Beef stir-fry with garlic shoots

Ingredients

500g beef stir fry strips
1 bunch garlic shoots, cut into 4cm pieces
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

Beef Marinade

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons corn flour
pinch of white pepper

Method

1. Marinate beef for at least 30 minutes
2. In the pan, add 1 tablespoon oil on a medium high heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, then add the beef and cook until halfway.
3. Add the garlic shoots and stir fry until beef is cooked. 
4. Season with salt and pepper. Serve

Beef Shakshuka with Smoked Eggplant

This is a modern take on the classic Middle Eastern breakfast dish, Shakshuka. It's a pretty impressive one-pan meal and really fills you up!

Recipe adapted from Yottam Ottolenghi

Ingredients

4 eggplants (aubergines) (1.1kg gross)
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 large onion, finely chopped (200g net)
6 garlic cloves, finely diced (20g net)
¼ teaspoon chilli flakes (add up to ½ teaspoon for extra heat)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons tomato paste
300g beef mince
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (100g net)
2 teaspoons (15g) finely chopped preserved lemon
4 eggs
¾ teaspoon sumac
3 teaspoons chopped parsley

Tahini sauce
40g tahini paste
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
¼ teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons water

Method

Use a sharp knife to pierce the eggplant in a few places and place each directly over a naked flame on the stovetop. Cook on medium heat, turning occasionally with metal tongs, for 20 minutes, or until outside is totally burnt and eggplant starts to collapse on itself.

Alternatively, place the pierced eggplant on baking tray lined with foil and place under a hot grill, turning every 20 minutes, for 1 hour. Remove from tray and place in a colander. Cut a single slit in each eggplant, from top to base, and allow the juices to strain. Once cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh, avoiding all black skin, and set aside. You should have about 370 g eggplant flesh.

To make the tahini sauce, whisk together the ingredients until thick and rich. You may need to add a splash of water if it is stiff.

Heat the olive oil in a medium, heavy-based frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the onion, garlic, chilli, cinnamon and cumin and sauté for 6 minutes, until softened and coloured a bit. Add the beef, salt and some black pepper. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring, for 5–6 minutes, or until browned well. Mix in the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, preserved lemon and eggplant flesh and cook for another 5 minutes. Add up to 90 ml of water if the sauce is becoming very thick. Make four small wells in the mix and break an egg into each. Cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, until the eggwhites are cooked but the yolks are still runny. Covering the pan with a lid will hasten the process but will make the yolks look a bit cloudy.

Remove from the heat and dot with dollops of tahini sauce, sprinkle with sumac and finish with the parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.

Jamie Oliver's 15 Minute Meals Beef Kofta Curry Fluffy Rice, Beans & Peas

I couldn't find the ready to eat Puy lentils in this recipe so I substituted with 3/4 cup green lentils which I soaked overnight. I also added 1 grated onion and halved the quantity of the rice ingredients. Below is my modified recipe.

Recipe adapted from Jamie's 15 Minute Meals page 66

*Ingredients out *Kettle boiled *Large frying pan, high heat *Medium lidded casserole pan, high heat *Liquidizer (blender)

Ingredients
Curry
¾ cup green lentils (soaked overnight)
1 heaped teaspoon garam masala
500g lean beef mince
1 onion, grated
olive oil
3 ripe tomatoes
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger (1 teaspoon grated ginger)
2 spring onions
1 fresh red chilli
1 bunch of fresh coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon runny honey
2 heaped teaspoon Patak's rogan josh curry paste
270ml tin of light coconut milk
4 tablespoons fat-free yoghurt, to serve
1 lemon

Rice
½ mug of 10-minute wholegrain or basmati rice
5 cardamon pods
100g green or yellow beans
100g frozen peas
2 uncooked poppadoms

Method

Put the lentils into a bowl with salt, pepper, the garam masala, mince and onion, then mix and scrunch together with clean hands. Divide the mixture in half, then with wet hands quickly squeeze and mould each half into 6 fat fingers. Put them into the frying pan with 1 tablespoon of oil, turning when golden.

Put ½ mug of rice, 1 mug of boiling water and the cardamon pods into the casserole pan, then halve and add the beans and put the lid on. Squash the tomatoes into the liquidizer, add the peeled ginger, trimmed spring onions, half the chilli, the coriander stalks, turmeric, honey, curry paste and coconut milk, then blitz until combined. Pour into the kofta pan, bring to the boil, then simmer and season to taste.

