Apple Butterscotch Pudding

Yummy!! This is the most delicious recipe - the almond meal gives the cake topping a really beautiful texture. The apples and caramel are a match made in heaven.

1. Apple Butterscotch Base
5 apples
60g butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup cream

2. Almond Cake Topping
100g butter, softened
1/2 cup castor sugar
1&1/2 cup SR flour
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup almond meal

Preheat oven to 180•C.

1. Peel, quarter and core the apples and slice in half. Heat butter and brown sugar in a medium heavy-based pot. Stir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Add cream and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute then add apples and cook uncovered 7-8 minutes until the apples are just tender. Place the apple mixture in a medium ovenproof dish.

2. Place butter and sugar in food processor and blend. Then add eggs, then sifted flour and just combine. Mix in milk and almond meal and spoon over the apple mixture.

3. Pop into the oven for 30-35 minutes or until well risen and golden brown.

Coconut Fish Curry

A delicious, healthy dinner with accompaniments, on the table in 30 minutes! Who am I - Jamie Oliver?? The curry is mild so kids will enjoy it and really compliments the fish. 

1 onion
1 clove garlic
1Tbs mustard seeds
1Tbs mild curry powder, such as Korma
2 kaffir lime leaves, if you have a tree in the garden!

Half cauliflower, cut into small pieces

3 small carrots, cut into thinish rings

Small tin light coconut milk
1 stock cube
mixed fish fillets - firm white fish and salmon, skinned and boned
1 bunch corriander, leaves removed and washed

1 + 3/4 cups rice
1/4  cup small dahl, such as moong dhal or urid dhal
2 cardamom pods
4 whole cloves
1 tsp tumeric

1 banana 

2 Tbs desiccated coconut

papadums

mango chutney, to serve

First, get your rice on. Put the rice, dhal and spices into a small pot and add double the amount of cold water (4 cups). Bring to the boil and stir well. Then put a lid on it and transfer to the smallest stove hob on the lowest setting. Set your timer for 12 minutes.

Get your kids busy making the accompaniments! Papadums are so easy to make in the microwave and is a very exciting job for a 7 year old. Simply put down a square of paper towel and either 2 big or 4 small papadums on the edges. Zap them for 60 seconds, move them around and zap them again for another 60 seconds. Make more papadums that you think anyone could possibly eat! Meanwhile, your 4 year old can make the banana and coconut raita.

Slice the onion thinly into rings. Fry gently in a little oil, add the garlic, mustard seeds and curry powder. Put your kettle on to boil. The mustard seeds should start to pop and the curry powder smell delicious. Add the stock cube, kaffir lime leaves and a couple of cups of boiling water. Add the cauliflower & carrots and put the lid on to simmer for a few minutes. 

By now the timer should have gone on your rice! DO NOT remove the lid!! When the timer goes, simply turn off the heat and set your timer for 10 minutes. 

Add the coconut milk to the pot, and your fish fillets and gently stir to submerge them with the vegetables. Partially cover the pot and bring the heat up almost to a gentle simmer but don't let it boil, keep an eye on it, and gently turn the fish through the curry so it cooks evenly. It will only take a few minutes so don't over cook it.

Set the table with forks and spoons, there should be lots of delicious coconut flavoured soup with the curry and put down a couple of placemats so you can take the the two hot pots straight to the table. Add the corriander leaves to the curry at the last minute, don't stir them through but leave them in a beautiful green pile. You could add some sliced red chili too if you don't have kids and it would look even prettier! Fluff up the rice a bit before serving it and enjoy. 

Dutch Oven Pork Roast with Red Cabbage & Apple

I am a great fan of finding ways to use cheaper cuts of meat - they are often tastier and with a large table to feed its just not economical to buy the fancy little chops that the supermarkets offer in their plastic wrapped, styrofoam trays!


This recipe is a winner in that it can be thrown together into a dutch oven in the half hour before school pick up then bunged in the oven and left to work its magic. Getting home from after school winter sports you then walk into a house smelling delicious and a kitchen warmed by the oven, then all that's left is to make some mashed potato and zap some frozen peas in the microwave and dinner is served!

