"In the Pan" Asian Steamed Fish Parcels

If you know me, you know I love to cook. I could spend 2 solid days in the kitchen preparing for a dinner party or preparing meals in advance and baking up sweet treats. Somewhere, in the last 10 years (since the birth of my daughter), it’s been a matter of trying to get something on the table in a hurry without giving up my love of cooking. I’m always looking for quick ways to produce nice tasting meals but in a damn hurry. Why is everything in a damn hurry where kids are concerned? Instead of heating up the oven, I popped these Asian Fish Parcels wrapped in aluminium foil in the electric frypan and they turned out a treat.

I can get 1 kilo of skinless, boneless white fish fillets for less than $10 from the supermarket and they’re a great cheap meat option and don’t taste too bad. It was just a matter of spraying a piece of foil, topping with a fillet of fish, sprinkling some Asian flavours on top, sealing and popping in the pan, just like that. Within about 10 minutes, they were cooked.

With the lid popped on, there’s no need to turn the fish over. The steam generated within the foil cooks the fish completely.

Served with some steamed rice and Asian style vegetables, this is a quick, hearty, healthy meal with little or no fat used in the cooking. Traditionally the fish may have been wrapped in paper and baked in the oven but this is a great alternative. If you’re out and about on holidays, camping for example, this would be a great way to serve your freshly caught fish directly on a pan over the fire. Hope you give it a try.

“In the Pan” Asian Steamed Fish Parcels

• fish fillets
• oil spray
• crushed garlic
• ground ginger
• soy sauce
• sesame oil

To serve:

• steamed rice
• Asian vegetables

1. Spray a piece of foil larger than the size of fish with oil spray and place the fish fillet on top.
2. Top fish with a couple drops of sesame oil and soy sauce and a shake of ground ginger. 
3. Spread with crushed garlic.
4. Seal fish parcels well and pop in either an electric frypan or stove top pan and cook for approximately 10 mins or until fish is cooked.
5. Serve with steamed rice and Asian style vegetables.

Quick & Easy Chicken, Vegetable & Noodle Stir Fry

 

Some nights, I just don’t feel like cooking. Some nights I don’t. I’m happy with a bowl of cereal or a piece of toast but I feel obligated to try and serve something healthy to my children every night. Some nights they may have had a toasted sandwich with fruit, for example, but I always suffer from mother’s guilt. Having a well stocked pantry alleviates the dilemma of knowing what to cook when I don’t have a lot of time or I just don’t feel like cooking.

These pantry style wok ready noodles from Changs are just the best. They now come in a handy meal sized pack, ready for the wok, that is already soaked and best part is they can be kept in the pantry. No refrigeration required.

I also have a couple packets of these frozen vegetables (already mixed with sauce) on hand. I look out for them when they’re on special. Even if they

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don’t come with the sauce, you can quite easily throw in a bit of your own honey and soy sauce from your pantry.

I’ve nearly always got chicken in the freezer and if I remember to take it out early in the day I’m ok but if not, I pop the frozen chicken in a bowl of water and in no time it’s defrosted. (I don’t like defrosting meat in the microwave as I find it always cooks it on the ends.) Just slice the chicken and fry in a little oil.

Toss in the frozen vegetables and noodles and you’re done. Dinner is on the table in less than 15 minutes. No mummy guilt. The only problem I’m faced with is the arguments from my forever fussy daughter but that’s another whole story.

Disclaimer: I was provided with Changs products. All photos and opinions are my own.

 

DIY Asian food at home with Chang's

I feel so blessed to live here in Queensland, Australia. Such a wonderful climate all year round and access to a superb range of fresh fruit and vegetables, especially a lot of different varieties of Asian vegetables and herbs. We are so closely located to Asia and have been influenced over the years by the many cuisines in Asian countries like China, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia, for example.  They’ve certainly got it worked out how to get good, fresh, easy meals on the table in minutes.

