/ Cooking

Better than ratatouille and good pork stir-fry

baked zucchini with tomatoes and onion 

From The Age Sunday Life 6 May 2018

Pork with green beans

  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1/2 tsp caster sugar
  • 500g pork mince
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled, chopped
  • 2 kaffir lime leaves, central vein removed and very finely sliced
  • 400g green beans, trimmed and cut to 5 cm lenghts
  • 1 large red chilli, sliced
  • steamed rice to serve

Combine the oyster sauce, fish sauce and caster sugar in a small bowl. Add half of this mixture (2 tbsp) to the pork mince, mix and set aside for 10 minutes to marinate.

Heat the oil in a wok over high heat, add teh kaffir lime leaves, and fry for a few seconds until they are bright green and crisp, then remove and set aside, leaving hte oil in the wok. Add the gralic to the wok and fry until lightly browned, then add the pork and toss while breaking it apart. When the mince is browned, add the beans, chillies and remaining oyster sauce mixture and toss for about 2 minutes, until the beans soften. Stir through the kaffir lime leaves and remove from the heat. Transfer to a plate and allow to rest for a minute. Serve with rice.

Modified from the original to the above to include more beans and less chilli. Was good, but could include still more vegetables.

Roasted pumpkin with coriander

Haven’t

  • 1/2 kent pumpkin, seeds removed and sliced into wedges
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 long red chilli, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt flakes
  • 1/2 cup thick greek-style yoghurt
  • lime wedges to serve
  • coriander leaves to serve
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the oven to 220 deg C (200 deg C fan-forced). Place the pumpkin slices on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Mix together the fish sauce, brown sugar, chilli, garlic and oil and pour over the pumpkin, turning it over to coat well. Bake for 30 minutes without turning, or until the pumpkin is very well caramelised. Scatter the pumpkin with salt and serve with spoonfuls of youghurt, lime wedges adn coriander leaves. Grind over black pepper to serve.