1 large pork round roast - it will shrink to about half the size
1 brown onion
1/4 red cabbage
1 thumb sized knob of fresh ginger
1/4 cup raisins
6 whole cloves
4 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 cup white wine or cider
2 cups chicken stock
3 large green apples
Mashed potatoes & frozen peas to serve!

Preheat your oven to 170•C.
Heat your dutch oven or Le Creuset pot on the stove top, add a little oil and brown your round roast, giving it good colour on all sides. This will take a little time so while you're doing that start chopping the veg. First the onions, thinly slice them and when you're about half way through browning the meat add them in to the sides. Remember to give them a stir and turn the heat down a little if they're browning too fast.
Then shred the red cabbage using a mandolin and peel and thinly slice the ginger, cutting again into rough matchsticks. Add these to your pot also along with the raisins, cloves and pepper and salt and finish browning your meat along with stirring the vegetables around the edges until the cabbage wilts down a little. Leave your meat with the lovely browned fat side up, this will help keep the exposed meat nice and moist during the cooking.
Now add the balsamic vinegar - when cooking red cabbage it is important to use an acidic liquid to keep the beautiful colour. Let this reduce a little then add your wine or cider and the chicken stock, scraping down the edges and bottom of the pot. The liquid should come about half way up the meat. Bring it to a gentle simmer then transfer the pot to the oven with the lid on tightly.

Leave for about 2.5hrs in the oven to cook slowly away...

Check the pot to make sure it is not drying out, then get your mashed potatoes on. Peel, core and quarter the green apples and add them around the top for the last 10minutes.

To serve, take the pork out and take off the string holding it all together, remove the fat and discard, then cut into very thick slices - if you can! Some of it will probably flake and fall apart. The Americans, bless their carotid arteries call this 'pulled pork'. Pork is often a dry meat, even when cooked slowly like this, but smothered in the beautiful cabbage and apple with the delicious juices the result is mouthwatering!

Easy Baked Chilli Chicken

Now that I have two hungry grown men, me and two kids living in the house and occasionally my father staying for dinner as well, I am always on the lookout for economical meals that are tasty, fast, easy, healthy and not too hard to clean up after!

Impossible? ...Almost.

This recipe checks every box and if there's any chicken left over it makes a great sandwich filling. Chicken thighs are not only cheaper, but are higher in nutrients than the breast, and are much tastier too.

This recipe would also work really well as a quick marinade for skin-on thighs to cook on the BBQ too.

8 chicken thighs, skin off

4 large cloves of garlic, crushed

1/2 cup soy sauce

3Tbs sweet chilli sauce

1tsp dried chilli flakes (or sambal oelek) - or to taste.

1 lime

Fresh coriander leaves, if available

Preheat the oven to 200•C.

Mix the crushed garlic, soy, sweet chilli sauce and chilli flakes together in a large bowl. Throw in the chicken thighs and stir to combine. Then, line a large shallow baking dish with foil or greaseproof paper and spread the thighs out so they are in a single layer.

Bake in the hot oven for 30-40 mins. Cut them in half to check they're done, and if so add the corriander leaves, squeeze fresh lime juice over them and season generously with salt and pepper.

These chilli chicken thighs are super delicious with steamed rice and corn or asparagus. You could also easily whack a cut up eggplant into the oven at the same time too for the Rocket & Eggplant Salad if you liked.

The baked thighs and lime juice make just enough liquid, I think, to go with the rice, but if you had any cubes of chicken stock in the freezer you could add a couple of these at the end to finish the sauce.

My Beef Casserole

Well alas! I am no longer vegetarian... my kids are little carnivores and I have succumbed to eating animals again too... I am reconciling my conscience by saying I will still endeavor to be a conscious eater, and I do appreciate meat all the more for the luxury it is.

