Pork Spareribs Chinese-Style

Spareribs are one of the most popular Chinese dishes and this is a very simple and good recipe. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

1 side pork spareribs
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 medium-sized piece of fresh ginger
2 tablespoons brown bean sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornflour
2 or 3 spring onions, finely chopped

Method:

1. Chop spareribs into 1 inch (2.5 cm) portions and trim excess fat.
2. Mix brown bean sauce, garlic and ginger into a sauce. Bring oil to medium/high heat in a wok, blend in sauce and quickly add spareribs. Continue to stir-fry for about 1 minute.
3. Add sugar and water and bring immediately to boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Mix cornflour with 1 tablespoon of water and add to wok, stir-frying with a little more heat to glaze contents all over. This should take only 1 or 2 minutes. Serve immediately on heated dish, garnished with spring onions.

Apple and Ginger Tart

This easy and delicious dessert tart has a crunchy ginger base filled with smooth apple and is topped with glazed apple slices. Recipe serves 6.

Ingredients:

8 ounce (250 g) packet ginger nut cookies (biscuits)
3 1/2 ounces (100 g) unsalted butter
Filling:
1/4 cup white sugar
1 ounce (25 g) unsalted butter
Juice of 1 large lemon
1 pound (500 g) cooking apples. peeled, cored and sliced
Topping:
2 eating apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
8 teaspoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground mixed spice
1/4 cup apricot jam

Method:

1. Put the cookies in a food processor and mix until crumbled, or place in a strong clean plastic food storage bag and crush by beating with a rolling pin.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the cookie crumbs until well combined. Press the mixture evenly over the base and up the side of a 9 inch (22 cm) loose-bottomed flan tin. Chill for 20 minutes.
3. For the filling, put the sugar, butter and half the lemon juice in a stainless steel pan. Heat over a low heat until melted. Stir in the apples and stew over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until pulpy and thick. Remove from heat and cool completely. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
4. For the topping, toss the apple slices in the remaining lemon juice. Mix together the sugar, ginger and mixed spice.
5. Spread the filling in the cookie crumb base. Arrange the apple slices over the top in circles. Sprinkle the spiced sugar mixture over the slices.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the apple slices are golden and tender.
7. Warm the jam until runny then sieve it. Brush the jam over the apples. Remove the tart from the tin and serve warm or cold.

Snow Pea and Fish Salad

This fresh snow pea and boneless white fish fillet salad makes a delightful summer lunch or dinner. Recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

4-6 Jew fish fillets, or any other firm fleshed white fish, without bones
Salad:
Snow peas
3 1/2 ounces (100 g) zucchini, diced
2 ounces (60 g) red pepper (capsicum), diced
2 ounces (60 g) yellow pepper (capsicum), diced
8 black olives, seeds removed and finely chopped
4 spring onions, finely sliced
3 1/2 ounces (100 g) tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into dice
Butter lettuce, washed and dried
Vinaigrette:
2/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon prepared freshly crushed garlic

Method:

1. Place all vinaigrette ingredients in a jar and mix well.
2. Cook fish fillets in a little butter or oil. Drain and set aside, keeping warm.
3. For the salad, combine zucchini, red and yellow peppers and olives with a little of the vinaigrette and set aside.
4. Cook spring onions in a little oil until translucent. Remove from heat, add tomato and a little vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
5. To serve, arrange lettuce leaves on 4 individual plates. Cut fish in half. Scatter some snow peas on the lettuce, then the fish. Scatter 1/4 of the zucchini mix and the tomato mix over the fish on each plate and then some more snow peas. Drizzle with more vinaigrette and serve.

Quick & Easy Brown Bread

Made with rapid rise dried yeast, this simple one-rise whole wheat bread is much easier to make than a conventional wholemeal loaf. Recipe makes 1 loaf.

Ingredients:

2 sachets rapid rise dried yeast
2 cups strong wholemeal flour
2 cups strong all-purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon salt
5 fl oz (150 ml) lukewarm milk
Extra milk, to glaze

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease a 2 pound (1 kg) loaf tin.
2. Sift together the yeast, flours and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the wholemeal husks in the sieve to the bowl. Add the milk and sufficient lukewarm water to mix to a soft dough.
3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Roll and shape the dough and put into the tin.
4. Cover with oiled clear plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes, or until doubled in size.
5. Uncover and brush the top of the loaf with milk. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake for a further 20-25 minutes, or until well risen and brown. The loaf should sound hollow when tapped on the base. Turn the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool.