Chang’s are one such company that are making things easy for us in the kitchen.  Chang’s have been in Australia since 1968.  In fact, there really was a Mr Chang. He was C.H. Chang, China’s Consul General to Australia in 1968. He began importing authentic Asian flavours and serving them up to us Aussies, hungry for new and exotic oriental food. Today, Chang’s is a household name, still sharing delicious dishes.

With Chang’s range of shelf-fresh noodles, you needn’t worry about not having the ingredients on hand. From hokkien noddles to a gluten free range of wok ready Pad Thai noodles, Chang’s has you covered. No need to keep them refrigerated.  Just store them in the pantry for a quick mid week or weekend meal. Great for the kids. Even my Little Miss Fusspot loves noodles.

 

Undoubtedly, the secret to a good Asian meal is in the sauce. Two sauces I recommend having on hand in the pantry, to recreate authentic Asian cuisine at home are fish

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sauce and light soy sauce. Mixed with other sauces you have like honey or tomato sauce, for example, you’re well on your way to serving some delicious meals to your family. Fish sauce is one of the defining ingredients in authentic Thai cuisine and you can create your own Thai curries or fresh stir fries at home easily with a few basic ingredients.

The Chang’s web site has an excellent Recipe Finder where you can choose by sauce, noodle or meat and find heaps of Asian meal ideas to try at home. The recipes are also sorted into categories such as BBQ, Beef, Kids, Vegetarian or Gluten Free options, for example, just to make finding your recipe with what ingredients you have that little bit easier. If you follow Chang’s on Facebook, they’re always sharing new recipes and handy ways to make the most of the great range of Chang’s products.

I can’t wait to share some quick, family friendly, cheap, Asian cuisine at home with you. Stay tuned for heaps of recipes. Be prepared by stocking up on some Chang’s products, available from over 500 stores Australia wide and most products can be found on your local supermarket shelves. Here’s a couple recipes to get you started.

Asian Style Meatballs on a Rice Noodle Salad

Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls

Spicy Prawn & Plum Salad

Thai Beef Salad

Vietnamese Salad

Sweet & Spicy Pork with Wombok Slaw

Disclaimer:  I was given a selection of Chang’s noodles and sauces to try. All opinions and ideas are my own.

Asian style meatballs on a rice noodle salad

I love how versatile the humble meatball is. By adding garlic and basil you’ve got an Italian style meatball. Same as if you add garlic, ginger and/or chilli you could knock up these tasty Asian style meatballs.

I was really getting low on vegetables but thinly sliced cucumber and celery was all I needed for the rice noodle salad. The dressing was a light and tangy vinaigrette. Topped with a few toasted cashews for crunch and the meal was done. I baked these meatballs so even less fat.

Its amazing how many variations you can get with ground meat whether its beef, chicken, pork, veal or even fish. I can’t wait to try this recipe with pork or chicken mince.

Asian Style Meatballs on a Rice Noodle Salad

• 250gm ground beef
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
• salt & pepper
• half a pack of rice stick noodles, softened in boiling water
• cucumber
• celery 
• 1.1/2 tbs rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbs sweet chili sauce + extra to serve
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1. Mix ground beef, beaten egg, ginger, garlic, dried breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. 
2. Form into small meatballs and place on a tray lined with baking paper.
3. Bake for approx 20 mins.
4. Combine vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and olive oil and stir until sugar has dissolved.
5. Toss through rice noodles combined with celery and cucumber.
6. Place meatballs on top and add extra sweet chili sauce to taste.

"Mushroom3 Indulgence" Asian inspired lunch

I had all the luck in the world this week when I was invited to a Mushroom3 Indulgence Asian inspired lunch by the Australian Mushroom Growers Association (Power of Mushrooms). I had the opportunity to partake in a 3 course mushroom lunch while visiting the SjW Mushroom farm on my 3 day visit to Noosa back in May this year. I knew I didn’t want to miss out on experiencing a mushroom inspired gourmet lunch again so I jumped at the chance.

The chefs on hand were Ed (“Fast Ed”) Halmagyi, one of the resident chefs on the Australian Better Homes & Gardens TV show, Alistair McLeod, Australian celebrity chef and Katrina Ryan, former head chef of Neil Perry’s “Rockpool” restaurant and owner/operator of The Golden Pig Food & Wine School, the venue for the lunch. I was in very esteemed company, that’s for sure, with three of Australia’s best chefs.

