California Rolls & Salmon Nigiri

You will need:

California Rolls

• Sushi rice
• Japanese wine vinegar
• Avocado
• Nori 
• Sesame seeds
• Mayonaise
• Crab meat

Nigri

• Very fresh salmon
• Wasabi
• Sushi rice
• Japanese wine vinegar

1. Cook the rice, once ready, mix with the vinegar and keep refrigerated until cool
2. Slice the avocado in long thick strips
3. Use a rolling mat and cover it in seran wrap before lightly sprinkling sesame seeds over it
4. Place a layer of rice over the rolling mat and place down the nori sheet
5. On the side closest to you put down the avocado, crab meat and some mayonaise
6. Roll it up and slice it with a sharp knife

1. To make the nori, with wet hands ball the rice
2. With a very sharp knife finely slice the salmon
3. Place a small amount of wasabi between the samlon and rice before you lay the salmon on the rice

Baked Ginger Tofu & Mushroom Bok Choy Stir Fry

Brown Rice

Tofu 

Mushrooms (2 cups, sliced)

Bok Choy (1 pound) 

2 onions

3 garlic cloves

2 and a half teaspoons of minced ginger

2 teaspoons of chili sauce

3 teaspoons of sesame oil

3 table spoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon of cornstarch 

2 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce

1. Chop the bok choy and mushrooms and onions, mince the garlic and begin cooking the rice. 
2. In a bowl, combine 1 clove of crushed garlic, 1/2 a teaspoon of minced ginger and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and brush the sliced tofu before baking it in the oven until it is crispy on the outside. 
3. Meanwhile, combine the remaining sesame oil, olive oil, chili sauce, minced ginger and soy sauce in a bowl and mix them - this will be your sauce. 
4. Saute the chopped onions in a wok in some olive oil until they are golden and add the chopped bok choy and mushrooms and add the sauce.
5. Whisk together water with the corn starch and slowly pour it in to thicken the sauce. 
6. Once the mushrooms and bok choy are cooked, serve!

Black Bean Garlic Stir Fry

Delicious on noodles or rice... or even by itself!

• 2 carrots
• 1 red and 1 yellow capsicum (bell peppers)
• 2 medium sized onions
• A cup and a half of tofu in strips
• 5 eggs
• 3 cloves of garlic
• A small handful of bean sprouts
• For the sauce: salt, pepper, black bean sauce, canola oil, sugar, water, cornstarch, oyster sauce (optional), sesame oil, low sodium soy sauce - all to taste! Make sure you keep tasting your sauce to make it just how you like it. 

1. Slice the tofu into strips and fry it in a pan with oil, salt and pepper. Make sure it is crispy on the outside  before putting it aside
2. Scramble the eggs and pour them into the pan, mix them slightly while they cook to keep them fluffy and flip the cooked egg as you would an omelet. Cut it into strips the same way you cut the tofu and set aside. 
3. In a pan or wok, place your sliced onions and garlic to simmer in oil and black bean sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and some soy sauce. Meanwhile peel the carrots and slice them into long strands. Chop the capsicum into slices. 
4. Once the onions and garlic are slightly cooked, toss in the carrots and capsicum and stir well. 
5. In a bowl, mix together some water and cornstarch and pour it into the pan. You may want to add some sugar depending on how the sauce tastes to you. Add sauces until you like the taste. 
6. Before serving, toss the tofu and egg strips in and mix them before garnishing them with bean sprouts. 

