Gourmet fast
Midweek meals made in no time.
1 Turmeric chicken with cucumber salad
2 Stir-fried beef with red chilli and egg
3 Cuban mojo grilled pork sandwiches
4 Tarte à la tomate
5 Lemon saltimbocca with green beans 6 Roast radish and potato salad
7 Carrot, fennel and feta fritters
8 Kiwi and ginger mess
1 Turmeric chicken with cucumber salad
For maximum flavour cook the chicken on the barbecue – coal or wood will give the best result.
Serves 4-6
6 garlic cloves
2 cm piece turmeric, finely chopped, or
1 tsp dried ground turmeric
2 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 lemongrass stalk (white part only), finely chopped
1 cup (loosely packed) coriander, coarsely chopped, plus extra to serve
1½ tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar or palm sugar
1 tbsp oyster sauce
6 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on (about 180gm each)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Lime wedges, to serve
Cucumber and herb salad
2 tbsp lime juice
5 gm (1cm piece) ginger, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tsp caster sugar
2 tsp olive oil
2 Lebanese cucumbers, halved lengthways, seeds removed, thickly sliced
1 golden shallot, thinly sliced
1 long red chilli, thinly sliced
½ cup (loosely packed) mint
½ cup (loosely packed) coriander
1 Process garlic, turmeric, peppercorns and lemongrass in a food processor with ½ tsp sea salt flakes to a coarse paste. Add coriander, fish sauce, sugar and oyster sauce, and process to combine. Place in a bowl with chicken thighs and turn to coat well.
2 Heat a barbecue or char-grill pan to mediumhigh heat. Drizzle chicken with oil and grill until browned and cooked through (8-10 minutes).
3 Meanwhile, for cucumber and herb salad, combine lime juice, ginger, garlic, sugar and olive oil in a bowl and season to taste. Add cucumber, shallot and chilli, and toss to combine. Just before serving, add herbs, toss to combine and serve with chicken.
2 Stir-fried beef with red chilli and egg
This dish is super-fast and packs a bit of heat. Halve the number of chillies for a gentler adventure.
Serves 4
80 ml ( 1/3 cup) vegetable oil
4 eggs
4 small birdseye chillies, finely chopped, plus extra, thinly sliced, to serve
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
350 gm coarsely minced beef
2 tbsp fish sauce
1½ tbsp kecap manis
1½ cups (loosely packed) Thai basil
1 tsp sesame oil
Steamed jasmine rice, to serve
1 cup bean sprouts
Thinly sliced spring onion and torn coriander, to serve
1 Heat 60ml oil in a large wok over high heat, reduce heat to medium and fry eggs one at a time, spooning some of the hot oil on top to cook the yolks evenly (1-2 minutes for soft yolks). Carefully transfer eggs to a warmed plate lined with paper towels, discard oil and wipe out wok.
2 Heat remaining oil in wok over high heat, add chilli and garlic, stir-fry for 10-20 seconds, then add beef and stir-fry until browned (3-5 minutes).
Add fish sauce, kecap manis and 1 tbsp water, toss to combine, then add half the Thai basil, toss to combine and drizzle with sesame oil. Serve stir-fried beef on steamed rice and top with a fried egg, and scattered with extra chilli, bean sprouts, spring onion, coriander and remaining basil.
3 Cuban mojo grilled pork sandwiches
A fast take on the meat-loaded Cuban sandwich.
Serve them with a little of the marinade on the side for extra zing.
Serves 4
180 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
60 ml (¼ cup) lime juice
½ cup (loosely packed) mint
½ cup (loosely packed) coriander, plus extra to serve
¼ cup (loosely packed) oregano
5 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
300 gm piece boneless pork shoulder
8 thick slices white country bread
Softened butter, for spreading
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
150 gm thinly shaved ham
2 large dill pickles, thinly sliced lengthways
8 slices Swiss cheese
1 Process juices, herbs, garlic, spices and half the oil in a food processor until smooth. Season generously to taste. Rub half the mixture over the pork and refrigerate remaining marinade.
2 Heat a barbecue or grill to medium-high heat, drizzle pork with remaining oil, season to taste and grill, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through (6-8 minutes). Rest pork for 5 minutes, then thinly slice.
3 Spread butter on one side of all bread slices and mustard on the other side of half the slices. Top the mustard side with ham, pork, pickles and cheese. Season to taste, sandwich with remaining slices butter-side up and toast in a sandwich press or large heavy-based frying pan until bread is golden brown and cheese melts (2-3 minutes). Sprinkle with extra coriander and serve with remaining mojo marinade.
4 Tarte à la tomate
Make the most of end-of-season tomatoes in this delicious tart – perfect for a picnic spread.
