Stir Fry

Salmon can be replaced with ocean trout or tuna. Note

If snake beans are not available, use 300g green beans. To soak rice stick noodles, place in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and stand for 5-10 minutes, until tender. Note

You can use a tablespoon of oil to cook the chicken. The fat content will go up, but the recipe will the recipe will still be low fat. Note

As this dish is very quick to cook and fish is best eaten hot, have the table set and everyone close by before you start to cook so you can eat it immediately. The key to this dish is the freshness of the fish, ginger, green onion and coriander. Note

Delicious Mongolian lamb, with silky and tender lamb in a rich and savoury Chinese brown sauce that is ready in less than 15 minutes, and goes perfectly served with steamed rice.

A fast and easy traditional nasi goreng recipe. This fragrant rice dish with prawns, chilli and shredded omelette is the ultimate comfort food for the spice lovers of the family.

Garlic can make blood vessels more flexible, helping to keep blood pressure down. Note

Tempeh is made from whole soy beans, which gives it more protein than tofu. You’ll find it in the chilled section at Coles Supermarkets. Instead of tempeh, try 300g thickly sliced Vegie Delights traditional Sausages Vegie to make this meal. Note

Drizzle a teaspoon or so of toasted sesame oil into the wok with the tofu for a delicious flavour boost. Note

You'll have most of the ingredients for this simple, tasty stir-fry in your pantry.

Serve the lamb on steamed rice or noodles instead of lettuce, if desired. Note

Ground toasted rice is a traditional ingredient in Thai salads. It adds texture and flavour, but if you don’t have time, just leave it out. Health tip: Many herbs contain a high concentration of antioxidants, which neutralise harmful free radicals in the body. One cup of fresh herbs contains almost no kilojoules and can add […]

Using vegetarian chicken-style sausages, this quick, easy and super delicious vegetarian fried rice is loaded with vegetables, topped with crispy fried shallots and subtly spiced.

Use two packs of Asian Home Gourmet Indonesian Mee Goreng instead of tomato and chilli sauces. Look in the refrigerator section of your local supermarket for pre-fried or marinated varieties of firm tofu. Note

Not suitable to freeze or microwave. Note

Beef and vegetable stir-fry

Combining golden fried eggplant with spicy pork and tender Asian greens, this dish makes put a new twist on stir-fries.

Try hokkein or vermicelli noodles in place of the egg noodles, if you like. You could also use a 575g jar of sweet and sour sauce in place of the pineapple chunks, pineapple juice, vinegar, sugar and cornflour. For convenience, buy meat diced or in strips. If slicing your own meat, partially freeze it for […]

Ground rice is a traditional thai salad ingredient, adding texture and flavour. You can buy it from health food shops. Note

You can have this delicious dinner on the table in under 15 minutes! Slices of steak, julienned vegetables, noodles and loads of fresh herbs make for one satisfying supper

Tempeh is made from whole soya beans and has a nutty. mushroom-like flavour. it may also be flavoured with spices or herbs. Look for it in supermarket fridges. Note

Cold rice is best because the grains remain separate during frying. Cook it the night before. Spread onto a large tray, cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to use. Note

If you’re not fond of pork, you could replace it with beef, chicken or turkey mince, if you like. Note

There'll be no complaints from the family when you serve up this tasty noodle dish. They may even come back for seconds!

This delicious stir-fry takes minutes to make using thick, fresh hokkien noodles.

Kang kong, or water spinach, is available from Asian grocery stores. It is unrelated to spinach but tastes similar. You can use 4 bunches of English spinach instead. Blanching the kang kong before stir-frying helps retain its vibrant green colour, and also makes the stalks less tough. Note

Traditionally made with pork mince, this beef version is a great alternative. Or make it with chicken mince. To make separating the iceburg lettuce leaves easier cut , the bottom off the lettuce and soak in , cold water for 10 mins. Note

Char siu sauce is a Chinese barbecue sauce available from the supermarket. Note

Equipment: paper towel; sharp knife; work or large frying pan; long-handled spoon (to stir-fry) Note

You’ll need about half a large cooked chicken. You’ll need to cook about 1 1/2 cups rice; cook several hours ahead, then chill. Note

Reserve pineapple juice and keep in the fridge to flavour chopped fresh fruit for a quick and easy dessert. Note

Once opened, store hoisin sauce in the fridge. If you don’t have hoisin sauce, use plum sauce. Note

If using an electric wok, cook food in smaller batches. An electric wok won’t reach the same temperature as a gas or an electric stove top. Note

Lean pork is high in protein and B vitamins, which makes it a healthy meat option.

