Affordable and achievable home cooking is the hallmark of Adam Liaw's recipes,and his SBS TV seriesThe Cook Up is no exception.
The show inspired Liaw's cookbookTonight's Dinner, and now he's back with a sequel,Tonight's Dinner 2, featuring 80 simple and satisfying meals,from classics to new twists on old favourites,drawing on a wide range of cuisines.
Here are four dishes to try at home.
Tofu with sesame,garlic and chilli oil
Silken tofu is something we have at home about once a week. Often I'll top it with a bit of fried garlic,onion and soy sauce;sometimes just with a bit of salt,raw grated ginger and spring onion. This version with sesame sauce and chilli oil is absolutely delicious. If you have the sesame sauce and chilli oil already on hand,this dish is ready in a flash.
INGREDIENTS
- 300g silken tofu
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves,roughly chopped
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 spring onions,finely sliced
- toasted sesame seeds,for sprinkling
Sesame sauce (makes extra)
Serves 4,as part of a shared meal
Tip I've given you this recipe for the sauces as much as for the final dish. Use the sesame sauce as a salad dressing mixed with a little vinegar. Dilute it with some water and use it as a dipping sauce. And the chilli oil? That goes with everything.
Chicken marbella
This is my version of the classic chicken marbella recipe from the classic 1980s American cookbookThe Silver Palate. It's a great recipe that marries briny capers and olives with the sweetness of brown sugar and the sourness of red-wine vinegar. The original recipe used a whole chicken and a whole cup of sugar,but I prefer the juiciness of chicken leg quarters and a lighter hand with the sweetness.
Tips Serve this dish with crusty bread,some boiled new potatoes or simply a crisp green salad. Some bowls and cookware will react with ingredients (particularly acidic ones) to produce undesirable colours,smells and tastes. Avoid using copper,cast iron or aluminium bowls or cookware for recipes containing acids such as vinegar. Stainless steel and enamel-coated iron are fine.
Stewed spinach and mince
OnThe Cook Up I made this dish with kangaroo mince and warrigal greens,but using beef and spinach makes it an incredibly easy,affordable and delicious family meal. It's essentially a version of the classic Lebanese"spinach and rice".
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup (125ml) olive oil
- 1 large onion,finely chopped
- 8 garlic cloves,finely chopped
- 4 coriander plants,stalks and roots roughly chopped,leaves reserved
- 500g minced beef
- 1kg English spinach,leaves and stalks roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp garam masala or baharat (Lebanese seven-spice)
- 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock (or water)
- salt and black pepper,to season
- steamed basmati rice,to serve
- ¼ cup (40g) toasted pine nuts,or roughly chopped macadamia nuts
- lemon wedges,to serve
METHOD
- Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil,onion,garlic and coriander stems and roots. Cook until very fragrant,then add the beef and fry for a few minutes until browned.
- Add the spinach,garam masala and stock,then season well with salt and pepper. Simmer,uncovered,for about 20 minutes,until the mixture is a thick stew.
- Serve over rice,sprinkled with the pine nuts,with lemon wedges on the side.
Serves 8
Tip Fully grown English spinach is better here than baby spinach leaves,not just because it's cheaper,but because of the texture of the spinach stems. If you prefer,you can use 600g frozen spinach instead.
Black pepper beef noodles
I like the slippery"restaurant"texture that marinating the meat with bicarbonate of soda gives. If you run into trouble with fresh noodles breaking when you try to separate them,a quick zap in the microwave can solve all your problems. If you're concerned about the spiciness of the black pepper,you can simply reduce the amount,or even leave it out altogether.
INGREDIENTS
- 500g beef topside or rump,very thinly sliced
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 1kg Hokkien noodles
- ⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil
- 5 garlic cloves,roughly chopped
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 green capsicum,seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 bunch choy sum,cut into 5cm lengths
- 6 thick spring onions,sliced on a steep diagonal
- In a bowl,combine the beef,bicarbonate of soda and about 1 cup (250ml) water. Mix and stand for 15 minutes. Rinse the beef well,massaging it in the water for a minute or so,then rinse and drain. Combine the beef with the marinade ingredients.
- Poke a few holes in the bag of noodles with a sharp knife and microwave for about 4 minutes,until softened. Allow to cool slightly,then massage the bag to loosen the noodles without breaking them. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl,combine the black pepper sauce ingredients.
- Heat a wok or large saucepan over a high heat and add the oil. Fry the beef in two or three batches for about 3 minutes until browned,then remove to a bowl. (If the wok becomes very dirty,wash it out,return to the heat and add more oil before continuing.)
- Add a little more oil if needed,then fry the garlic and ginger for about a minute until fragrant. Add the capsicum,choy sum and spring onion. Toss for a minute or two to soften the vegetables.
- Add the noodles and black pepper sauce and return the beef to the wok. Toss to combine,frying for about 2-3 minutes,until the noodles are softened,adding a little water or stock as needed – about half a cup in total – to moisten the wok while frying.
- Transfer to a plate and serve.
Serves 4
TipThe key with noodles like this is allowing them to be coated in flavourful oil,and also to absorb the flavour of the ingredients and sauce. Make sure you're using enough oil to coat the noodles.
This is an edited extract fromTonight's Dinner 2 by Adam Liaw (Hardie Grant),RRP $45. Photography:Steve Brown.Buy now