Thai prawn red curry

Ingredients:

1 stalk lemongrass
outer leaves and tough ends trimmed
½ long red chilli
1 clove garlic
peeled 2 kaffir lime leaves
Bunch coriander, roots and stems
3 tablespoons capsicum chopped
1 teaspoon tomato puree
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1cm fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Curry:

1 tablespoon olive oil
King prawns, unshelled
150g tin coconut milk

1. Preheat oven to 150°C. Cook rice in boiling water or in rice cooker.

2. For curry paste, bash lemongrass stalks with the side of a knife and place in a food processor with chilli, garlic, lime leaves, coriander roots and stems, capsicum, tomato puree, fish sauce, soy sauce, ginger and sesame oil. Process, but do not make into a paste, allowing the paste to retain some texture.

3. For curry, drizzle olive oil into a hot frying pan and add the unshelled king prawns. Fry for one minute and add a tablespoon of the curry paste. Fry for one more minute.

4. Reduce to a medium heat, drizzle with olive oil and add the sugar snap peas and tiger prawns.

5. Spoon in the remaining curry paste and stir fry for a minute before adding coconut milk.

Mellys lamb kebabs

Ingredients:

Lamb chunks
1 Red onion
1 Red and 1 Yellow pepper
1 tbsp Garam masala
1 tbsp Chilli powder
1 tsp curry powder
2-3 tbsp Yogurt
Skewers (6-8)

Method:

1. Mix lamb chunks in garam masala, chilli powder, yoghurt, curry powder and season.

2. Cut onion and pepper into semi big slices.

3. Now place meat, onion and pepper onto skewer. Follow this method until the meat finishes.

4. Fry on medium heat to preference

Mellyfied Greek salad :-)

Ingredients:

Beetroot
Carrot
Salad leaves
Cucumber
Cherry tomatos
Red onions
Feta cheese

Dressing:

1 tsp Wholegrain mustard
2-3 tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp Sugar
Salt
Pepper

Method:

1. Clean and boil beetroot and carrot seperately. Cut into small cubes.

2. Chop red onion, tomatoes, cucumber and add to beetroot and carrot.

3. Get a salad bowl, lay salad leaves at the base, spoon salad mixture on top and sliced feta cheese

4. Mix mustard, oil and sugar and pour

5. Season and mix when serving.

Chicken and vegetable spring rolls

Ingredients:

- 1 tbsp groundnut oil, plus extra for deep-frying

- 200g/7oz skinless chicken breast fillets, chopped into small pea-sized pieces

- 4 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, drained and finely chopped

- 1 tbsp light soy sauce

- 1 tbsp five-spice powder

- 1 tsp grated fresh root ginger

- 75g/3oz beansprouts

- 2 large spring onions, finely sliced lengthways

- 1 small carrot, julienned

- 1 tbsp oyster sauce

- ½ tbsp light soy sauce

- sea salt and ground white pepper

- 16 ready-made large spring roll wrappers, thawed if frozen (available from Asian supermarkets)

- 1 egg yolk, beaten

Method:

1. Heat a wok until smoking and add the groundnut oil, then add the chicken and mushrooms and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Season with soy sauce and five-spice powder, then remove from the wok and set aside to cool for ten minutes. Wipe the wok clean with kitchen paper.

2. Place the grated ginger, beansprouts, spring onions and carrot into a bowl, then add the chicken and mushrooms and season with the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sea salt and ground white pepper. Stir well to combine.

3. Lay two spring roll wrappers one on top of the other (the extra thickness will prevent the skin from breaking) and position so that the corners are pointing upwards, downwards and to the sides.

4. Spoon two tablespoons of the filling into the centre of the wrapper. Brush each corner of the wrapper with the cornflour paste, then bring the two opposite corners on the sides together and, keeping your finger on those edges, bring the bottom corner towards the middle and then roll the pastry up tightly towards the top corner. Tuck the top edge in and seal it with a little of the beaten egg yolk. Repeat with the remaining spring roll wrappers and filling.

5. Heat the wok over a high heat and fill the wok to a quarter of its depth with groundnut oil. Heat until a cube of bread dropped in sizzles and turns golden-brown in 15 seconds. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Carefully lower the spring rolls in small batches into the oil and deep-fry for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

6. Transfer the spring rolls onto a plate and serve immediately.