Fresh, fast and fantastic!

I'm all about quick and easy at the moment - Andrew and I are in the process of merging households as well as searching for a new address in the hell that is the cut throat Sydney rental market, so we don't have a whole lot of time. Between work, open house inspections, trips up to Andrew's place on the Central Coast to pack things, work and the endless paperwork of tenancy applications, there hasn't been a whole lot of time for relaxing - or cooking anything too involved.

We decided we needed a break from this crazy schedule we are living at the moment and took time out last Sunday afternoon to hang out with good friends, have a few glasses of wine, share a lazy lunch (and a few rounds of "Beatles Rock Band"!) I had to rustle up something in a hurry to contribute to the buffet table because we had just dashed back from the coast after a bout of packing.


I was going to cop out and just do the cheese platter thing, but instead settled on these quick and easy Asian meatballs that ended up being a hit. They have bucketloads of flavour as well as looking pretty, thanks to lemongrass, mint, ginger and garlic. We ate them warm from the oven, but they are just as good cold. As a dipping sauce, I mixed up some good quality mayo and some black pepper paste (from Asian grocery stores) - it was really beautiful - and a change from that most misused and over represented condiment - sweet chilli sauce. God, I'm over that stuff - must people put it on everything??? Anyway, I digress....

I cooked these meatballs in the oven, so they don't require extra oil for frying and you don't even need to turn them. You can do the prep work in 10 minutes and cook them like I did for 15 minutes, so they are great if you are in a rush - in under 30 minutes you will have 30 meatballs. The result is delightfully moist, sesame crusted meatballs with not a lot of fuss. You can be very free and easy with the ingredients for these - my recipe is just a guide based on what I did on Sunday, but feel free to add or omit things or to experiement with different spices. Just don't be stingy with the flavours. Use whatever is around - although I would stick with the sesame seeds for the coating. They are what make the meatballs a bit more than your standard cocktail meatball. Speaking of which, these would make great finger food.


Have to run -  Hopefully next time you visit me I will have secured that elusive rental property, calmed down a bit and have a new Gourmet Goddess kitchen to relocate to. In the meantime, enjoy these lovely eastern delights....

Fragrant lemongrass, coriander and sesame meatballs

 

You will need: 1 kilo pork mince, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 1 whole bunch coriander finely chopped, 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint, 1 tablespoon very finely minced lemongrass (you can also use lemongrass paste or powder if you like) 1 teaspsoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes, 1 cup finely chopped spring onion, 1/2 tablespoon very finely grated ginger, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 tablespoon palm sugar (or brown sugar if you don't have it), 1 cup sesame seeds.

Method: Mix together everything but the sesame seeds in a big bowl. Use clean hands and make sure you combine everything very, very well. The mixture will be a little bit sticky, but that's fine.

Place the sesame seeds in a shallow bowl. Wet your hands and roll the pork mixture into small balls. Toss the meatballs lightly in the seeds and place them on a baking dish covered with baking paper. If you find the meatballs difficult to shape, it will be because your hands are dry. Keep your hands wet and you will find the process a whole lot easier.

Bake in a moderate oven for 15-20 minutes depending on the size of the meatballs you make.
Serve warm or cold.

*Makes around 30 small meatballs. If you don't want to serve them all at once, these freeze well.

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Gorgeous Dumplings

There is something incredibly comforting about dumplings in broth - and my travels in Singapore, Cambodia and Vietnam have given me a real appreciation for not only eating this style of dish, but also the joy of making your own dumplings. I love that each dumpling is lovingly fashioned by hand and the attention that is put into each one. There are so many different fillings that you can put into dumplings, I have eaten pork, vegetarian versions with spiced tofu and green vegetables, Shitake mushrooms, fish and chicken - but my very favourite is the subject of today's recipe - a delicious light combination of scallops, prawn and water chestnut (I buy the small tins from my local Asian grocery shop, but I'm pretty sure many western supermarkets stock them these days)

These dumplings are so easy to make - even easier when you do what I do and buy the Gow Gee pastry instead of making your own! You will find Gow Gee pastry at any Asian grocer - they are usually sold in packs of 30 and are already rolled and ready to go. They freeze extremely well, so grab a couple of packs so you can whip up dumplings whenever the urge takes you. The filling will also freeze well, so if you are only cooking for one or two, you can freeze the Gow Gee pastry and the filling in a seperate container. Just defrost and assemble the dumplings when you are ready.

My recipe serves the dumplings in a lovely lemongrass scented broth, but you can just have the dumplings as they are, with a touch of soy. They make a nice entree or even finger food for a cocktail party. I like mine served with lots of fresh chilli, but you can omit the chilli completely if you prefer a mild dish. For me, nothing beats these delicious dumplings and aromatic broth for a beautiful comforting meal, with a touch of the exotic.

Prawn and scallop dumplings in lemongrass broth

You will need:

(for the dumplings) 300g Prawn meat, 200g scallop meat (Roe removed), 8 whole water chestnuts, 1 eggwhite, 1 teaspoon sesame oil (Plus a little extra to serve), salt and pepper, 1 pack Gow Gee wrappers (you can buy these from any Asian supermarket and they usually come in packs of 30), 1 whole egg, 1 teaspoon of water.

(for the broth) 1litre vegetable stock (I used Campbell's brand), 1 large stalk fresh lemongrass cut into about 8 large pieces, 1 bunch fresh coriander (roots and stalks removed and chopped roughly), 2 Tablespoons finely sliced spring onions, a couple of finely sliced red chillies (less or more, depending on your taste)

Method:

Combine the prawn and scallop meat, water chestnuts, eggwhite, sesame oil and a touch of salt and pepper in a food processor. Combine until smooth.

Beat the whole egg with a teaspoon of water and set aside.

To make the dumplings, place the Gow Gee wrapper on a chopping board and put about a teaspoon full of filling in the middle. Avoid over filling the dumplings, or they will be hard to handle and may burst as they cook.

Brush one edge of the pastry with the egg mixture and then pinch the sides firmly together to make a half moon shape. When I do this, I sort of fold the edges a little (like curtain pleats) so that the egdes are very firmly joined. You don't want the dumplings to burst when you cook them. Repeat until you have used up all of the filling.

To make the broth, simply allow the vegetable stock and lemongrass to simmer for about 15 minutes, then strain out the lemongrass (it is too tough to leave in when serving)

To serve, bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook the dumplings for about 5 minutes. Drain them and place them in serving bowls with some fresh coriander and chilli to taste. Ladle over the lemongrass broth and drizzle with a few drops of sesame oil. Serve right away.

This recipe will serve 4-6 people.

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