I introduced myself to Alistair while he was searing the scallops on the barbecue and to tell him that my friend was a big fan and to say hi and he greeted me with a little kiss. He’s just as lovely in person as he is on the television.

Some of the bubbly stuff on arrival which had a scoop of watermelon sorbet added. A very refreshing drink. A bit of mingling and rubbing shoulders with Brisbane radio celebrities, bloggers, company representatives, TV cooking show contestants, restaurateurs and other lovely people while trying some of the beautiful canapes.

We started our Asian inspired lunch with canapes which were as follows:

(1) Japanese:  Seared scallops with mushroom and mirin butter.

(2) Chinese:  Pork, mushroom and water chestnut gyoza.

(3) Thai:  Betel leaf with duck, mandarin and oyster mushroom.

Among the guest list was head chef of Freestyle Tout, Dallas Costello and contestant on the recent Australian Masterchef series, Neah Sen. Recent winner of The Great Australian Bake Off, Nancy Ho was also there with her sister.

We were all seated pretty quickly and entree was brought out. This Thai inspired tea smoked salmon salad with mushroom and tamarind dressing was light and refreshing. The ‘white dust’ you see on top was actually ground jasmine rice and it was delicious.

Ed was an excellent MC for the event and had the crowd engaged at every moment. He grabbed three ‘willing’ particpants from the crowd to stir fry the vegetables to go with the main.

The main was a gorgeous Chinese inspired beef with red dates (“jujube“), dried shitake and fresh mushrooms served with jasmine rice.

While we were waiting for plates to be cleared and dessert to be brought out, there was a ‘mushroom’ quiz. With the help of the lovely ladies from Nutrition Australia who were sitting beside me, I was lucky enough to win one of Fast Ed’s cookbooks, “An Hour’s the Limit” which he so kindly autographed.

It always amazes me what these great chefs can do with mushrooms in a dessert and they didn’t disappoint this time. A Japanese inspired mushroom and ironbark honey panna cotta with oranges in ginger and saki syrup was every bit as good as it looked. The crispy sesame tuile biscuit added just the right crunchy contrast.

Me and Fast Ed

The clock soon struck 2:15pm and if I didn’t get back to pick up my kid’s from school by 3:00pm I’d turn into a pumpkin so I hot footed it out of there and was back to reality in a flash. I always like these kinds of events because it makes you feel pretty important. Everyone is keen to read your name tag, to find out ‘who’ you are (in case you’re someone they should be talking to). I’m sure they were very impressed to meet me, Anne from Domesblissity (*wink wink*). I felt absolutely wonderful to be there and had the most enjoyable day.

Join up to the Mushroom Lover’s Club and get beautiful mushroom recipes sent to your Inbox along with cooking tips, health and nutrition information and prizes and special promotions. They really are a ‘super’ food which just so happens to be delicious and can be cooked many ways.

The Golden Pig Food & Wine School

38 Ross Street

Newstead  Qld  4006

Ph:  (07)  3666 0884

http://www.goldenpig.com.au/

Jayne Keogh Public Relations

Coo’ee Building

16 Trinity Lane

Woolloongabba  Qld  4102

Ph:  (07) 3392 0466

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Asian beef & noodle lettuce cups {for kids}

I may have mentioned once or twice about my 7 year battle with my daughter’s fussy eating but its not really worth going on about. What I do want to say though is that my 6 year old son, who has always just eaten what she did because it was easier, has been eating whatever I eat. He always asks for tastes of my food so instead of making him and her the same, I make him and my meal the same.

Its nearly like a breath of fresh air has blown into the kitchen and I don’t know why I didn’t try it sooner. I feel like the rest of the population who can cook a ‘normal’ meal every night. I’m not saying my son is not picky at all but he’s such a delight to feed. He just loves food (like his Mumma). The lettuce was cheap, crispy and HUGE at the supermarket last week so I thought I’d try this simple Asian style beef and noodle filling to use some of it up. He just wrapped it up and ate the lot. I added a slurp of sweet chili to mine.