Brian's Egg Fried Rice

• 1 1/2 cups of rice
• 2 eggs 
• Half an onion 
• 1 clove of garlic finely chopped 
• A small handful of chives 
• 1 tablespoon of garlic chili sauce 
• 1/2 tablespoon of oyster sauce 
• A dollop of black bean sauce 
• 1/2 teaspoon of 5 spices powder 
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of sunflower oil 
• 1-2 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce 
• White pepper & salt to taste 

1. Cook rice so it is still very slightly dry (you don't want it to be sticky) 
2. Fry the minced onions and garlic in a pan with oil and let them simmer for a minute
3. Crack the eggs and let them cook as though you were making a flat omelet on low heat - season with salt and pepper and 5 spices powder
4. Add the rice and sauces, turn the heat up and stir the rice quickly while it fries
5. Garnish with minced chives 

Vegetarian Fried Noodles

You will need: 

Noodles (the thinner the better)

Tofu

4 eggs

2 onions

4 cloves of garlic

Brocoli

Carrots

Red capsicum (pepper)

Onions

Garlic

For the sauce (add ingredients to how you like the taste):

Black bean garlic sauce

Sesame oil (best to use Korean sesame oil)

Low sodium soy sauce 

Magi

Sugar (to taste)

Water

Corn starch (or flour if you don't have corn starch)

1. Cook the noodles until they are about 70% cooked, then run them under cold water and drizzle them with olive oil so they don't stick before setting them aside
2. Beat the eggs in a bowl and place them in a small pan, mix them slightly to keep them fluffy but let them cook as though you are cooking a pancake. Once cooked, take the egg "pancake" out and slice it into strips
3. Slice the tofu into strips and place it in a pan with some olive oil on a high heat and let the strips get crispy on each side
4. In a pan, combine the ingredients of the sauce (aside from the corn starch) and cook the garlic and onions in the mixture, add the vegetables and a small amount of the egg and tofu, to thicken the sauce stir the corn starch in a bowl of water and add it to the pan (try to keep the vegetables crunchy)
5. Once the sauce is to your liking,, toss the noodles in and fry them in the sauce and vegetables on a high heat. Then garnish them wit the tofu and egg strips.

Raita

• 1/2 a cup of plain yogurt
• 1/2 a cup of finely chopped seeded cucumbers
• 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons of chopped onions
• 1/4 of a teaspoon of coriander
• 1/4 of a teaspoon of ground cumin
• 2 stalks of mint leaves finely chopped

Mix together and serve :)

Teriyaki Glazed Salmon

• Salmon fillets
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 4 tablespoons of tamari
• 6 tablespoons of squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of ground mustard
• 1 tablespoon of freshly minced ginger
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil

1. Wash the salmon
2. Mince the garlic and ginger
3. Marinate the fish in a ziplock bag with all the ingredients for at least an hour in the fridge
4. Grill the salmon on a high heat until it is almost fully cooked, then on a very high heat grill it on either side before serving. 

Tempura

• 1 egg
• 1 cup of flower
• 1 cup of ice water
• Tiger shrimp
• 1 zucchini 
• Mushrooms
• An eggplant (aubergine)
• Carrots
• Oil for frying

For the tempura dipping sauce:

• 1 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon of dashi 
• 1/4 cup of mirin
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce

1. Wash the shrimp and vegetables
2. Prepare the tempura batter by mixing together the water, flour and egg and for the dipping sauce, simply mix together all the ingredients listed
3. Slice the mushrooms in half and the other vegetables in long thick strips
4. Heat the oil
5. Dip the veggies and shrimp in the batter before dropping them in the oil. Allow them to cook until the outsides are crispy and golden
6. Lay them on a sheet of paper towel before serving

Edamame

A delicious snack, commonly served in Japan with a cold beer.

You will need:

• 1 pound of fresh edamame (soy beans)
• 2 tablespoons of salt and more for garnish depending on how much salt you like

1. Wash the pods and remove the stems
2. In a pot of water, boil the edamame with the 2 tablespoons of salt and let them cook for about 4 minutes
3. Drain them and garnish with salt
4. When eating them, suck the pods and eat the beans inside, leaving the pods aside

Avocado Maki

You will need:

1. A ripe avocado
2. Nori sheets
3. Rice
4. Japanese rice vinegar
5. Ginger, wasabi and soy sauce for garnish

Steps:

