CHICKEN VEGGIE SPRING ROLLS
Photo and recipe: Sharon Naude
Veggies:
2 cups grated carrots
2 cups grated cabbage
4 spring onions, chop onions and green tops
1 tin bean sprouts
1 teaspoon 5 spice
½ teaspoon of garlic and ginger paste
Mix all together and let soften a little bit.
Chicken:
Boil two chicken breasts – shred into thin pieces.
Mix chicken with a little bit of peach chutney and sprinkle a little bit of 5 spice over.
Now mix chicken together with the veggies.Spring Roll sheets:
Buy a packed of store spring roll sheets.
Ensure that you keep a damp cloth over your spring roll sheets they will pull off easier then.
Watch a video on you-tube to see how to roll the spring rolls.
Fry in oil till golden brown.
Serve with sweet chilly sauce or plum sauce.
NB: It does make a lot so put the raw ready made spring rolls in the freezer for another day, and you can also refreeze your left over spring roll sheets just wrap them in glad wrap.
Enjoy
Note:  Elize de Kock
Because of the high water content of cabbage it is recommended to first soak it in a brine. Combine cabbage, lime juice, 1 tablespoon oil and ½ teaspoon salt in a large bowl; toss well.
Let stand 15 minutes. Thereafter drain and use it in spring rolls or tacos. Make sense to me. Must still try it.

AMANDA’S THAI CURRY PASTE
2 red chilies fresh (1 reseeded and 1 with seed)
½ stalk lemongrass, cut in pieces
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
2 tablespoons coriander leaves
1 tablespoons grated ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
½ tsp salt
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice

Place all ingredients in bowl of a food processor, blender or chopper attachment.
Blend until it forms a thick paste.
Use as a marinade for chicken, meat or seafood or as a seasoning in curries, soups and stews.
Photo and recipe: Amanda Conradie

CHICKEN AND PINEAPPLE STIR-FRY
Easy, quick dinner for two.
2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 egg
¼ teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons Maizena
oil for frying
250 g mushrooms sliced
1 clove of garlic diced
1 tablespoons diced fresh ginger
1 deseeded green chili
250 g streaky bacon
400 g pad Thai flat noodles
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1 cup litchi juice
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon soya sauce
25 ml Rum
100 ml sweet and sour sauce.
In a bowl, add chicken breasts.
Add soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, pepper and egg.
Cover and let marinate in fridge for at least 2 hours.
Add flour and cornstarch to chicken to create a thick batter.
Heat oil in large wok on medium high heat.
Add chicken and fry until chicken is browned, turning if necessary.
Remove chicken from oil onto a plate lined with paper towels.
Fry the bacon, garlic, ginger, chili and mushroom in the same wok. (If using vegetables, now is the time to add it.)
In a medium saucepan, combine pineapples and litchi juice.
Bring to a boil then add the brown sugar, rum and soy sauce, and simmer until the pineapple is tender.
Pour in the sweet and sour sauce and add the pineapple and chicken to the wok.
Add the noodles and fry 2 minutes.
TIP:
You can add vegetables of your choice like sugar snap peas, carrot etc. Just fry together with bacon and mushroom.
Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Resipe tested and photo: Elize de Kock

DIM SUM WITH THREE FILLINGS
Recipe posted by Elize de Kock
FOOD LOVERS RECIPES
Serves: 20
Cooking Time: 20 mins plus 2 hours for chilling
PASTRY
250 g cake flour
170 ml (2/3 cup) hot water
80 ml (1/3 cup) cold water

SHRIMP FILLING
180 g shrimps, peeled and finely diced
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2,5 ml (½ teaspoon) sugar
10 ml (2 teaspoons) cornflour
1 carrot, blanched and diced

MUSHROOM FILLING
200 g minced pork
200 g prawns, cubed
2 fresh shiitake mushrooms
50 g fresh bamboo shoots
salt and white pepper, to taste
15 ml (1 tablespoon) cornflour
1 large egg
5 ml (1 teaspoon) sesame oil

