Vegetable Samosas

2 large potatoes, diced finely
1/2 Cup peas or beans
2 Tablespoons oil or ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 medium onion cut into small dice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 teaspoons garam masala
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 - 3 sheets shortcrust pastry

Heat the oil in large fry pan. Add cumin and mustard seeds and fry until they splutter, about 2 minutes. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic, ginger paste and garam masala. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add potato and peas and about 1/2 Cup water. Cook gently over medium heat until the vegetables are cooked, about 12 minutes. Season to taste. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Cut each sheet of pastry into 4. Place a Tablespoon on the filling in the middle of each pastry square. Fold over diagonally and seal edges by pressing together. Repeat for the rest of the mixture. Gently brush with ghee or melted butter.

Cook at 220 C for 15 - 18 minutes or until the pastry is golden.

Serve hot or cold as part of a meal, or as a snack.

Char Sui Pork Stir-Fry

Serves 6

2 x 400 g packets hokkien noodles
2 Tablespoons olive oil
500 g pork fillet, thinly sliced
2 brown onion, halved, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 heads broccoli, cut into small pieces
2 red capsicums, cut into 5 mm strips
1 green capsicum, cut into 5 mm strips
2/3 Cup water
1 large jar Char Sui Sauce

Place the noodles in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside for 3 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a wok over high heat. Add a third of the pork and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat until all the pork is cooked.

Heat the remaining oil in the wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until the onion softens. Add vegetables and stir-fry for 3 - 4 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook for 2 - 3 minutes or until the vegetables are tender crisp.

Use a fork to separate the noodles. Add the noodles and char sui sauce to the wok, and toss to coat. Add the remaining water to the sauce bottle and seal. Shake until well combined. Pour into the wok. Add the pork and toss to combine.

Vegetable Stir-Fry

Serves 6

2 red onion, cut into thin wedges
3 teaspoons minced garlic
2 Tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
3 carrots, sliced thinly
2 heads broccoli, cut into small pieces
2 red capsicum, cut into 4 mm strips
1 green capsicum, cut into 4 mm strips
2 ½ Cups finely chopped green cabbage
2 handfuls snow peas
3 Tablespoons soy sauce

Heat the oil in the wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for 3 minute or until aromatic. Add the carrots and broccoli and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until tender crisp.

Add the soy sauce and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until well combined and warmed through.

Spring Rolls

100 g dried rice vermicelli noodles
3 tsp peanut oil
¾ Cup finely chopped green cabbage
3 carrots, peeled, coarsely grated
1 ½ celery stick, ends trimmed, finely chopped
3 spring onions, ends trimmed, thinly sliced
3 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced ginger
3 teaspoons soy sauce
30 frozen spring roll wrappers, thawed
Olive oil spray
Sweet chilli sauce, to serve

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Place noodles in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 5 minutes. Rinse under cold running water. Drain. Squeeze out excess liquid. Cut into short lengths.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add cabbage, carrot, celery and shallot. Cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in the soy sauce.

Transfer vegetable mixture to a large heatproof bowl. Stir in the noodles. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool.

Place 1 spring roll wrapper on a clean work surface. Place 1 tablespoon of the mixture diagonally along the centre. Brush edges with water.

Fold in the ends. Roll up firmly to enclose filling. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

Place on the lined trays. Spray with olive oil spray. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden. Set aside to cool slightly.

Serve with sweet chilli sauce.

Lemon Chicken

Serves 6

4 eggwhites
2 1/2 Tablespoons cornflour
1 kg chicken breast fillets, trimmed, thinly sliced
½ Cup vegetable oil, for shallow-frying
6 spring onions green onions, sliced diagonally

Lemon sauce
1 ½ Tablespoons cornflour
5 lemons, juiced
3 chicken stock cubes, crumbled
3 Tablespoons honey
2 ½ Tablespoons white sugar

Make lemon sauce: Combine cornflour and 3 Tablespoons cold water in a small saucepan. Stir until cornflour is dissolved. Add 1/4 cup cold water, lemon juice, stock cubes, honey and sugar. Place saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sauce comes to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, without stirring, for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine eggwhites and cornflour in a large bowl. Whisk with a fork until cornflour is dissolved. Add chicken and stir to coat.

Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken, 6 to 8 pieces at a time. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until chicken is light golden. Transfer to a wire rack over a baking tray. Drain oil from wok (but don't wash or wipe wok).

Return chicken to hot wok and stir-fry for 1 minute or until sizzling. Pour over lemon sauce and stir-fry for 1 minute. Sprinkle with green onions.

Beef and Black Bean Noodle Stir Fry

Serves 8

2 x 400g packets hokkien noodles
2 Tablespoons olive oil
800 g beef steak, cut into strips
2 brown onion, halved, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 heads broccoli, cut into small pieces
2 red capsicums, cut into 5 mm strips
1 green capsicum, cut into 5 mm strips
2/3 Cup water
2 jars Black Bean Stir Fry Sauce

Place the noodles in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside for 3 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a wok over high heat. Add a quarter of the beef and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat until all the beef is cooked.

Heat the remaining oil in the wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until the onion softens. Add vegetables and stir-fry for 4 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook for 2 - 3 minutes or until the vegetables are tender crisp.

Use a fork to separate the noodles. Add the noodles and black bean sauce to the wok, and toss to coat. Add the remaining water to the sauce bottle and seal. Shake until well combined. Pour into the wok. Add the beef and toss to combine.

Chicken and Cashew Stir-Fry

Serves 6

800g chicken thigh fillets, cut into 2cm pieces
4 ½ teaspoons cornflour
1 teaspoon vegetable or sesame oil
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
3 Tablespoons vegetable peanut oil
2 large red capsicum, deseeded, coarsely chopped
7 spring onions, ends trimmed, cut into 5cm lengths
½ Cup chicken stock
½ Cup salted roasted cashews

Combine the chicken, cornflour, sesame oil and 1 Tablespoon of the soy sauce in a medium bowl.

Heat 3 teaspoons the peanut oil in a wok over high heat until just hot. Add the capsicum and green shallot and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a heatproof bowl.

Heat 3 tsp of remaining peanut oil in the wok over high heat. Add a third of the chicken mixture and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until brown.
Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Repeat with the remaining oil and chicken mixture, reheating wok between batches.

Return chicken mixture to the wok. Add the stock and the remaining soy sauce and cook until mixture boils. Return the capsicum mixture to the wok and stir-fry until heated through. Remove from heat. Add the cashews and toss to combine.