The flavours were simple and tasty and it was a quick meal to get on the table.

Asian Beef & Noodle Lettuce Cups {for kids}

• ground beef mince (or pork, chicken etc)
• brown onion, chopped finely
• grated carrot
• other vegetables, chopped finely
• vermicelli noodles
• 2 tbs tomato sauce
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• oil spray
• liquid beef or chicken stock
• small lettuce cups

1. (Adjust quantities to suit the number of serves.)
2. Brown onion and beef in a pan sprayed with oil spray until onions are soft and beef is brown.
3. Add vegetables, sauces and stock.
4. Simmer until most of the stock has evaporated.
5. Soak vermicelli noodles in a bowl covered with boiling water until softened then add to beef mixture.
6. Spoon into lettuce cups to serve.
7. Add sweet chili sauce to for a spicier version.

Quick Asian Chicken & Corn Soup

This is a great throw together, easy soup for a Sunday night, which is exactly what I did tonight. I was out all day at Mum’s celebrating my sister’s birthday and not really feeling like cooking, which is usual for a Sunday night. Although not exactly authentic because I omit the egg that’s usually added at the end for the ‘stringy’ effect, it’s still a tasty, warming soup.

Asian Chicken & Corn Soup

1 chicken breast fillet
1 litre chicken stock
1 tin creamed corn
1/2 cup frozen corn niblets
1 tbs soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp onion flakes
salt & pepper

Add chicken breast fillet, whole, to chicken stock. Poach until cooked. Remove and shred or dice chicken. Return to pan. Add creamed corn, frozen corn and remaining ingredients. Cook until frozen corn is cooked and serve. Garnish with chopped coriander, if desired.

Serves 4.

Shiitake Mushroom Wontons in Asian Broth

 

This is the second “Mum & The Chef” challenge I’ve taken part in and I’ve been looking forward to it. The last challenge was plums. I love pushing myself beyond chicken nuggets and mashed vegies. I also like to use only what’s in the pantry when I do a challenge and I was lucky to have a packet of dried shiitake mushrooms in the pantry.

I was lacking fresh herbs and the shops were shut in Queensland today, so I just used what I had. I decided to make Shiitake Mushroom Wontons in an Asian Broth.

Soak the shiitake mushrooms in boiling water for approx 20 minutes. Add mushrooms to food processor and reserve liquid for broth.

To the mushrooms in the food processor add 1 clove garlic, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, salt and pepper, 1 tsp cornflour and 1 egg white, and I also added a small slice of last night’s leftover roast pork for a bit of added extra flavour. Process until minced.

Grab a wonton wrapper, drop a teaspoon full of mushroom mixture into the centre of the wrapper. With your finger, brush around the edges of the wonton with water. 

Fold over on the diagonal, ensuring that you expel any air bubbles so wontons don’t lose any filling during the cooking process.

Wrap edges of triangle over each other to form the wonton.

In a saucepan combine liquid from soaked mushrooms, 4 cups of chicken stock, 2 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 carrot (peeled and sliced), cauliflower florets, 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp sesame oil and pepper. Bring to the boil, add wontons and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer wontons until cooked (approx 5-7 mins).

Yummo! Light and refreshing. Some fresh coriander would’ve been nice to sprinkle on top. Maybe next time.

Shiitake Mushroom Wontons in an Asian Broth

Wontons:

wonton wrappers (available in the cold food section of the supermarket)
dried shiitake mushrooms
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper
1 tsp cornflour
1 egg white
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Asian Broth:

reserved liquid from dried mushrooms
4 cups chicken stock
2 cloves of chopped garlic
1 carrot (peeled and sliced)
cauliflower florets
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil and pepper

Check out the other mushroom recipes from the other participants.

www.katrinahigham.com.au
www.mishdelish.com.au
www.tarisota.typepad.com
www.youwantsomemore.blogspot.com
www.gourmetgirl-friend.blogspot.com
www.girlswearbluetoo.com