PORK FILLING
600 g pork mince
5 ml (1 teaspoon) crushed garlic
5 ml (1 teaspoon) soy sauce
2,5 ml (½ teaspoon) salt
10 ml (2 teaspoons) sesame oil
5 ml (1 teaspoon) cornflour
soy sauce and balsamic vinegar, to serve

For the pastry, place the flour on a working surface and slowly incorporate the water to form a dough. Knead until smooth.
Make each filling in a separate bowl by simply mixing all the ingredients together until well combined. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
To assemble the dim sum, roll the dough into a long cylinder shape and divide it into 20 equal portions.
Flatten a piece of dough into an oval disc with a knife, place 5 ml (1 teaspoon) filling on top, then seal up tightly. Shape as desired and repeat for each piece of dough.
Arrange the dumplings in a greased steamer and cook for 6 minutes on high heat. Serve hot with soy sauce and balsamic vinegar for dipping.
NOTES
If you’re in a hurry you can use the filling immediately, but it is better if chilled first. If fresh shiitake mushrooms are not available, use the dried version, but soak them first to re-hydrate.

HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE
3 teaspoons salt
1.2 kg whole chicken, rinsed, patted dry
5 cm piece ginger, thickly sliced
3 spring onions
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 telegraph cucumber
coriander sprigs, to serve

SPRING ONION AND GINGER SAUCE
3 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
80 ml (1/3 cup) vegetable oil

CHILLI DIPPING SAUCE
5 long red chillies, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons grated ginger
2 teaspoons caster sugar
1 lime, juiced

FRAGRANT RICE
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 cm piece ginger, thinly sliced
400 g (2 cups) white rice

Bring 2 L (8 cups) water to the boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt.
Rub remaining salt all over chicken. Stuff ginger and onions into cavity.
Lower chicken, breast-side down, into saucepan to completely submerge. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce heat to very low (see note) and cook chicken for 45 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stand for 1 hour, covered (chicken will continue to cook in residual heat).
Meanwhile, to make spring onion and ginger dipping sauce, combine spring onions and ginger in a heatproof bowl. Place oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook for 3 minutes or until hot and smoking. Carefully pour hot oil over spring onion mixture and stir to combine well. Set aside to cool. Makes 160 ml (2/3 cup).

To make chilli dipping sauce, process all ingredients in a food processor to a smooth paste. Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle. Set aside. Makes 80 ml.
Carefully remove chicken and reserve broth. Plunge chicken into a large bowl of iced water and leave for 5 minutes to cool. Remove and drain well. Pat dry with paper towel, then brush lightly all over with sesame oil. Loosely cover and set aside. Strain broth, discarding any solids. Set aside.

To make fragrant rice, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger and rice, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until rice is glossy and ginger is fragrant. Add 750 ml (3 cups) reserved broth, stir to combine, then bring to a simmer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove pan from heat and stand, covered, for 10 minutes or until rice is tender. Place remaining broth in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat.
Meanwhile, remove ginger and onions from chicken cavity and discard. Using a cleaver, cut chicken down either side of backbone, then remove and discard. Cut remaining chicken into 12 pieces and place on a platter.
Peel cucumber, then halve it lengthwise, thinly slice and place on platter. Divide hot broth among 4 bowls. Scatter coriander sprigs over chicken, then serve with broth, fragrant rice and both dipping sauces.
Photo: Charleen Nieuwenhuizen

TONKATSU ( DEEP FRIED PORK ) WITH STIR FRY VEGGIES
4 pork loin chops (about 1″ thick, no bones)
salt
pepper
½ cup all purpose flour
1 – 2 eggs
1 cup panko crumbs
oil for deep frying

Make small cuts all over pork chops with tip of knife. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of meat.
Coat the meat with flour, dip in eggs, then cover with bread crumbs.

Heat deep frying oil to 180ºC, and deep fry crumb-covered meat. You can check the temperature by dropping a bread crumb. If it comes up to the oil surface right after it’s dropped, it’s good.
Fry until color turns golden brown and meat floats in the oil, about 5-8 minutes, turning once or twice.
Set the meat on a cooling rack for a minute. Cut into 5-6 pieces.