Consequently this stew has lots of veggies in it and loads of gravy to make it go along way. It is delicious served with Tim's mashed potatoes (to which he adds a generous spoon of hot english mustard and cream!) and makes great leftovers with chewy toasted olive sourdough bread. Yum! A big pot full like this will feed the family for days, you can stash some in the freezer or even, if you're generous, give a bowl to a friend who needs a little home-cooked sustenance!

1kg stewing steak such as chuck or gravy beef

2 large onions, sliced thickly

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 cup pearl barley

5 carrots, peeled & sliced thickly

2 sticks celery, sliced thinkly

large handful button mushrooms, halved

4 bay leaves & sprig of thyme

1.5 cups red wine

1 tin whole peeled tomatoes

3 beef style stock cubes or beef stock

3Tbs cornflour

1Tbs brown miso paste* optional

chopped parsley, to serve

Fry the onion and garlic gently in some olive oil in a heavy based pot. Meanwhile chop your meat into chunks, taking care to remove the yucky gristle and fatty bits as you go (which your furry friends will love!).

Remove the onion and fry the meat in batches to brown it - this colour will flavour and colour the stew nicely. When all the onion and meat is set aside in a bowl add the red wine and let it boil for a few minutes to reduce. Stir the wine with a wooden spoon to get all the flavour off the pot. Then add all your veggies and meat back in, the tinned tomatoes, pearl barley, bay leaves, thyme and stock cubes plus enough boiling water to cover (about half a litre). Bring the stew up to the boil then immediately turn the heat down to a simmer and cover. Keep an eye on it - it should be simmering slowly under the lid. Leave it to cook like this for an hour or as long as you like.

When you are getting close to serving time, take some of the liquid and mix with the cornflour to make a paste (and avoid getting lumps) then pour this back into your stew and simmer to thicken the gravy.

At the last minute, stir in your miso paste and turn off the heat. The miso paste is optional but I find it enhances the stew's colour and makes the flavour more complex and delicious, especially with the pearl barley - it is also incredibly good for you! Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Delicious Lasagne

There are so many delicious varieties of lasagne but this one I particularly like... Its a great dish if you're expecting lots of people as it can be made early in the day, the ingredients can be bought a week before and left overs keep really well too. Throw in a garlic bread and put a salad together and you have a feast!

Serves 8

1 - 2 boxes dried lasagne sheets

1 large eggplant

2 zucchinis

1 tub ricotta cheese

2 eggs*

1 bottle tomato pasta sauce

big handful of basil leaves

2 cups milk*

30gms butter

2Tbs cornflour (or plain flour)

nutmeg

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese*

Slice the eggplant & zucchini half a centimeter thick then grill on a hot oiled griddle pan if you have one or BBQ on med-low heat. You want them to cook til tender and have nice stripes from the hot metal without burning. You can fry them just as easily but don't add too much oil. Spray oil is great as you can give them a light spray each time you turn them to keep them moist without going oily. Leave these to cool after they're cooked.

Beat the eggs and add the ricotta, chopped basil and salt & pepper.

To assemble your lasagne... a little tomato sauce to coat the bottom of the deep casserole dish, lasagne sheets, eggplant topped with half the ricotta mixture, lasagne sheets, half the tomato pasta sauce, lasagne sheets, zucchini topped with remaining half of ricotta mixture, lasagne sheets, remaining tomato sauce then lasagne sheets.

Finally make your white sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and microwave the milk for approximately 2 minutes. Add the cornflour to the melted butter and stir, then let it bubble and cook for a couple of minutes - this is important as cooking the 'rue' will get rid of the floury taste. When it has cooked add the hot milk all in one go and stir straight away with a wooden spoon. Continue to stir for about 5 minutes as the white sauce thickens then remove from the heat and add salt & pepper to taste and a good sprinkle of nutmeg. Pour this sauce all over the top of your lasagne and sprinkle with the cheese then bake in a hot oven about 30 minutes.

*For a healthier option use soymilk and Nuttelex, and flavour your white sauce with nutritional yeast powder and omit the eggs. I haven't found a good alternative for the ricotta cheese however.