Take the lid off the rice, add the peas, mix it all up and give it just a few more minutes. Crack up the uncooked poppadoms and pop them in the microwave (800W) for a minute or two to puff up. Finely slice the remaining chilli and the coriander leaves and scatter them over the curry, dollop with yoghurt, then serve with lemon wedges, poppadoms and the rice, beans and peas.

Beef and Bean Stir Fry

Recipe adapted from Thai Creative Cooking page 56-57

Ingredients

2 teaspoons baking soda
500g topside or round steak, cut into thin strips
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce 
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
185g snake or green beans, cut into 10cm lengths
2 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons coriander

Method

1. Marinate the beef with the baking soda for 20 minutes and then rinse the beef thoroughly (make sure that the beef is properly rinsed clean of the baking soda). Pat the beef dry with paper towels and then marinate with the sesame oil, sugar and soy sauce. Mix well, cover and let marinate several hours or overnight, refrigerate.
2. Heat oil and garlic together in a wok over a medium heat, increase heat to high, add beef and stir fry for 3 minutes, or until beef turns colour.
3. Add beans, lime leaves, sugar, soy, fish sauce and stir fry for 2 minutes or until beans turn colour. Stir in coriander and serve immediately.

T-Bone Steak with mushroom sauce and vegetables

Ingredients

½ cup frozen sliced carrots
¼ cup frozen peas or beans
½ teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
1 bag oven fries
4 (about 350g each) beef T-bone steaks
1 tablespoon oil

Mushroom sauce

200g mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ cup red wine
½ cup beef stock
¼ cup cream

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C. Place oven fries onto a baking tray. Cook, following packet directions, until golden and tender.

Place frozen vegetables in a shallow microwavesafe dish. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon butter and some garlic salt. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH (100%) power for 3 minutes or until just tender. Cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a small, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Brush steaks with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook steaks for 4 to 5 minutes each side for medium rare or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate. Cover with foil. Set aside for 5 minutes to rest.

Add onions and mushrooms to frying pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden and all moisture has evaporated.

Add wine. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until liquid has evaporated. Add stock and cream. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until reduced by half. 


Place steaks on plates. Spoon over mushrooms sauce and sprinkle with chives. Serve with vegetables and fries

Notes & Tips

You can substitute the potato fries with potato mash for a healthier version

Teriyaki Beef

Tasty, versatile and easy to clean up afterwards, this meal with mince is perfect for the weeknights.

Recipe adapted  from Super Food Ideas Magazine, September 2010 issue, page 64

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium brown onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 600g beef mince
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• ½ cup teriyaki sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 150g snow or sugar snap peas, trimmed, sliced
• 3 green onions, thickly sliced
• Toasted sesame seeds and steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Method

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add brown onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until onion has softened. Add mince. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up mince, for 8 to 10 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
2. Add flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add teriyaki sauce, sugar and sesame oil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Add snow peas and green onion. Cook for 2 minutes or until snow peas are tender. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with rice.

Meatball Cacciatore with Polenta

Recipe adapted from Recipes +, April 2011 issue, page 56-57

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
2 x 420g packets beef meatballs
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
200g button mushrooms, sliced
500g bottle tomato pasta sauce
1.25 litres (5 cups) chicken stock
2 tablespoons chopped basil
1 cup milk
1½ cups instant polenta (cornmeal)
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped parsley

Method

1. Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over moderately high heat. Add meatballs; cook and turn for 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a heatproof plate. Add onion and mushroom to pan; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until softened. Add pasta sauce, ½ cup of the stock and 2 tablespoons of basil. Season with pepper. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add meatballs and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly and meatballs are cooked.
2. Meanwhile, bring the chicken stock to the boil in a large heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Use a wire balloon whisk to stir the stock. Gradually add the polenta in a thin steady stream, whisking constantly until all the polenta is incorporated into the liquid (whisking ensures the polenta is dispersed through the liquid as quickly as possible). Don't add the polenta too quickly or it will turn lumpy. 
3. Reduce heat to low (cook the polenta over low heat otherwise it will cook too quickly and you will need to add extra water/stock). Simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens and the polenta is soft. (To test whether the polenta is soft, spoon a little of the polenta mixture onto a small plate and set aside to cool slightly. Rub a little of the polenta mixture between 2 fingers to see if the grains have softened. If the grains are still firm, continue to cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until the polenta is soft.)  
4. Remove from heat. Add the milk and parmesan cheese, and stir until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
5. Spoon polenta into shallow serving bowls. Add cacciatore; sprinkle with chopped parsley and pepper. Serve immediately.

