Chinese Pancakes

Serves: 4
Prep. Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 5 min

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
• groundnut (peanut) oil for frying

Direction:

1. Boil the water then gradually add the flour. 
2. Knead lightly until the dough is soft, cover with a damp cloth and leave to stand for 15 minutes. 
3. Roll out on a floured surface and shape into a long cylinder. 
4. Cut into 2.5 cm in thick and brush the tops with oil. Stack in pairs with the oiled surfaces touching and dust the outsides lightly with flour. 
5. Roll out the pairs to about 10 cm in across and cook in pairs for about 1 minute on each side until lightly browned. Separate and stack until ready to serve.

Chicken and Mushroom Rice

Serves: 4
Prep. Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 40 min

Ingredients:

• 1 cup long-grain rice
• 100 g chicken meat, shredded
• 100 g mushrooms, diced
• 1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp rice wine or dry sherry
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp chopped spring onions (scallions)
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce

Direction:

1. Place the rice in a large pan and bring to the boil. 
2. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed. 
3. Mix together all the remaining ingredients except the spring onions and oyster sauce, arrange on top of the rice, cover and cook for a further 20 minutes over a low heat until cooked. 
4. Stir the ingredients together and sprinkle with spring onions and oyster sauce before serving.

Cauliflower Omelette

Serves: 4
Prep. Time:  10 min
Cooking Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

• 1 cauliflower, broken into florets
• 225 g chicken meat, minced (ground)
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 egg whites, lightly beaten
• ½ tsp celery salt
• 3 tbsp chicken stock
• 3 tbsp groundnut (peanut) oil

Direction:

1. Blanch the cauliflower florets in boiling water for 10 minutes then drain well. 
2. Mix the chicken, salt, egg whites, celery salt and stock. 
3. Beat with an electric whisk until the mixture forms soft peaks. 
4. Heat the oil, add the chicken mixture and stir-fry for about 2 minutes. 
5. Add the cauliflower and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes before serving.

Anise Chicken

Serves: 4
Prep. Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 45 min

Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp groundnut (peanut) oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 slices ginger root, chopped
• 1 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 450 g chicken, cubed
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cloves star anise
• 225 g potatoes, diced

Direction:

1. Heat half the oil and fry the onions until lightly browned then remove them from the pan. 
2. Heat the remaining oil and fry the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds.
3. Stir in the flour and curry powder and cook for 2 minutes. 
4. Return the onions to the pan, add the chicken and stir-fry for 3 minutes. 
5. Add the sugar, soy sauce, stock and anise, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. 
6. Add the potatoes, return to the boil, cover and simmer for a further 20 minutes until tender.

Pork with Almonds

Serves: 4
Prep. Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp groundnut (peanut) oil
• ½ cup flaked almonds
• 350 g pork, diced
• 100 g bamboo shoots, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 50 g peas
• 4 water chestnuts, diced
• 100 g mushrooms, diced
• 1 cup stock
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Direction:

• Heat the oil and fry the almonds until lightly browned. 
• Pour off most of the oil, add the pork and stir-fry for 1 minute. 
• Add the bamboo shoots, celery, peas, water chestnuts and mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute. 
• Add the stock, soy sauce, salt and pepper, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Lamb with Asparagus

Serves: 4
Prep. Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 50 min

Ingredients: 

• 350 g asparagus 
• 450 g lean lamb 
•  3 tbsp groundnut (peanut) oil 
•  salt and freshly ground pepper 
•  2 cloves garlic, crushed 
•  250 ml stock 
• 1 tomato, skinned and cut into wedges 
• 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) 
•  3 tbsp water 
• 1 tbsp soy sauce 

Direction: 

1. Cut the asparagus into diagonal chunks and place in a bowl. 
2. Pour over boiling water and leave to stand for 2 minutes then drain. 
3. Slice the lamb thinly against the grain. 
4. Heat the oil and stir-fry the lamb until lightly coloured. 
5. Add the salt, pepper and garlic and stir-fry for 5 minutes. 
6. Add the asparagus, stock and tomato, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 2 minutes. 
7. Mix the cornflour, water and soy sauce to a paste, stir it into the pan and simmer, stirring, until the sauce clears and thickens

Braised Anise Beef

Serves: 4
Prep. Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: 90 min

Ingredients: 

• 2 tbsp groundnut (peanut) oil 
•  450 g chuck steak 
• 1 clove garlic, crushed 
• 3 tbsp soy sauce 
• 1 tbsp water 
• 1 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp sugar 
•  2 cloves star anise 

Direction: 

1. Heat the oil and fry the beef until browned on all sides. 
2. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer, cover and simmer gently for about 45 minutes then turn the meat over, adding a little more water and soy sauce if the meat is drying. 
3. Simmer for a further 45 minutes until the meat is tender. 
4. Discard the star anise before serving.