillies
1 1/2 cups desiccated coconut
1 onion, chopped
2 – 4 cloves garlic
2 stems lemon grass (or dried lemon grass soaked overnight in hot water)
3cm piece galangal sliced (or dried galangal soaked overnight in hot water)
2cm fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
1 teaspoon grated lime rind (or lemon if lime is unavailable)
oil
1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon ketchap manis
1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate (mix tamarind with hot water, mix and drain the liquid to make the concentrate)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 spring onions

Method

1. Place steak in hot water and simmer over a low heat for about 40 minutes.
2. Soak the chilli in hot water for about 15 minutes, then drain off the water.
3. Spread the coconut on a tray and brown in the oven at about 100 deg C until golden brown (watch this it will brown quickly.
4. Place the chilli, onion, garlic, lemon grass, galangal, cumin, ginger, turmeric, shrimp paste, lime rind and 2 tablespoons of oil into a food processor and blend until smooth.
5. When the meat is done, remove from the pan, and cut into small rectangles, mix the meat with the paste and marinate for 10 minutes.
6. Heat some oil in a kahrai, wok or heavy based frying pan, and cook the meat over high heat until browned. Add the coconut milk, ketchap manis, tamarind liquid and salt and stir until the mixture is almost dry.
7. Add the toasted coconut and mix.
8. Add a garnishing of spring onion and serve with rice and vegetables.

Result

Very nice! This is a dry curry, so have something nice to drink with the meal. I always enjoy a soothing glass of milk with a curry…

Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 2

Chilli Tomato Soup

Ingredients

500g Ripe or Canned Tomato, skinned
30g butter or margarine
1 onion, chopped
salt
pepper
2 birds eye chillies, or your chilli preference
1 strip of lemon rind
2 cups of chicken stock
1 bay leaf
sugar to taste
cream

Method

1. Melt the butter in a large pan, then add the onion and cook until soft.
2. Add the salt and pepper, the tomato, seeded and chopped chilli, lemon rind, stock and bay leaf.
3. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add sugar, more salt and pepper to taste.
5. When the soup has cooled (not cold), place in a food processor and blend until reasonably smooth.
6. Reheat and serve with cream.
7. You can add coriander leaves as well for that extra oriental taste.

Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 4

Crumbed Prawns

Ingredients

500g fresh prawns
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper (preferably freshly ground)
1 teaspoon five spice powder
oil
cornflour
2 eggs, beaten
breadcrumbs

Method

1. Remove the shells from the prawns, and devein.
2. Add the soy sauce, rice wine, five spice powder and pepper to the prawns and mix well.
3. Marinate for about five minutes, then drain the liquid.
4. Coat the prawns in the cornflour, then the egg, and finally the breadcrumbs.
5. *Optional* Place the coated prawns in the fridge for about half an hour, this will help the coating adhese.
6. Heat the oil in a wok and when smoking, deep fry the prawns for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Drain and place on absorbent paper and eat immediately.

Result

Very, very nice. Although yet again I prefer just plain prawns grilled, this seems to bring out more of the prawn flavour, but this recipe tastes great non the less.

Preparation Time: 140 mins (120 minutes marinating)
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 4

Spiced Pork

Ingredients

1.5kg lean pork chops
1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet sherry
1 1/2 tablespoons cornflour or arrow root
salt
pepper
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
1/4 cup water
1 chicken stock cube
oil

Method

1. Remove any fat and bones from the chops.
2. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl except for the chicken stock cube, water and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce.
3. Cut the chops into slices small enough for one mouthfull and add to the mixture. Leave for 120 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add oil to the wok, enough so that there is about 2.5cm in depth of oil, heat until smoking, add chops cooking until golden brown. Remove and keep warm.
5. Add the remaining ingredients to a pan and bring to a boil, pour over pork.

Result

Very nice, I loved the dark soy taste, but I am biased! I love soy sauce!

Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 4

Chicken with Lychees

Ingredients

3 or 4 large chicken breasts
500g can lychees
1 red pepper
snow peas (mange touts)
oil
2 chicken stock cubes
salt
pepper
3 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
cornflour or arrowroot
1/2 cup water

Method

1. Cut chicken breasts in half, and cut each half into thirds.
2. Remove seeds from pepper and cut into roughly square pieces.
3. Dust the chicken with cornflour, and shake off any excess.
4. Heat oil in a wok until smoking, and stirfry chicken pieces until golden brown.
5. Add the pepper and fry stirring for one minute.
6. Add the combined water, stock cubes, tomato sauce, sugar, salt and pepper.
7. Add the drained lychees and mix well. (You can add some of the lychee juice if you want, but not too much)
8. Cover and simmer for about five minutes.
9. Add 1 teaspoon cornflour to 2 teaspoons water and mix. Add to wok and bring to the boil.

Serve on top of rice or noodles.

Result

This is delicious, escpecially if you love lychees. A wonderful authentic Chinese taste!