Beef & Noodles

Recipe adapted from Recipe +, September 2011 issue, page 16

Ingredients

600g beef rump steak, trimmed, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons bicarb soda
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce, plus 1/4 cup extra
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon cornflour
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
800g hokkien noodles
¼ cup vegetable oil
100g snow peas, thinly sliced lenthwise
1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 bunch baby bok choy, sliced
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Method

1. Marinate the beef with the baking soda for 20 minutes and then rinse the beef thoroughly (make sure that the beef is properly rinsed clean of the baking soda). Pat the beef dry with paper towels. 
2. Combine beef, teriyaki, mirin, cornflour, garlic and ginger in a medium bowl. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight for a better result. 
3. Soak noodles in boiling water in a small heatproof bowl for 5 minutes; stir to separate strands, then drain.
4. Heat a wok or large frying pan over moderately high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil; swirl to coat surface. Cook beef, in batches, for 2-3 minutes or until browned and cooked; remove from wok.
5. Wipe out wok, then heat remaining oil over moderately high heat. Add snow peas and carrot; stir-fry for 1 minute or until tender. Return beef to wok with noodles, bok choy and extra teriyaki sauce; stir fry for 1-2 minutes or until bok choy begins to wilt. Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Classic Shepherd's Pie

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tbs olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped or grated
1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, trimmed, finely chopped (optional)
500g lamb or beef mince
2 tbs plain flour
375ml beef stock
1 dried bay leaf
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 (about 200g each) desiree potatoes, peeled, chopped
40g butter, chopped
125ml (½ cup) milk
1 tsp parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
Melted butter, to brush

Method

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add lamb mince and cook, stirring to break up any lumps, for 5 minutes or until lamb changes colour.

Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until combined. Add stock, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until sauce thickens. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile: cook potato in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Return to the pan with the butter. Use a potato masher or fork to mash until smooth. Add milk and use a wooden spoon to stir until combined. Add Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Remove bay leaf from the lamb mixture then spoon mixture into a 2L (8 cup) capacity ovenproof baking dish. Top with mashed potato and use a fork to spread over lamb mixture. Brush with butter. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until mashed potato is golden brown. Serve immediately.

Notes & Tips

You can substitute the celery in this recipe with some peas instead

For a nicer presentation, you can pipe the mashed potatoes instead of using a fork. You'll just have to allow the potatoes to cool down a bit before putting it into the piping bag

Stir Fried Beef Rice Noodles

If you've ever wondered how to achieve that soft, tender meat that you get from your local Chinese restaurant at home, then wonder no more. The Chinese method of tenderising meat is to marinate thinly sliced meat with baking soda! I've used fillet steak for the following recipe, however you can use a cheaper cut of meat when using this form of marinating since it will tenderise the meat so much, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference! Great tip for home cooks especially when watching the budget :)

Ingredients

600g beef eye fillet, thinly sliced
2 tsp baking soda
4 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 red onion, sliced
1kg flat rice noodles, strands loosened
100g bean sprouts
2 shallots, cut into 2.5cm lengths
Sesame seeds, as garnish

Seasoning

2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine (Shao Hsing wine)
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

Sauce

3 tablespoon dark soy sauce
3 tablespoon light soy sauce


Method

Marinate the beef with the baking soda for 20 minutes and then rinse the beef thoroughly (make sure that the beef is properly rinsed clean of the baking soda). Pat the beef dry with paper towels and then marinate with the rest of the seasoning ingredients for at least 2 hours.

Heat the wok over high heat and add 2 tbsp oil. Stir fry the beef in several batches for 20 seconds then set aside.

Heat the rest of the oil in the wok then add the onions and stir fry until they are lightly browned.

Toss noodles in and stir gently until heated through. Add combined soy sauces and stir fry until well mixed.

Return beef slices to the noodles, add bean sprouts and shallots then stir fry until heated through and all ingredients are mixed together well. Dish out and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top as a garnish, if desired.