1. Wash and cook the rice either in a pot or rice cooker
2. When the rice is cooked, mix the rice vinegar throughout it and leave the rice in the fridge to cool
3. While it cools, finely slice the avocado
4. Once the rice has cooled, lay  down the rolling mat and place the nori over it
5. Spread the rice all over of the way over the nori, leaving half an ich on either edge without rice
6. Place your avocado slices on the rice near to the edge of the mat
7. Lift the mat and tightly roll it up, shaping it into a square if you would like to
8. Brush water with your finger over the outside edge of the nori without rice and press it against the roll so it sticks
9. With a sharp knife, cut the roll into pieces and serve with wasabi, ginger and soy sauce

Miso Soup

• 4 cups of water
• Just over 3/4 of a cup of clean tofu
• 1/4 of a cup of miso paste
• 1/3 of a cup of minced spring onions
• 1/3 of a cup of sliced mushrooms
• 25 grams of kelp (seaweed)

1. Wash the mushrooms and spring onion and finely chop them
2. In a pot, place the water and add the mushrooms, cook on a high heat until the mushrooms are nearly cooked
3. Add the miso paste, spring onions, kelp and tofu and let the soup cook for another 10 minutes

Pad Thai

Nom :)

Recipe inspired from Rachel Cooks Thai

You will need:

• For the sauce:
• 1 tablespoon of tamarind paste
• 1 tablespoon of fish sauce (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of palm sugar
• 1 tablespoon of white sugar
• 1 tablespoon of peanut sauce
• For the noodles:
• 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic
• A tablespoon of shallots
• 1 teaspoon of salted cabbage
• 1/4 cup of tofu
• 4 tablespoons of Thai wok sauce
• 2 eggs
• 2 ounces of thick rice noodles
• 1/4 of a cup of bean sprouts
• 1/4 of a cup of Chinese chives
• 2 teaspoons of roasted peanuts
• Lime or lemon slices for garnish

1. Dissolve the sugar into the tamarind paste and mix the sauce ingredients in a saucepan
2. Chop the shallots, chives, garlic and cabbage
3. Roast and finely chop the peanuts
4. Slice the tofu into strips and fry it until it is crispy on the outside
5. Scramble and cook the eggs
6. In a pan with some oil, sauté the shallots, garlic and cabbage
7. Cook the noodles and add them to the pan with the cooked garlic, add the eggs, tofu and Thai wok sauce along with the tamarind sauce
8. Fry the noodles and add the bean sprouts, chives and peanuts (they don't need to cook, just mix them in and take them out)
9. Garnish with lemon or lime :)

Spring Rolls

You will need:

• A cup of grated carrots
• A cup of grated white cabbage
• A cup of bean sprouts
• 200 grams of glass noodles
• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
• Spring roll sheets
• Oil

1. Grate the carrots and cabbage
2. Cook the noodles and cut them so they are about 3 cm in length
3. In a bowl, combine the carrots, cabbage and bean sprouts and season them in soy sauce 
4. Heat the oil
5. On a sheet of spring roll pastry, place some of the seasoned filling and place the noodles in the centre
6. Fold the pastry and fry the spring rolls for about 4 minutes or until they are golden

Chilled Pomegranate Rice Noodles

You will need:

• Rice noodles (I used brown)
• Pomegranate
• Baby spinach
• 1 carrot
• Cucumber
• Radish
• Spring onion
• Fresh coriander 

For the sauce: 

Shallots

Olive oil

Chinese chives

Balsamic vinegar

Magi 

Aromat

Garlic

Any dried herbs you like

Lemon

Dijon Mustard

1. Ideally, prepare the sauce and leave it overnight in the fridge
2. Cook the noodles, leaving them still al dente
3. Run them under cold water and leave them in ice water to chill
4. Wash the cucumber, spinach, radish, onion and coriander
5. Peel the carrot and slice it into thin strips along with the cucumber 
6. Slice the spinach, radish and onion
7. Toss the cold noodles in the sauce and mix them with the vegetables, pomegranate and coriander 

Annie's Crispy Noodles

When my boyfriend's parents came to visit from Shanghai, his mother showed me how to make the most delicious crispy noodles. 