Tonkatsu sauce:
1 tablespoon ketchup
2½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Adjust the sauce according to your liking.

STRIFRY VEGGIES
Plaas bietjie olie in ‘n wok of pan. Sit vars opgesnyde knoffelhuisie, gemmer en 1 groen rissie by en braai vir so 20 sekondes.
Voeg broccoli, spring onion, sugar snap peas en wortels by en roerbraai vir so 2-3 minute.
Voeg udon noedels by, roer deur tot noedels regdeur verhit is.
Voeg 1 eetlepel soyasous by.
Ek het ‘n pakkie honey, soy and ginger stirfry sous bygesit.
Voeg shimeji sampioene by, roer deur en roerbraai vir nog sowat n minuut.
Bedien met enige vleis.
Photo : Charleen Nieuwenhuizen

TAIWANESE BRAISED PORK RICE BOWL
Lu rou fan, a Taiwanese comfort food classic of braised pork belly over rice, is probably the best recipe to come out of a kitchen.
500 g skin-on pork belly, cut into ½” pieces
2 teaspoons oil
2½ teaspoons granulated sugar
1 small onion or a couple of shallots, finely chopped
8 shiitake mushrooms, cut into ½” pieces
¼ cup white wine
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 cups water
4 hardboiled eggs, peeled (optional)

For the spices (wrap everything in cheese cloth and tie with kitchen string):
3 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
6 cloves
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
2 pieces dried tangerine peel
2 slices fresh ginger

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, and blanch the chopped pork belly for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a wok over low heat, and add the sugar. Cook the sugar until it starts to melt and then add the onions. Turn up the heat to medium high and stir-fry the onions for a minute. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for another couple minutes.
Add the blanched pork, wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and water. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, add the spices (which should be tied in cheese cloth).and turn the heat to the lowest setting. Simmer for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
At this point the meat should be fall-apart tender.
To finish the dish, remove the spice packet add the peeled hard boiled eggs and turn up the heat to medium high to thicken the sauce, stirring occasionally. This process should take about 5-minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon, but there should still be plenty of it left.
Serve over steamed white rice.
Recipe and photo: Elize de Kock

JAPANESE CHICKEN WITH RICE
Vibrant Japanese flavours give new life to ginger, chilli and mushrooms in this fresh, zingy stir-fry.
290 g (1 1/3 cups) sushi rice
625 ml (2 ½ cups) cold water
1 ½ tablespoons peanut oil
3 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
300 g chicken mince
3 brown mushrooms, chopped
1 bunch broccolini, stems thinly sliced, florets reserved
60 ml (¼ cup) water, extra
1 tablespoon caster sugar
2 ½ tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
4 eggs
½ teaspoon sesame oil
3 teaspoons caster sugar, extra
green shallots, thinly sliced diagonally, to serve (optional)
thinly sliced fresh red chilli, to serve (optional)

Rinse rice through a fine sieve under cold running water until water runs clear.
Transfer to a saucepan. Cover with the water. Cover. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes or until water is absorbed. Set aside, covered, for 10 minutes to steam.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil in a wok over high heat. Stir-fry ginger for 1 minute. Add mince. Stir-fry for 3 minutes or until brown. Add mushroom, broccolini stems and extra water. Cover. Cook for 3 minutes. Add florets, sugar and 2 tablespoons soy, the oyster and fish sauce. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until broccolini is tender crisp. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Cover to keep warm.
Wipe the wok clean. Return to high heat. Whisk the eggs, sesame oil, remaining soy sauce and extra sugar in a bowl. Heat remaining peanut oil in the wok. Pour egg mixture into pan. Cook, without stirring, for 30 seconds. Use a flat-edged wooden spoon to gently push the egg mixture, scraping the bottom of the pan, from 1 side to the other in 4 different directions. Repeat the pushing action every 10 seconds for 2-3 minutes or until just cooked.
Divide rice among bowls. Top with mince mixture and egg mixture. Sprinkle with shallot and chilli, if using. Serve with extra soy sauce and pickled ginger on the side.
Recipe and photo: Elize de Kock