Lentil Stew with Garlic Yoghurt

A delicious soupy stew to warm up your evening! This is really yummy served with boiled potatoes that go so well with the mint garnish and yoghurt topping, but also equally tasty with chewy sourdough toast.

2 Tbs olive oil

1 leek, white part only, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2tsp curry powder

1tsp ground cummin

1tsp garam masala

2 bay leaves

1 litre hot vegetable stock ('Beef style Massel' stock cubes work well in this recipe)

1 cup brown lentils

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed

2 zucchini, cut in half lengthways and sliced

400g tin chopped tomatoes

200g broccoli, cut into small florets

1 carrot, small dice

1/2 cup peas

1 Tbs chopped mint

New potatoes or sourdough bread to serve

Spiced Yoghurt

1 cup thick plain yoghurt

1 Tbs chopped corriander

1 garlic clove

3 dashes Tobasco sauce

Heat the oil in a heavy based cassoulet pot. Add the leek and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes or until soft and lightly golden. Add the curry powder, cumin and garam masala and cook for 1 minute until lightly fragrant.

Add the stock, bay leaves, lentils and sweet potato. Bring to the boil then reduce heat to low and simmer until the lentils are tender about 10-15 minutes.

Get your potatoes cooking; if they are small just peel them and pop into a bowl covered with gladwrap and microwave for 10 minutes. Check with a fork to see if they need any further cooking after this time.

Add the zucchini, tomatoes, carrot, broccoli and 2 cups hot water and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the peas in the last 2-3 minutes and season.

To make the garlic yoghurt use the side of a large knife to mash the garlic clove by repeatedly pressing and smearing it on your chopping board until it is a puree. Then combine all the ingredients for the yoghurt and mix well. Garnish your soup with a big dollop of the yoghurt and some freshly chopped mint. Delicious!

Fresh Fettucini with Pesto

If you are feeling energetic you can make the pasta from scratch, its a fun activity to do with your family but you do need a pasta machine. Its worth making extra so you can dry some to have another day.

Same goes with the pesto - if you have a lot of rocket and basil in the garden make a big batch. It keeps well in the fridge as long as you put gladwrap touching the surface - the top will discolour but its perfectly okay. Adding your fresh pesto will liven up any soup, couscous, pasta, frittata, sandwich or veggie burger.

Basic Pasta Dough

Combine 400g flour with 2 tsp salt in a food processor. With the motor running add 4 eggs and process until the dough clings together and feels springy. If necessary you can add a little olive oil too.

Knead the dough for a few minutes on a clean, dry workbench. Then wrap in gladwrap to rest (preferably) for an hour. Put through the pasta machine on the widest setting and run it through about 3-4 times making the setting thinner and finally changing to the spaghetti or fettucini setting. Flour the pasta and hang it over a broom stick to dry.

Fresh Pesto Recipe

1 bunch basil

1 bunch rocket

2 cloves garlic, crushed

30g parmesan

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup pine nuts

pepper

Rinse the basil and rocket and dry well in a tea towel. Remove all tough stalks and stems. Place the leaves in a food processor along with the pine nuts, parmesan and pepper, then process adding the oil in a thin stream. Scrape down the sides of the processor with a spatula and stir then process briefly again.

Fresh Pasta Dinner

Toast some slivered almonds. Fry thinly sliced mushrooms and zucchini in olive oil with some crushed garlic in a large fry pan. Cook your fresh pasta in boiling salted water - it will only take a few minutes, taste to check when its cooked. Add a few big spoons of pesto to your pan and a big lug of olive oil. Drain the pasta and add to the fry pan then carefully distribute the pesto through the pasta using tongs. Garnish your fresh pasta dish with the almonds, fresh basil leaves, parmesan, cracked pepper and sea salt.

Rustic Mushroom Pies!

If you are craving a hearty winter dinner without the obligatory meat these little pies should do the trick! My kids really like them too served with creamy mashed potato and (of course!) tomato sauce.