Chow Mein

Recipe adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly Kid's Cooking book, page46

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
500g lean beef mince
1 medium brown onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 cup frozen carrot, pea & corn mix
150g rehydrated shitake mushrooms
1 cup (250ml) chicken stock
⅓ cup (80ml) oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
450g fresh thin egg noodles
½ small Chinese cabbage, shredded coarsely

Method

1. Heat oil in wok or large frying pan; stir fry mince, onion and garlic until mince is browned. Add curry powder; stir-fry about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add frozen carrot, pea & corn mix, mushrooms; stir fry until vegetables soften.
2. Add stock, sauces and noodles, stir-fry until combined; bring to a boil. Add cabbage, reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, tossing occasionally for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are just soft.

Beef Nachos

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
500g beef mince
300g can kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1 teaspoon Mexican chilli powder
35g sachet reduced-salt taco seasoning mix
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup water
½ cup coriander leaves, chopped
230g packet corn chips
1 cup grated tasty cheese
guacamole and sour cream, to serve

Guacamole
3 ripe avocados
2 tsp chopped coriander
Spanish onion, chopped
1 tomato, diced
Juice of ½ lime
1 tsp salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook onion for 2 minutes, or until soft. Add mince. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until browned.
2. Add kidney beans, chilli powder, seasoning, tomato paste and water. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until thick. Stir through coriander.
3. Arrange corn chips on a heatproof plate. Top with mince. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, or until hot. Top with guacamole and sour cream. Serve.

To make guacomole:

Halve the avocados, remove the seed and using a spoon scoop the flesh into a bowl. Add coriander and a little onion. Mash together with a fork. Add tomato and lime juice and season with salt. Gently fold through.

Note:
Guacamole should be made just before serving. Returning the seed of the avocado to the mixture will help keep the guacamole green. 

Bolognese sauce

This bolognese sauce is very easy to make, freezer friendly and can be used in other recipes. I like to add grated carrot into my bolognese sauce and occasionally 1 grated zucchini to increase the vegetable content of this dish.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, grated
1 carrot, grated
1 zucchini, grated (optional)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
750g lean beef mince
140g carton tomato paste
1 cup thick Italian tomato pasta sauce (passata)
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup white wine
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon sugar (adjust to taste)

Method

1. Heat oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes, or until tender. 
2. Add mince. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until browned. 
3. Add tomato paste, pasta sauce, stock, wine, oregano, nutmeg, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix well. 
4. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, for 35 to 45 minutes or until thick. Season with salt, pepper and sugar if required. Serve with favourite pasta.

Black Pepper Steak

If you've ever wondered how to achieve that soft, tender meat that you get from your local Chinese restaurant at home, then wonder no more. The Chinese method of tenderising meat is to marinate thinly sliced meat for a couple of hours and to use ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) for each 500g of meat. I've used fillet steak for the following recipe, however you can use a cheaper cut of meat when using this form of marinating since it will tenderise the meat so much, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference! Great tip for home cooks especially when watching the budget :)

Ingredients

750g beef eye fillet (in one piece)
1-2 onions, sliced
½ teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine (Shao Hsing wine)
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
½ tsp baking soda
1-2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns, crushed
1-2 shallots, sliced

Method

1. Partly freeze steak, cut into thin slices. 
2. Combine steak, onions, sesame oil, Chinese rice wine, sugar, ginger, soy sauce and baking soda in bowl. Cover, marinate several hours or refrigerate overnight.
3. Stir peppercorns through steak mixture.
4. Barbecue steak and onions over high heat (or stir fry in wok) until steak is cooked as desired.
5. Sprinkle shallots over beef. Serve with rice

Thai Beef Salad

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic, minced
4 coriander roots, finely chopped
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons oil
400-500g piece rump or sirloin steak
125g-200g mixed salad leaves
125g cherry tomatoes
½ small red onion, finely sliced
fresh coriander and mint leaves, chopped

Dressing

2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon caster sugar or soft brown sugar
1-2 red chillies, chopped
1 tablespoon mint, finely chopped
1 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped



Method

1. Combine the chopped garlic and coriander roots, black pepper and 2 tablespoons of the oil. If you have a mortar and pestle, use it to finely grind the mixture. Alternatively, blend the mixture well in a food processor or blender. Spread the mixture evenly over the steak.
2. Heat the remaining oil in a heavy based frying pan or wok over high heat. Add the steak to the pan and cook for about 4 minutes each side, turning the steak once only during the cooking time. Remove the steak from the pan and allow to cool.
3. Meanwhile, wash the salad leaves and cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Arrange the prepared leaves on a serving plate and arrange the cherry tomatoes over the top with the sliced onions.
4. Prepare dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
5. Cut the cooled steak across the grain into thin strips and arrange over the salad leaves. Drizzle with the dressing and scatter the fresh mint leaves over the top. Serve immediately.
   

