Meatball hotpot

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
300gm lean minced beef
½ tsp dried mixed herbs

2 carrots, chopped
2 medium potatoes, chopped
1 large leek, sliced
4-6 baby corn
8 – 10 button mushrooms, chopped

2 x ±400gm tins chopped tomatoes
200gm frozen peas

4 pita breads

Method
Cook the carrots, potatoes, leek, corn and mushrooms in a little water until the carrots and
potatoes are soft.
Drain and leave in a colander.

Mash the mixed herbs into the mince.
Shape teaspoonfuls of the mince into balls.
Dry fry the meatballs, turning them over and around until they are nicely browned.
Remove from the pan and drain off any excess fat.

Put the cooked veg back in the pan and add the tomatoes.
Stir in the peas.
Lay the meatballs on top of everything.
Simmer for ten minutes.

Serve the meatball hotpot with toasted pita breads.

Kids seem to love meatballs. Here’s the perfect way to get them to eat lots of vegetables, too.

Stirfry spaghetti mee

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
240gm spaghetti (or egg noodles)
1 flat Tblsp beef stock powder

400gm beef fillet, finely sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
150gm mange tout, halved lengthways
2 bok choy, roughly chopped
100gm baby corn, quartered lengthways
2.5 cm root ginger, peeled and cut in fine matchsticks
1 Tblsp soy sauce
4 Tblsp BBQ sauce

Method
Dissolve the stock cube in the water that you are going to cook the spaghetti (noodles) in.
Cook the spaghetti (noodles) until al dente.
Drain the spaghetti (noodles) retaining ½ cup of the cooking stock.
Keep the spaghetti warm.

Spray a wok (or deep saucepan) with non-stick cooking spray.
Quickly dry fry the steak pieces, and remove from the pan.
Dry fry the onion until it begins to soften.
Add the other prepared vegetables and ginger and stir fry for about 5 minutes.
Add back the steak and pour in the sauces and the retained stock.
Give everything a good stir to combine and coat with the sauce.

Tip in the spaghetti (noodles) and stir again.

Serve with extra soy sauce if desired.

Pork strips with cucumber salad

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick

Ingredients
±400gm lean pork strips (or fillet cut into strips)
2 Tblsp soy sauce
I heaped tsp grated ginger

12 radishes, sliced
½ long cucumber, sliced
2-3 stalks celery, sliced
2 Tblsp chopped parsley
½ red onion, chopped
1 Tblsp olive oil
1 Tblsp lemon juice
1 Tblsp Dijon mustard

240gm rice

Method
Mix the pork strips with the soy sauce and ginger.
Grind over some Chinese 5 spice and black pepper.
Allow to stand while you:

Put the rice on to cook in lightly salted boiling water.
Once tender, drain and keep warm.

Make the salad by combining the cucumber, celery and radish slices.
For the dressing, mix the mustard, lemon juice, oil and parsley together.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.

Spray a large pan with non-stick spray, and heat.
Tip the pork and marinade juices into the pan.
Cook for about 5 minutes.

Serve the pork over the rice and the salad on the side.

This salad keeps well in the fridge. Add some garlic, if you like. And the marinade on the  pork strips is so simple, but so yummy.

Beefy Stirfry

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
400gm beef strips
1 red onion, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
±20 cherry tomatoes
2 large carrots, julienne
4 courgettes, julienne
6-8 mini corn, quartered lengthways
150gm mushrooms, chopped
1 aubergine, julienne
½ cup beef stock
2 Tblsp soy sauce
2 Tblsp teriyaki sauce
240gm rice

Method
Put the rice on to cook in lightly salted boiling water.
Drain when cooked and keep warm.

Spray a large pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the onion and celery for a few minutes, until the onion is softened.
Add the beef strips and stir fry to seal.
Add the remaining vegetables and the stock.
Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender.

Stir through the soy sauce and teriyaki sauce.

Serve the beef beside the rice, with extra soy sauce if desired.

Bacon and chickpea couscous

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
4 slices extra lean back bacon, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
½ red bell pepper, cut in chunks
4-6 courgettes, chopped
150gm mushrooms, chopped
1 x ±410gm chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 Tblsp sweet chilli sauce
2 Tblsp soy sauce
2 Tblsp lemon juice
2 Tblsp chopped coriander
120gm dry couscous

Method
Put the couscous into a bowl.
Add a scant 1 ½ cups of chicken or veg stock.
Cover with a plate or cling wrap.
Stand for 5 minutes, then fluff up the grains with a fork.
Keep warm.

Spray a wok or large pan with non-stick cooking spray, and place over heat.
Stir fry the bacon bits, onion and celery until the onion softens.
Add the pepper, courgettes and mushrooms.
Stir fry until mushrooms are cooked.
Add the chickpeas and mixed sauces.
Stir well and allow to heat through thoroughly.

Serve beside the couscous, with extra sweet chilli and soy sauce if desired.

For a vegetarian version omit the bacon.

Four B roast

Serves 4 : Easy : Time depends on size of joint.

Ingredients
1 x Aitchbone beef roasting joint
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp beef stock powder

400gm potatoes
1 head broccoli
1 large butternut, peeled and cut in chunks
250gm green beans

2 cups water
½ cup wine

1 – 2 Tblsp maizena

Method
Pour the water and wine into a shallow ovenproof dish.
Stand the roast on a rack over the water dish.
Spray the meat with non-stick cooking spray.
Grind black pepper over, and sprinkle with stock powder.
Put in the oven at 160ºc for 45 minutes per kilo, plus an extra 20 minutes.
(The meat should be moist and still slightly pink in the middle.)

Meanwhile boil, steam or microwave the vegetables.
Keep warm once they are cooked.

When the meat is done to your liking, remove from the oven and cover with foil.
Allow to stand for 10 minutes before carving

Tip the juices from the water dish into a small sauce pan.
Add a little more beef stock powder, and thicken with the maizena.

Serve with Dijon mustard or horseradish sauce.