You will need: 

Noodles (the thinner the better)

Tofu

4 eggs

2 onions

4 cloves of garlic

Any vegetables you want (we used carrots, capsicum, mushrooms and brocoli) 

Bean sprouts

Coriander (fresh leaves)

For the sauce (add ingredients to how you like the taste):

Black bean garlic sauce

Sesame oil (best to use Korean sesame oil)

Low sodium soy sauce 

Magi

Sugar (to taste)

Water

Corn starch (or flour if you don't have corn starch)

1. Cook the noodles until they are about 70% cooked, then run them under cold water and drizzle them with olive oil so they don't stick before setting them aside
2. Beat the eggs in a bowl and place them in a small pan, mix them slightly to keep them fluffy but let them cook as though you are cooking a pancake. Once cooked, take the egg "pancake" out and slice it into strips
3. Slice the tofu into strips and place it in a pan with some olive oil on a high heat and let the strips get crispy on each side

4. In a pan, combine the ingredients of the sauce (aside from the corn starch) and cook the garlic and onions in the mixture, add the vegetables and a small amount of the egg and tofu, to thicken the sauce stir the corn starch in a bowl of water and add it to the pan (try to keep the vegetables crunchy)

5. Meanwhile, place the noodles in a pan on a high heat and add olive oil, leave them to get crispy and carefully flip them so either side is crispy and the inside is still moderately soft

6. Once the noodles are crispy enough and the sauce is to your liking, either lay the vegetables and sauce alongside or on top of the noodles and garnish them with the remaining tofu and egg strips and then add the fresh coriander leaves and bean sprouts

Bok Choy in Black Bean Garlic Sauce

I tried eating this with chop sticks... it didn't work out well for my shirt. I'm so smooth...

You will need:

• 2 heads of bok choy
• 2 teaspoons of sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce (if vegetarian just cut this out)
• 1 table spoon of black bean garlic sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 teaspoons of low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 of a cup of water

1. Wash the bok choy, slice it if you would like
2. In a saucepan, combine sesame oil, oyster sauce, black bean sauce, soy sauce and water
3. Crush the garlic and add it to the pan on a medium - high heat for 2 minutes
4. Toss the bok choy in the pan and cover it, leaving it to simmer, continue mixing it
5. Cook it until the bok choy is slightly wilted but the stems are not completely soft

Tom Yum Goong - Spicy Thai Soup with Shrimp and Lemongrass

Ok so, I must admit I did cheat and use a cube of stock with tom yum goong flavouring because I didn't want to use pork or chicken stock. I am also not a huge fan of an overly fishy taste, so I didn't add fish sauce, but if you want a more authentic tom yum goong, add some fish sauce. 

You will need:

• A handfull of fresh and shelled shrimp
• A stalk of lemongrass
• One full lime
• A spring onion
• One red chili 
• A few stems of fresh coriander
• 1 cube of tom yum goong flavouring
• 2 table spoons of ginger
• Sea salt
• 4 cups of water
• 1-2 teaspoons of fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon of chili paste
• 1 tomato

1. Prepare all the ingredients: remove the outer layer of the lemongrass, cut it into 2 inch pieces and crush it with a knife. Wash the fresh coriander leaves. Slice the spring onion. Finely chop and crush the chili, cut the tomato in very thin slices, peel the ginger and slice it thinly
2. Pour the water and cube of flavouring in a pot with fish sauce and chili paste on a moderately high heat
3. Wash and deshell the shrimp and add them the pot aside from the coriander 
4. Toss in all the prepped ingredients and let simmer on a medium-high heat for 10 minutes
5. Squeeze in the lime juice, add the fresh coriander leaves
6. Be sure to taste your soup and add more salt, chili or limes as desired

Palak Paneer (Indian Spinach and Cheese Curry)

A traditional Indian spinach and cheese curry

I stole this recipe from Rak's Kitchen and it was delicious

You will need (loads of things you probably can't find at your average grocery store):

