Modern Asian

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

Spicy beef is coated in a salty, sweet, spicy and sour sauce and topped with toasted cashews and coriander. Delicious!

To soak the bamboo skewers, place them in a shallow dish of hot water for 15-20 minutes-this helps reduce scorching during cooking. Note

MAKES 16 Note

If you use spices quite often, an electric spice grinder is a time-saving investment. Note

Thai purple basil is sold in selected supermarkets and Asian food shops. If you’d like to try different flavours to suit your taste, substitute the herbs in the salad for a mix of tarragon, parsley, chervil, basil or dill. Note

Once the chicken is cooked, don’t brush it with any more marinade, as it has been exposed to raw chicken. Discard any leftover marinade. Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes while the chicken is marinating to prevent them from burning. makes 16 Note

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

Ginger aids digestion and is useful in the treatment of nausea. Note

Barbecue scallops with apple and chilli lime dressing brought to you by Real Living

Keeping times: Use the leftover Asian gremolata within 1 day of making, and the leftover beef within 2 days of cooking. Note

Tender, marinated lamb cutlets are served alongside a crunchy cabbage and herb salad

Mirin is a sweet Japanese rise wine available at Asian grocers and supermarkets. Shelled edamame beans are also available at Asian grocers. Note

This easy Thai beef salad recipe is ready in a flash and is super-healthy with the addition of spinach, cucumber, capsicum and fresh herbs. Don't forget the chilli hit!

Broth can be prepared a day ahead. Keep, covered, in the fridge. Remove fat from surface before reheating. 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

Bbq scallops with apple and chilli lime dressing

Use frozen mixed vegetables instead of peas. Note

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

For a heartier salad, soak Thai-style rice noodles, then add to this recipe. Note

If preferred, use chicken thigh cutlets (skin on) or drumsticks; cooking time will vary. Note

Alternatively, you could make a family-size pie using a 22cm pie dish. Top your pie with 1 sheet of thawed puff pastry instead; cooking time will vary. Note

You can buy spring roll wrappers in 250g packets of 20. Brush spring rolls with sesame oil and bake in an oven preheated to 180°C or 160°C fan forced until golden. Note

Instead of mango, use pineapple if preferred. Note

You can use plum or a mixture of soy sauce and honey as a glaze. Note

You can substitute sweet chilli sauce or soy sauce for soy chilli dressing. Note

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

You can buy ribs uncut, with crackling. Steam as directed below.Cool; remove cracking. Cook ribs and crackling on separate trays, basting ribs with sauce until ribs are sticky and crackling is crisp. You can use ketjap manis instead of tamari sauce. Note

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

If preferred, you can use fresh breadcrumbs; you’ll need to process 1 slice of day-old bread. Note

For maximum flavour, marinate chicken overnight. You can replace hoisin sauce with plum sauce. You can also use 2 x 1kg fresh whole chickens. These are usually sold in twin packs. Cooking time will vary. Serve with a quick gravy made from powdered gravy, boiling water and crushed garlic cloves. If Dutch carrots are unavailable, […]

Use fresh ginger if you can’t find galangal. To bruise lemongrass, place on a flat work surface and press gently with the flat side of a large knife blade; bruising releases the flavour. Note

The packet of instant noodles we used in this recipe contained 2 sachets; one was a dry flavour sachet and the other comprised oil, sweet soy sauce and chilli sauce. If you use noodles without the second sachet, add 1/2 teaspoon each of oil, soy sauce and chilli sauce to salad. Note

Adding stock to rice a little at a time will ensure a creamy result. Serve risotto straightaway as rice absorbs liquid on standing. Note

To prevent apples discolouring, drizzle with lemon juice or chop just before adding to salad. Note

To save time, you can microwave kumara and broccoli. Microwave kumara on high for 2 minutes. Add broccoli; microwave further 1-2 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Note

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

You can use 2 chopped medium tomatoes instead of grape tomatoes. Use pork or chicken instead of beef; cooking times will vary. Note

You can replace salmon with a firm white fish, if liked. Note

Keep vegetables, tofu and dressing in separate containers in the fridge, then toss just before serving. Note

You could use beef or lamb mince instead of pork and veal, if preferred. You will need to process 2 slices of day-old white bread to make bread crumbs for this recipe. You could substitute 1 tablespoon lemon juice in place of the mirin, if preferred. Note

Replace green curry paste with mild curry powder. Use a vegetable peeler to slice carrot lengthwise into ribbons. Serve with steamed greens instead of rolls and salad. Note

Use a vegetable peeler to peel cucumber into long thin ribbons. Note

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 […]

For maximum flavour, marinate chicken a day ahead; keep covered in the fridge. Note

You can use spaghetti instead of noodles; cooking time will vary. Note

Give variety to soup season and try this nourishing Korean-style beef noodle soup.

Use an all-purpose potato, such as desiree. Use pork forequarter chops instead. Price and cooking time will vary. You can use kumara (orange sweet potato) instead of pumpkin. Price will vary. Note

To prevent bamboo skewers scorching during cooking, soak them in cold water for 15 minutes before using. You can use zucchini ribbons instead of carrot. You can swap beef for chicken tenderloins, and mushrooms for cherry tomatoes. Note

Gluten free? Use tamari (wheat-free soy sauce) instead of soy sauce and use gluten-free rice noodles instead of hokkien. Make ahead: Marinate tofu a day ahead. Cover, then refrigerate. Note

Use a baking tray with a small rim. We used a stir-fry mix of snow peas, corn, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, carrot and water chestnuts. Note

Make ahead: Brush chicken with curry paste. Cover, then refrigerate overnight. Note

This delicious recipe brings that classic Peking flavour to tender chicken breast and tosses it in a fresh, tasty salad

Vietnamese salad dressing is in the Asian aisle of supermarkets. If unavailable, you can use any Asian-style dressing. Buy lemongrass paste from the chilled section in the fresh food aisle. If unavailable, use sliced lemongrass from a jar. Note

Make salad just before serving. Note