This recipe’s take on raw zucchini will surprise your friends with its vibrant flavours. Select good quality white wine vinegar and slice the zucchini as thinly as possible.

Ingredients:

1 kg. mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded*
3 cloves garlic, peeled
3 spring onions, roughly chopped
½ bunch coriander, roughly chopped
1 stalk lemon grass, roughly chopped
1 tbsp. oil
250 ml beer
250 ml coconut cream
2 tbsp. sweet chilli sauce
½ bunch coriander
1 red chilli, de-seeded and sliced

Procedure:

Put the garlic, spring onions, coriander and lemon grass in a food processor and pulse until a paste is formed. (This can be done beforehand and refrigerated, well wrapped in plastic film, until required.) Heat the oil in a wok and stir fry the garlic paste for a minute. Add the beer and then the mussels, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the mussels open. Remove the mussels and stir in the coconut milk and chilli. Pour the sauce over the mussels and garnish with the sliced chilli and coriander. Makes 4 servings

Once cleaned, the mussels should be refrigerated overnight in a bowl, covered by a clean, damp cloth. Organically-farmed mussels now come with a use-by date.

Ingredients:

2 whole chicken breasts
1 large head or 2 small heads broccoli
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sherry
2 tsp. corn flour
1 cup good chicken stock
1 tbsp. olive oil
grated fresh ginger to taste.
1/2 cup cashew nuts or blanched almonds
crisp fried rice noodles or orgran rice pasta

Procedure:

Cook noodles or pasta. Skin the chicken, cut into pieces. Wash broccoli and break into small stalks. Combine salt, browning, and sherry in a bowl, mix well. Heat oil in wok, add ginger, stir fry 1 minute. Add chicken, stir fry 1 minute. Add sauce mixture and broccoli, bring to boil, stirring, reduce heat, cover and simmer 3-4 minutes, adding more stock if necessary. Add nuts, serve on noodles or pasta.

Ingredients:

500 grams raw prawns, shelled and de-veined
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. coriander seeds
1 tbsp. cumin seeds
2 tsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp. (or to taste) dried chilli
2 tsp. turmeric
1 lemon zest
2 tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for cooking

Procedure:

Grind the seeds in a spice grinder then mix with the remaining ingredients to form a paste. Put the prawns into a bowl and toss in the spice mix. Marinate overnight. Film a fry pan with a thin layer of olive oil and toss the prawns over high heat until cooked. Alternatively, cook on the BBQ. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

50 grams rice vermicelli
2 spring onions
1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled
1 carrot
24 cooked prawns, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp. chopped roasted unsalted peanuts
2 Chinese mushrooms, soaked, chopped finely
1/2 lettuce, finely shredded
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
50 grams bean sprouts
375 grams rice paper rounds, 21 cm. diameter

Dipping Sauce:

2 tbsp. caster sugar
2 tbsp. fish sauce
2 tbsp. lime juice
1 tbsp. rice vinegar or white vinegar
1 spring onion, finely chopped
1 small red chili, seeded and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed

Procedure:

Put the vermicelli in a bowl, cover with boiling and leave for 1 to 2 minutes, or until soft. Rinse under cold water, drain, chopped roughly with scissors and put in a bowl. Very finely shred the spring onions, cucumber and carrot into thin 5 cm. strips. Blanch the carrot in boiling water for 1 minute, drain and cool. Add the carrot, spring onion and cucumber to the cooled vermicelli with prawns, peanuts, mushrooms, lettuce, mint and bean sprouts. Toss, using your hand. For each spring roll, soften a rice paper in a bowl of warm water for 10 to 20 seconds. Lay it on a tea towel and place 3 tablespoons of filling in the center. Fold in the sides and roll up into a parcel. Seal the edges by brushing with a little water. Place on serving platter and cover with a damp cloth while you make the rest. To make the dipping sauce, combine the sugar and 2 tablespoons warm water in a small bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Serve with spring rolls.

Ingredients:

1 medium kohlrabi, chopped into 3/4 ” cubes (about 2 cups)
4 large carrots, cut into chunks to match the size of the kohlrabi
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
salt and pepper

Procedure:

Cover the Kohlrabi and carrots with lightly salted water and boil until quite tender (about 15-20 minutes). Drain. Lightly mash, leave a lot of texture don’t try to make them smooth like mashed potatoes. Add nutmeg and butter. Serve.

Ingredients:

1 one-ounce package dried brown seaweed, cut into two-inch strips
1/4 pound lean beef, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Procedure:

Wash and soak the seaweed in cold water to cover for 20 minutes. Drain. Cut the seaweed and set aside. Heat sesame oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add beef, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir-fry for 5 minutes, or until the meat is brown. Add the seaweed and six cups of water, simmering for 30 minutes or until the seaweed is tender. Season to taste with salt, and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

4 pounds boneless chuck roast
4 cloves garlic
3 (8 ounce) packages dried corn husks
4 dried ancho chiles
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon white vinegar
salt to taste
3 cups lard
1 tablespoon salt
9 cups masa harina

Procedure:

Place beef and garlic in a large pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as water boils, reduce heat to a simmer and cover pot. Let simmer for 3 1/2 hours, until beef is tender and shreds easily. When beef is done, remove from pot, reserving 5 cups cooking liquid and discarding garlic. Allow meat to cool slightly, and shred finely with forks.. Meanwhile, place corn husks in a large container and cover with warm water. Allow to soak for 3 hours, until soft and pliable. May need to weight down with an inverted plate and a heavy can. Toast ancho chiles in a cast iron skillet, making sure not to burn them. Allow to cool and then remove stems and seeds. Crumble and grind in a clean coffee grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Heat oil in a large skillet. Mix in flour and allow to brown slightly. Pour in 1 cup beef broth and stir until smooth. Mix in ground chiles, cumin seeds, ground cumin, minced garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, vinegar and salt. Stir shredded beef into skillet and cover. Let simmer 45 minutes. Place lard and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whip with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy. Add masa harina and beat at low speed until well mixed. Pour in reserved cooking liquid a little at a time until mixture is the consistency of soft cookie dough. Drain water from corn husks. One at a time, flatten out each husk, with the narrow end facing you, and spread approximately 2 tablespoons masa mixture onto the top 2/3 of the husk. Spread about 1 tablespoon of meat mixture down the middle of the masa. Roll up the corn husk starting at one of the long sides. Fold the narrow end of the husk onto the rolled tamale and tie with a piece of butchers’ twine. Place tamales in a steamer basket. Steam over boiling water for approximately one hour, until masa is firm and holds its shape. Make sure steamer does not run out of water. Serve immediately, allowing each person to unwrap their own tamales. Allow any leftovers (still in husks) to cool, uncovered, in the refrigerator.