They are a little fiddly to make but worth the effort.

Makes 6-8 small pies.

3-4 sheets of frozen puff pastry

1 brown onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 small bag mushrooms - swiss brown or buttons

1 cup vegetable stock

1 small carrot, diced

1Tbs fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or thyme)

ground pepper

1Tbs balsamic vinegar

2Tbs soy sauce

1Tbs (heaped) plain flour

Take the pastry out to defrost while you cook the mushroom filling.

Preheat the oven to 180•C.

Fry the onion in a little olive oil, add the garlic and rosemary. Add the mushrooms and carrots then the balsamic and soy sauce and stock. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the carrots are almost done. Mix the flour with a little water to form a paste then add to the mixture and stir until the gravy thickens. Season with pepper and remove from the heat.

To prepare the pastry cases grease some muffin tin trays then use a large cup or small bowl to cut out circles. Press in the bottom half, add the mushroom filling then add the lid. Fold and pinch your way around - they're supposed to look rustic hence the name! Then pop them in the hot oven for about 30 minutes to brown the pastry while you microwave some spuds to turn into delicious mashed potato. Yum!

Eggplant & Tofu StirFry

This is a really yummy stir fry - crunchy veggies, chewy deep fried tofu, caramelised eggplant! Serve with steamed rice and satay sauce. Herbies Spices does a really excellent and delicious satay spice powder that you just make up on the stove with a little peanut butter, brown sugar and sesame oil.

1 packet hard tofu, patted dry & cubed

1 small eggplant, cubed

canola or peanut oil for deep frying

1 red capsicum, in chunks

1 large red chilli, sliced (optional!)

snow peas, topped and tailed

button mushrooms

2 spring onions, sliced into 1" pieces

2 garlic cloves, chopped

fresh basil leaves

Mix together: 2 Tbs soy sauce + 1 Tbs fish sauce + 2 Tbs oyster sauce + 1 tsp brown sugar

Mix together: 1 tsp cornflour + 1/4 cup boiling water with half a stock cube dissolved

Firstly deep fry the tofu in small batches in hot oil in a wok, draining on paper towel. Then deep fry the eggplant too. Carefully pour the hot oil out of the wok - to a small saucepan is good where it can cool down. Then start your stir fry. Fry the spring onions for a minute, then add the mushrooms and garlic, then lastly the chilli, capsicum and snow peas. Add the soy sauce mixture for a minute then the cornflour stock and stir until the liquid thickens. Serve straight away with the basil sprinkled over.

Broccoli & Tofu Salad

Chewy, tasty and wholesome - finally I know what to do with tofu, thanks to my friend Sally. It is really a great pick-me-up when I'm feeling low on energy and (amazingly) Charlotte loves the tofu and rice too.

1 packet hard tofu, cut into 1.5 cm cubes

1 cup brown rice

1 head of broccoli cut into small florets

.25kg green beans

1 avocado

3 Tbs tamari*

2 Tbs sesame oil

3 Tbs dry roasted peanuts

2 Tbs sesame seeds

1 Tbs pickled ginger finely chopped, or grated fresh ginger or fresh chopped coriander

Put the cup of brown rice in a saucepan with 6 cups of cold water. Bring to the boil then simmer gently and set your timer for 20 minutes (the rice will need to cook for 28 in total). Put an inch of water into a second pot with a steamer top and put on high heat then prepare your vegetables and tofu. Toast the peanuts and sesame seeds, tossing often in the pan. When the timer goes put the broccoli florets and green beans into the steamer and add the tofu to the brown rice pot. After 8 minutes drain the rice and tofu into a sieve and put into a large bowl with the steamed broccoli. Season with the sesame oil and tamari and toss well. Add the nuts and seeds and pickled ginger and toss again. Leave to cool a little before adding thick slices of avocado.

*Tamari is similar to soy sauce but with a milder flavour. If you don't have it you can substitute with soy sauce to your taste.