Tip: Look for rapid rise dried yeast, sold in sachets, in most supermarkets. It cuts down on the rising time needed for yeast mixtures by about 50 per cent. It also makes proving (a second rising) unnecessary.

Indian Beef Curry

Indian curries are dry curries, cooked with little liquid. Marinate beef steak overnight for best results. Onion, garlic, ginger and chili form the base of authentic Indian curries and are pounded together. Recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

2 pound (1 kg) chuck or skirt steak
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon malt vinegar
2 medium onions, grated
4 teaspoons freshly crushed garlic
2 teaspoons fresh ginger (from jar)
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
Water
Fried onion rings for garnish

Method:

1. Cut meat into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes, place in a bowl with soy sauce, turmeric, vinegar, stir to mix. Cover and marinate at room temperature 4 hours, or overnight in refrigerator.
2. Grate onion on fine grater over a bowl to catch juices. Add garlic, ginger and chili.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add onion mixture and fry until brown, stirring constantly. Add beef and stir to brown all over. Add bay leaves, cinnamon stick and enough water to half cover beef. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes or until meat is tender. Add a little water during cooking if necessary.
4. Adjust seasoning and place in a dish. Garnish with fried onion rings, serve with boiled rice or coconut rice.

Cucumbers with Mushrooms

Cucumbers are available all year so here's a creamy and tasty hot dip or appetizer you can enjoy in Winter. Recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

2 pound (1 kg) green cucumbers
2 ounces (50 g) bacon, cut into cubes
1 pound (250 g) mushrooms, sliced
4 teaspoons butter
1 onion, sliced
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves

Method:

1. Peel cucumbers, halve lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Cut into slices.
2. Heat butter in a fry pan and add bacon. Add onions and cook until translucent.
3. Add cucumbers and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes with pan covered.
4. Add parsley and marjoram and cook for another 5 minutes. If there is too much liquid, cook uncovered for the last 5 minutes - otherwise leave covered.
5. Serve with crackers or pita bread.

Individual Cheese Quiches

Filled with a mixture of peppers, leeks, sun-dried tomatoes and Cheddar cheese, these easy mini quiches are best served with a crisp green salad and warm crusty bread and make a delicious vegetarian meal. Recipe makes 4 quiches.

Ingredients:

2 sheets frozen, ready-rolled short crust pastry, thawed
Filling:
1/2 small red pepper (capsicum)
8 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced leek
2 eggs
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
Black pepper
4 sun-dried tomato halves in coil, well drained and cut into strips
2 ounces (50 g) Cheddar cheese, grated

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and heat a baking tray.
2. Place the sheets of pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut each sheet in half diagonally to make 4 triangles. Line four 4 inch (10 cm) individual fluted flan tins with pastry, pressing firmly from centers to edges. Trim off excess pastry by rolling over with a rolling pin or trim off with a sharp knife. Prick bases. Line each pastry case with greaseproof paper and a layer of baking beans. Stand the tins on the hot baking tray and bake 'blind' for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the filling. Remove the seeds from the pepper. Place, skin-upwards, under a hot grill for 5 minutes, or until the skin is charred. Enclose the pepper in a clean, food storage bag for 5 minutes, then remove and peel off the skin. Cut in half lengthwise, then slice across into thin strips.
4. Heat the oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leek and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. In a bowl, beat together the eggs, cream, oregano and pepper to taste.
5. Remove the paper and beans from the pastry cases. Return them to the oven for 5 minutes, or until the bases are light golden. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
6. Spoon the pepper, leek and sun-dried tomatoes evenly into the pastry cases. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Carefully spoon or pour over the egg and cream mixture. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the filling is set and golden. Serve warm with salad and crusty bread.

Tip: Standing the flan tins on a preheated baking tray helps cook the bases of the pastry cases. If you do not have individual flan tins, use an 8 inch (20 cm) flan tin.