VERMICELLI NOODLE SALAD

This makes a delicious dinner in warm weather & an easy lunch. You can make it the day ahead and take it to work. It’s seriously simple to make.  Serves 4

Ingredients
100g rice vermicelli noodles
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 chilli, finely sliced
2 carrots (spiralized or shredded)
1.5 cups snow peas, finely sliced
3 spring onions, finely sliced
1 inch piece of ginger grated
1 Tab sesame seeds, toasted
1 Tab sunflower seeds, toasted
2 Tab almonds or peanuts, toasted
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
Juice of half a lime (slice the cheeks off to serve with and squeeze the juice from the centre bit)
1/2 tsp Chinese cooking wine or sake
1 cup coriander leaves
1/2 cup mint leaves, finely sliced
1 cup sliced cucumber (halved first)
1 cup bean shoots
Optional: 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I used left over poached chicken from this salad recipe)

1.  Soak noodles in hot water as per directions on the pan. Drain and cool under cold water.
Toast various seeds and nuts and shred carrots and cabbage. Prepare other vegies & herbs.

2.  Dressing – combine ginger, lime juice, soy sauce, cooking wine, fish sauce and sesame oil.

3.  Mix cabbage, snow peas, carrots, chilli – all but 1 Tab spring onions – noodles, chicken (if using) and the dressing together until well combined. Then toss through the toasted nuts.

4.  Serve and top each portion with 1/4 of the cucumber, bean shoots and coriander. Enjoy!

 

oven-braised pork scotch fillets with winter vegetables

http://wholesome-cook.com/2011/03/06/mouthwatering-oven-braised-pork-scotch-fillets-with-winter-vegetables/
Mouthwatering! Leftovers are great for a quasi-pulled pork sandwich the next day!
  • 4 pork scotch fillet steaks
  • 1 carrot
  • 8 Brussels sprouts
  • 3 medium potatoes
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 Spanish onions
  • 3 sprigs of sage
  • 4 sprigs of thyme
  • 4 cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 star anise pods
  • Salt and pepper
  • Olive oil

Preheat oven to 180C (350F, gas mark 4).

Peel and slice carrots, halve Brussels sprouts and potatoes, quarter onions. Boil potatoes for 20 minutes, drain and set aside to cool.

Place stock, a couple of onion wedges sliced finely, one sage sprig, two thyme sprigs, bay levaes, cloves and star anise into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 15 minutes to develop the flavours.

In the meantime, season pork steaks with salt and pepper. Heat a little oil in a large pan until hot and brown the steaks on both sides.

Arrange the rest of the onion and herbs in the roasting tray. Transfer steaks into the tray drain stock over the meat. Place some of the onion slices from the stock over the steaks. Cover with aluminum foil and braise for 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 160C (325F, gas mark 3) and braise for a further 1.5 hours. In the last 30 minutes add vegetables.

Serve with mash, roasted potatoes or rice to mop up the delicious sauce.