• 2 large bunches if spinach
• 1 and a half large onions
• 1 cup of paneer (Indian cheese) cubes
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 green chillies (if I was less weak, I would add more)
• A pinch of tumeric
• 1 teaspoon of coriander
• A pinch of kasoori methi
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 3 tablespoons of any generic cooking oil
• 1/2 a teaspoon of crushed cloves
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash and stem the spinach
2. Finely dice the onions and tomatoes
3. In a pan, heat 1/2 a teaspoon of oil and add the cloves, cumin until it becomes a paste and set aside
4. Using the same pan, cook the spinach until it is wilted
5. Slice the chillies and add them into the pan
6. Continue mixing the spinach and chillies, add a bit of water continually until the mixture is more smooth
7. In a second pan with some oil, fry the onions and add the paste of spices set aside, after they have cooked for a few minutes, add the tomatoes with the salt and pepper and kasoor methi
8. Once the onions and tomatoes are fully cooked, add the spinach and mix together
9. In a pot of boiling water, add your paneer cubes, turn of the heat and leave aside until you are ready to serve
10. Add milk and drained paneer cubes, mix well 
11. Eat with naan, you won't regret it :)

Egg Foo Yung - Chinese Omlette

Amazing delicious Chinese omlette.

You will need:

• 6 eggs
• 3 stalks of bok choy
• A small handful of baby spinach
• 1 shitake mushroom (more if you are a fan)
• Half a spring onion
• Fresh ginger (about a teaspoon)
• A small handful of beansorouts
• 1 clove of garlic
• A splash of sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
• 1 and a half teaspoons of oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons of water

1. Wash all your veggies
2. Finely chop the bok choy, spinach, mushroom and spring onions
3. Mince the garlic
4. Grate the ginger

5. In a pan, combine the water, sesame oil, soy sauce and oyster sauce, mix together
6. Toss all the veggies ginger and garlic into the pan and let them simmer for about 10 minutes and add 7. Salt and pepper
8. In a bowl, beat the eggs and pour them into the pan
9. As the egg seeps to the sides, with a spatula push it back towards the centre
10. Flip the omlette so both sides are slightly golden and serve

Shrimp Tempura Maki

You will need:

• 1 avocado
• 1 carrot
• 1 cucumber
• Nori (seaweed sheets)
• 1 & 1/2 cups Sushi rice
• 2 cups of water
• Ginger
• Japanese soy sauce
• Wasabi
• A bamboo rolling mat
• 3 tablespoons of Japanese rice vinegar
• Sesame seeds
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of flower
• 1 cup of ice water
• A full handful of tiger shrimp
• Mayonaise (optional)
• Canola or sunflower oil (any generic cooking oil really)

Steps:

1. Wash and cook the rice either in a pot or rice cooker
2. When the rice is cooked, mix the rice vinegar throughout it and leave the rice in the fridge to cool
3. Deshell and wash the shrimp
4. Slice the spines of the shrimp so they are straight, only remove the tails if you want to
5. To make the tempura, whisk together the egg, flower and water in a bowl
6. In a pan, heat the oil
7. Be sure your shrimp are dry and then dip them in the tempura batter holding the tails and drop them in the oil
8. Cook them until the outsides of the shrimp are golden brown, then lay them on a place with paper towel to get rid of any excess oil
9. While the rice cools, peel the cucumber and finely slice it along with the avocado
10. Grate the carrot
11. Once the rice has cooled, lay  down the rolling mat and place the nori over it
12. Spread the rice all over of the way over the nori, leaving half an ich on either edge without rice
13. Sprinkle the sesame seeds lightly over the rice
14. Place your grated carrots, avocado and cucumber slices on the rice near to the edge of the mat and very lightly top it with mayonaise
15. Place the shrimp on top of the vegetables and mayonaise. If you have kept the tails, leave the them so they will be outside your roll on either end, slice off a tail of an additional piece of shrimp and place it in the middle
16. Lift the mat and tightly roll it up, shaping it into a square if you would like to
17. Brush water with your finger over the outside edge of the nori without rice and press it against the roll so it sticks
18. With a sharp knife, cut the roll into pieces and serve with wasabi, ginger and soy sauce