A low-fat, low-calorie Asian stir-fry packed with chicken and prawns and flavoured with teriyaki. You'll be dying to get your chopsticks into these aromatic Singapore noodles.

Place the chicken and paprika in a plastic freezer bag and shake until chicken is coated. You can use barbecued chicken instead of thigh fillets. You’ll need 2 cups of shredded meat. To thaw the frozen vegies, place in a small bowl and pour over boiling water. Stand for 1 minute then drain. Microwave rice […]

Budget beef rump is a cheap alternative to rump steak. Note

Toast almonds in wok before you start to stir-fry. You’ll need to cook about 1 cup raw jasmine rice. Note

You can barbecue chicken instead of using a grill pan. Use chicken tenderloins. Note

Try using beef or chicken instead of pork. Note

Ketjap manis is a sweet soy sauce available in the Asian food aisle. Note

Use any rice or egg noodles; follow packet directions Use frozen pre-cut vegie stir-fry mix and stir-fry sauce. Note

Use bought teriyaki sauce. Add other vegetables you may have in the fridge, such as carrots, baby corn and mushrooms. Note

Budget tip: You can use water instead of chicken stock. You’ll find stir-fry vegetables in the fresh produce section of the supermarket. Note

Use drained canned baby corn. Note

Special fried rice

Squeeze a little lime juice over chicken mixture. You will find packaged stir-fry vegetables in the fruit and vegetable section. Try beef mince instead of chicken mince. Note

If you can’t find black bean stir-fry sauce, use 2-3 tablespoons black bean paste; add enough water to coat noodles. Try using trimmed, thinly sliced rump steak instead of beef strips. You’ll find stir-fry vegetables in the fruit and vegetable section. Look for thinly sliced or shredded mixed vegetables. Note

Try using honey sauce instead of lemon chicken sauce. Use any type of battered frozen chicken or fish. Note

You can use cold, cooked, long-grain white rice instead of couscous. You will need 3/4 cup cooked rice. Don’t have a wok? You can use a large frying pan. Note

Risoni is rice shaped pasta. Note

Buy seafood on day of cooking; remove from packaging and place on a plate. Cover with plastic food wrap; store in coldest part of fridge. Note

Whatever you do, don’t overcook broccoli! To make sure it retains its crisp texture and vibrant green colour, trim florets to uniform size and stir-fry, steam, boil or microwave. Note

Ketjap manis is thick, sweet soy sauce. This stir-fry is a good source of iron. Note

To remove excess water in tofu, compress between sheets of paper towels under a chopping board for 20 minutes. Note

Read labels to see if curry paste contains shrimp paste. Peanut butter contains mostly mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Note

Use chicken mince instead of pork. To blanch vegetables, place in boiling water; leave for 1 minute, then refresh in cold water. Note

Marinate pork for longer if time permits. Note

You will find liquid mirin seasoning in the food aisle of the supermarket, or at specialty Asian grocers. You can use sweet sherry instead. Note

Use sliced boned pork shoulder chops instead of pork fillet, if liked. You can use any green vegetable, such as broccoli or sliced zucchini, instead of beans. Try adding a dash of sherry. You’ll need to cook about 1 cup rice to make 3 cups cooked. Note

Crisp, spicy coating and hot tender squid makes an irresistible combination that's packed full of flavour. Add a fun twist by flavouring the squid with Chinese five-spice powder.

Ketjap manis is an Indonesian sweet soy sauce in the Asian food section. You can use 2 tablespoons soy sauce combined with 1 tablespoon brown sugar instead. We used a stir-fry mix of broccoli, carrot, bamboo shoots, sugar snap peas and mushrooms. For best results, cook rice a day before serving. Spread out on a […]

You’ll need to cook 1 cup rice. To prevent just-cooked rice clumping together, spread it out on a baking tray to cool. To separate lettuce leaves, hold lettuce upright on a flat surface, then bang the core down to loosen. Twist and pull out core. Separate leaves, discarding damaged outer leaves if any. If you […]