Wok Seared "Shaking" Beef + Vietnamese Red Rice (Com Bo Luc Lac)

Com Bo Luc Lac is a widely popular dish in Vietnamese restaurants despite it not being part of many Vietnamese home cook's repertoire.

A Vietnamese friend of mine tells me that the “luc lac” is merely a description for the “shaking” or tossing of the beef back and forth in the wok after it’s quickly seared. This dish is often paired together with red rice.

To make the red rice, it's best to use 'one-day-old' rice instead of freshly cooked rice so that the rice doesn't become soggy after cooking. I actually didn't have any left over rice when I made this dish, so I just cooked the rice as usual on the day, spread the rice out on a flat dish leaving it at room temperature for about 15-30 minutes than I popped it into the fridge to dry out for about an hour or two. The results still turned out OK :P

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

750g beef (any cut you like)

Marinade:

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1½ teaspoons sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons light soy sauce and 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

Garnish:


Lettuce leaves
2-4 Tomatoes, sliced
1 Cucumber, sliced

2 tablespoon canola or peanut oil
½ Spanish onion, thinly sliced

Method

1. Trim excess fat from the beef and then cut into cubes. In a shallow dish, combine the pepper, sugar, garlic, oyster sauce, fish sauce and soy sauce. Add the beef and toss well to coat. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours.
2. Place lettuce leaves onto a platter or serving dish. Heat oil in a wok over high heat then add the onions and beef  (spread it out in one layer. Cook in batches, if necessary). Let the beef sear for about 1 minute, before shaking the wok to sear another side. Cook for another 30 seconds or so and shake. Cook the beef for about 4 minutes total, until nicely browned and medium rare.
3. Transfer the beef onto lettuce leaves, sprinkle some more cracked black pepper and garnish with sliced tomatoes and cucumbers. Serve immediately with Vietnamese red rice (see recipe below).

Vietnamese Red Rice

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cooked rice
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten

Method

1. Put the cooked rice on a baking sheet and refrigerate it, uncovered, for 8 to 24 hours, until it is dry enough for you to gently crumble in your hands. Midway through, turn the rice to ensure even drying. Before cooking, return the rice to room temperature.
2. To make the rice, heat a large nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Then add the garlic, and cook, stirring frequently for about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir to combine. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the rice and turn it red. Increase the heat slightly and cook, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes, until the rice is heated through.
3. Push the rice to sides of wok, add the beaten egg to the centre of the wok and scramble it for about 2 minutes. 
4. Sprinkle the salt on the rice and eggs and stir fry everything together to combine well. For extra richness, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Continue to gently fry the rice for another 1 to 2 minutes, to sear in the flavors. Remove from the heat, taste and add extra salt, if necessary. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately. 

Notes & Tips

Like all good fried rice, cook your rice on the firm side (use less water than usual) so that the grains retain their individuality. Then let the rice dry out in the refrigerator. If you have leftover rice, here's a great way to use it up! The rice will literally fry without soaking up tons of fat. The less moisture the better for fried rice, otherwise it becomes soggy.  The tomato paste is a great addition to the rice since it gives the rice great colour and a touch of sweet flavour.

Sichuan Beef Stir Fry

A simple stir-fry with typically hot, spicy, peppery Sichuan flavours. You can leave out the chilli oil and adjust the amount of chilli bean sauce in this recipe to suit how hot and spicy you want your dish to be :)

Serves 4 as part of a multi-course meal

Ingredients

400g lean beef
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
1 tsp cornflour
3 celery stalks
1 small cucumber, halved lengthwise
3 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
1 tbsp ginger, cut into fine matchsticks
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and cut into matchsticks
2 tbsp chilli bean sauce or chilli sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp chilli oil, optional
½ tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns

Method

Cut the meat against the grain into strips and toss with the soy, rice wine and cornflour. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate.

Meanwhile, de-string the celery, trim the ends and cut into five-centimetre lengths, then into matchsticks. Cut the cucumber into one-centimetre slices.

Heat the oil in a wok until hot and stir-fry the ginger, chilli and celery for 10 seconds.

Add the beef and cook over high heat for two minutes. Add the cucumber, chilli bean sauce and sugar tossing well for one minute. Add the sesame oil and chilli oil (if using). Scatter with ground Sichuan peppercorns and serve with jasmine rice.