THAI PORK SATAY WITH EGG NOODLES
This Thai pork satay recipe is easy to make and the kebab can either be oven-broiled or grilled on your barbecue. Pork satay is a popular street food in Thailand, where it is eaten as both a snack as well as a main course dish. Serve with egg noodles and a real peanut satay sauce which can be whipped up in just minutes .
Hendrey and I are still going …. hmmmm…

500 g thinly cut pork, any fat left on
1 shallot OR 3 green onions, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon cayenne (or more if you want it spicy)
4 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
1/3 cup liquid honey
½ cup coconut milk
1 package wooden kebab sticks

If using wooden kebab sticks, set them in water to soak while you prepare the satay (this will keep them from burning).
Cut the pork into long strips approximately 1 cm wide.
Combine all other ingredients to make a marinade, stirring well to dissolve the honey.
Taste-test the marinade. This marinade should taste predominantly sweet and salty for the satay to be its best. If you’d prefer it spicier, add more cayenne pepper.
Pour marinade over the pork. Stir the meat well and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
When ready to cook, skewer the meat , roll up and skewer. It’s a good idea to position the meat on the end of the stick, leaving the lower half as a handle for turning.
Grill the satay on your barbecue, OR set your oven to broil . Brush grill with oil and then lay kebabs on the grill for 5-7 minutes, or until meat sizzles and browns. Turn sticks and grill the other side another 5 minutes, or until cooked but still tender. About 25 min in total.
Serve with Thai Peanut Sauce and egg noodles. If desired, garnish with fresh coriander and fresh-cut red chilies.

Peanut Noodles
1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon finely minced red chilli pepper
½ lime, juiced
2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup peanut butter
2/3 cup hot water
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
250 g spaghetti, cooked

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the oil, garlic and peppers and saute for 1-2 minutes or until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add the lime juice, honey, peanut butter, hot water and soy sauce and simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Toss the pasta with half the peanut sauce, add extra soy sauce over paste and toss. Serve the remaining sauce for dipping the pork satay.
Photo and Recipe: Elize de Kock

CHICKEN SATAY WITH SATAY SAUCE
Obviously we were craving for satay.This Thai chicken satay recipe was our starter, this satay recipe is simple to put together, and leftovers can be reheated or frozen for your next satay craving.

500 g Chicken Fillet, cubed and bacon to wrap
1 shallot OR 3 green onions, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon cayenne (or more if you want it spicy)
4 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
80 ml liquid honey
½ cup coconut milk
1 package wooden satay sticks

If using wooden satay sticks, set them in water to soak while you prepare the satay (this will keep them from burning).
Combine all other ingredients to make a marinade, stirring well to dissolve the honey.
Taste-test the marinade. This marinade should taste predominantly sweet and salty for the satay to be its best. If you’d prefer it spicier, add more cayenne pepper.
Pour marinade over the chicken. Stir the meat well and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
When ready to cook, wrap each cube of chicken with bacon and skewer. It’s a good idea to position the meat on the end of the stick, leaving the lower half as a handle for turning.
Grill the satay on your barbecue, OR set your oven to broil . Brush grill with oil and then lay kebab on the grill for 5-7 minutes, or until meat sizzles and browns. Turn sticks and grill the other side another 5 minutes, or until cooked but still tender. Approx 20 min in total
Serve with Thai Peanut Sauce . If desired, garnish with fresh coriander and fresh-cut red chilies. These ‘satays’ also make a great finger food to hand out at parties together with the peanut sauce as a dip.

Peanut Dip
1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon finely minced red chilli pepper
½ lime, juiced
2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup peanut butter
160 ml hot water
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the oil, garlic and peppers and saute for 1-2 minutes or until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add the lime juice, honey, peanut butter, hot water and soy sauce and simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve the sauce for dipping the chicken satay.
Photo and recipe: Elize de Kock