Serves 6
400 gm savoury shortcrust pastry (see note)
1½ tbsp Dijon mustard
100 gm Gruyère, coarsely grated
2 small golden shallots, thinly sliced
2 tbsp coarsely chopped thyme, plus extra sprigs
2 tbsp coarsely chopped rosemary, plus extra sprigs
2 tbsp coarsely chopped sage, plus extra sprigs
2 ripe heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Green leaf and shallot salad, to serve
1 Preheat oven to 220C. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 25cm x 35cm rectangle. Spread with mustard, leaving a 1.5cm border. Scatter with Gruyère, shallot and herbs, then layer the tomato slices on top, slightly overlapping. Fold in pastry edges to form a border, scatter with herb sprigs and drizzle with olive oil. Season to taste and bake until golden brown (20-25 minutes). Cool briefly and serve with green leaf and shallot salad. Note We used Carême Sour Cream Shortcrust Pastry, available in select supermarkets and delicatessens.>
5 Lemon saltimbocca with green beans
This classic dish never gets old. If you can’t find veal, use chicken instead.
Serves 4
8 veal escalopes (about 100gm each)
2 tbsp coarsely chopped sage, plus about
16 extra leaves
20 gm parmesan, finely grated
8 thin slices prosciutto
80 gm butter, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tbsp baby capers in vinegar, rinsed
150 ml white wine
Juice and finely grated rind of 1 lemon
300 gm green beans, steamed
1 Pound veal escalopes between 2 sheets of baking paper until about 4mm thick. Scatter both sides with sage and parmesan, pressing to stick, then wrap each in a slice of prosciutto.
2 Heat 20gm butter in a large frying pan over high heat until foaming (30 seconds to 1 minute), add 4 veal escalopes and fry, turning once, until browned and cooked through (2-3 minutes each side). Keep warm. Wipe pan clean with paper towels, then repeat with another 20gm butter and remaining escalopes.
3 Heat remaining butter and garlic until butter is foaming (30 seconds to 1 minute). Add extra sage leaves and capers, deglaze pan with white wine, then add lemon juice and rind, drizzle sauce over veal and serve with steamed green beans.
6 Roast radish and potato salad
This take on potato salad is best served warm – the butter solidifies if it’s left to cool.
Serves 4
400 gm small radishes, halved, quartered if large
2 tbsp olive oil
500 gm chat or small new potatoes, scrubbed, halved
2 cups (loosely packed) rocket
1 cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley, torn
4 spring onions, thinly sliced into rounds
60 gm soft goat’s cheese, crumbled
Lemon-butter dressing
60 gm butter, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp thyme
Finely grated rind and juice of 1½ lemons
1½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 Preheat oven to 220C. Toss radishes in olive oil, season to taste and roast, turning occasionally, until golden (15-20 minutes). Meanwhile, cook potatoes in a saucepan of boiling salted water until tender (15-20 minutes). Drain well and place in a large bowl.
2 For lemon-butter dressing, melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat, then stir in garlic, thyme and lemon rind. Remove from heat, whisk in mustard and lemon juice, season to taste, then pour dressing over potatoes. Add roasted radishes and toss to combine.
3 Serve salad warm scattered with rocket, parsley, spring onion and crumbled goat’s cheese.
7 Carrot, fennel and feta fritters
Fritters are a week-night staple, and any leftovers make a great sandwich filling the next day.
Serves 4
400 gm canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
125 ml (½ cup) olive oil, plus extra to serve (optional)
1 small fennel bulb, coarsely grated
4 carrots (about 420gm), coarsely grated
½ cup (loosely packed) coriander, finely chopped, plus extra to serve
50 gm plain flour, sieved
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp ground cumin
2 spring onions, thinly sliced into rounds
70 gm feta, crumbled
Mint leaves, Greek-style yoghurt and lemon wedges, to serve
1 Preheat oven to 220C. Combine chickpeas and 2 tbsp olive oil in a bowl, season generously and spread on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Roast, shaking occasionally, until browned and crisp (15-20 minutes).
2 Meanwhile, combine fennel, carrot, coriander, flour, egg, cumin and spring onion in a bowl, and stir until mixture just comes together. Stir in feta and season to taste.
3 Heat half the remaining oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add ⅓-cup portions of fritter mixture in batches and fry, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through (4-5 minutes), wiping out pan with paper towels and adding remaining oil between batches.
4 Scatter fritters with chickpeas, extra coriander and mint, and serve warm with yoghurt and lemon wedges.
8 Kiwi and ginger mess
This quick Eton mess-style dessert riffs on the classic meringue and berry combination, using kiwis instead.
Serves 4
3 kiwifruit, peeled and thinly sliced
3 store-bought meringues (about 10gm-15gm each), broken up
Vanilla bean ice-cream, to serve
Ginger and lime syrup
125 gm caster sugar
1 tbsp finely grated ginger
Juice and finely grated rind of 1 lime
1 For ginger and lime syrup, bring sugar, ginger and 125ml water to the boil in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar, and boil until syrupy (8-10 minutes), then transfer to a bowl. Add lime juice and rind, and refrigerate to chill (10 minutes). Just before serving, add kiwifruit and stir to coat.
2 Divide meringue among bowls, top with kiwifruit and scoops of ice-cream, drizzle with syrup and serve.