Chilli beef hotpot

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 800g beef chuck steak, cut into 3cm cubes
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (see note)
• 35g packet Mexican chilli seasoning mix
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 700g bottle Italian tomato passata sauce
• 400g can red kidney beans, drained, rinsed
• steamed rice and coriander sprigs, to serve

Method

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook steak, in batches, for 4 minutes or until browned, adding more oil to pan if necessary. Remove beef to a bowl.
2. Add paprika and seasoning mix to pan. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Return beef and any juices to pan. Stir in wine. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until wine is reduced by half.
3. Add passata sauce and 1 1/2 cups cold water. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 2 hours or until meat is tender.
4. Stir in beans. Cook, uncovered, for a further 5 minutes or until beans are heated through. Spoon hotpot over steamed rice. Top with coriander. Serve.

Notes & tips

• Smoked paprika comes from mild peppers which are wood-smoked before grinding, giving them a full-bodied aroma and taste. Use it to add a robust flavour to stews, casseroles, pasta dishes and pizzas

Asian beef & vegetable casserole

Put away your wok and get ready for aromatic slow-cooked beef, Asian style.

Preparation Time

20 minutes

Cooking Time

110 minutes

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 tbs plain flour
• 1.5kg beef casserole steak (such as chuck steak or gravy beef), cut into 4cm pieces
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 brown onion, halved, thinly sliced
• 3 carrots, peeled, cut into 2cm-thick slices
• 4 whole star anise
• 4cm-piece fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
• 2 stems lemon grass, pale section only, halved
• 500ml (2 cups) beef stock
• 125ml (1/2 cup) brandy
• 90g (1/3 cup) tomato paste
• 300g green beans, topped
• Fresh coriander leaves, to serve
• Steamed rice, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the flour on a plate. Season with salt and pepper. Add the beef and toss to coat. Shake off any excess.
2. Heat half the oil in a 4L (16-cup) capacity flameproof, ovenproof casserole dish over medium heat. Add half the beef and cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until brown. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining oil and beef, reheating the dish between batches.
3. Add the onion and carrot to the pan and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion is soft. Add the star anise, ginger and lemon grass, and stir to combine.
4. Add the beef, stock, brandy and tomato paste to the dish. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until the beef is tender.
5. Meanwhile, cook the beans in a medium saucepan of boiling water for 3-4 minutes or until bright green and tender crisp. Drain.
6. Add the beans to the beef mixture and stir to combine.
7. Top the beef mixture with coriander. Serve with steamed rice.

Notes & tips

• Freezing tip: Cool at the end of step 6. Transfer to an airtight container. Label, date and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Preheat oven to 180°C. Reheat. Continue from step 7.

Asian fish hot pot

Preparation Time

10 minutes

Cooking Time

37 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 teaspoons peanut oil
• 1-2 tablespoons Thai yellow curry paste
• 400ml coconut cream
• 2 cups (500ml) fish stock
• 1 lemongrass stalk, white part only, bruised
• 4 finger eggplants, sliced
• 100g green beans, trimmed
• 750g white fish fillets, cut into large pieces (see note)
• 3 teaspoons fish sauce
• 3 teaspoons lime juice
• steamed rice, to serve
• lime wedges, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or wok over medium heat. Add the yellow curry paste and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Add the coconut cream, stock and lemongrass. Cover pan with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Uncover, add the eggplant and beans and cook for 10 minutes. Add the fish, fish sauce and lime juice and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the lemongrass and serve with steamed rice and extra lime wedges.

Notes & tips

• Use barramundi or blue eye fillet portions, or large ling fillets cut into smaller portions.

Thai chicken & asparagus curry

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 tbs sunflower oil
• 700g chicken breast fillets, cut into 2cm cubes
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 lemongrass stem, outer leaves removed, quartered lengthways
• 4 tbs green curry paste
• 300ml coconut milk
• 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock
• 2 tbs green peppercorns*, drained
• 2 kaffir lime leaves*
• 1 bunch thin asparagus, woody ends trimmed, halved
• Fish sauce, to season
• Coriander leaves, steamed jasmine rice and lime wedges, to serve

Method

1. Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Stir-fry chicken, in batches, until golden all over. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. Return the wok to the heat. Add onion, garlic and lemongrass, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring, for a further minute. Return the chicken to the wok and add the coconut milk, stock, peppercorns and kaffir lime leaves, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook for a further 2 minutes or until bright green. Season to taste with fish sauce.
3. Serve curry, garnished with coriander, with jasmine rice and lime wedges.

Notes & tips

• * Green peppercorns are from supermarkets. Kaffir lime leaves are from Asian shops and greengrocers.

Butter chicken

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 125ml (1/2 cup) natural yoghurt
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1kg chicken breast fillets, chopped
• 125g cashews, roasted
• 60g unsalted butter
• 1 tbs sunflower oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 Indian bay leaf* or normal bay leaf
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 425g can tomato puree*
• 150ml chicken stock
• 250ml (1 cup) thickened cream
• Steamed basmati rice, to serve

Method

1. Combine yoghurt, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala, chilli, cumin, ginger and garlic in a bowl. Add chicken and stir well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Reserve half the cashews and place remaining cashews in a food processor. Process until finely ground.
3. Heat the butter and oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf and cook for 2 minutes until the onion starts to soften. Reduce heat to low, then add chicken and marinade, paprika, tomato puree, cashew powder and stock. Simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in cream and cook for a further 10 minutes.
4. Garnish with cashews, chopped coriander and serve with rice.

Notes & tips

• Begin this recipe the day before.
• * Indian bay leaves are available from spice stores.
• Note: Tomato puree not tomato paste.