Snake Bean & Grape Curry

I am always on the lookout for new tasty vegetarian recipes - here's one that is delicious, created to celebrate the visit in our garden by a red-bellied black snake, hence the use of snake beans! It is mild and creamy with a bit of crunch from the almonds. You need a couple of "odd" things, but once bought they keep well in the pantry.

1 bunch snake beans, cut into 1" pieces

1 leek, halved, washed well and sliced

200g button mushrooms, chopped coarsly

0.5 cup Textured Soy Protein - coarse pieces*, soaked

2Tbs curry powder (I use Keen's Traditional)

1 vegetable stock cube

1Tbs cornflour, mixed with a little water

2Tbs slivered almonds

1Tbs mustard seeds

1Tbs mango chutney*

1 sachet coconut milk powder*, mixed with 1 cup water

1 bunch green grapes

First put on your rice. If you don't have a rice cooker follow this easy absorption method. 

Put 1 cup of rice and 1 & 3/4 cups of cold water into a smallish-medium saucepan that has a tight fitting lid. There is no need to rinse the rice. Bring to the boil stirring occasionally, then give a good stir, turn the heat down to the very lowest setting and put the lid on. Set your timer for 12 minutes, then when the time is up turn off the heat and allow to sit for another 10 minutes or until your curry is cooked.  Do not take off the lid until you are ready to serve!

Meanwhile prepare your vegetables and soak your TSP (see below) then heat 1-2Tbs oil in a saucepan. Fry the leek for a few minutes then add the curry powder and stir for a minute until aromatic. Add the TSP and soaking liquid, mushrooms, snake beans, stock cube and a little water if necessary. Don't add too much extra water - the vegetables should not be quite covered. Bring to a gentle simmer, put on the lid and cook/steam for about 8 minutes stirring every now and then. 

Meanwhile put your almonds and mustard seeds into a dry pan over a low heat and toast, tossing them often. The mustard seeds will pop when they're ready.

Add the cornflour water mixture to the curry and stir, as it simmers it will now thicken nicely. Then add your mango chutney, toasted almonds and seeds, coconut milk and grapes. Stir gently, turn off the heat and allow to sit for a minute to warm the grapes through. Dish out your rice, top with curry and serve with extra mango chutney and Vietnamese mint or coriander if you have some in the garden!

*Made from soy beans, TSP is available from health food shops. It adds a 'meaty' texture to the dish and makes this veggie curry more filling because you are combining a pulse with rice which makes a protein. To use it you pour over enough boiling water just to cover and let it rehydrate for 5 mins or so. 

Rather than buying tinned coconut milk or cream I've started buying powder which comes in sachets - less wastage and very easy to use. 

Mango chutney is a MUST have in your fridge. I buy Sharwoods and it is absolutely delicious with any curry, adding a tangy sweetness.

Roast Tomato & Goats Cheese Fettucini

A delicious easy, creamy pasta dish - the goats cheese literally melts into the hot pasta. The squishy, succulent tomatoes can be roasted anytime the oven's on and stored for a couple of days in the fridge until you're ready to use them.

Serves 3

8 large roma tomatoes

120g goats cheese

handful of basil leaves

fettucini

pine nuts and sliced almonds, toasted

shaved parmesan

Slice the tomatoes length ways and arrange closely on an oven tray. Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. Sprinkle with fresh thyme or sage if you like too, then pop in the bottom of an oven about 170-180• and leave to roast for an hour or so. The lower the oven the longer you can roast them and the more intense the flavour will become. 

Then cook your fettucini in a big pot of boiling salted water - reserve a little of the water when you strain it. Heat the tomatoes gently in a large fry pan if you've made them the day before, break up the goats cheese and toss in the pasta and basil adding some liquid if you need to. Garnish with shaved parmesan, nuts and cracked pepper.

Snow Pea & Prawn Stir Fry

A stir fry celebrating the crunch of Spring snow peas, which along with the Vietnamese mint, are from my garden and are both incredibly easy to grow. The ginger gives it a bite without the heat of chili which you could add if you liked.

Oh, here are a couple of stir-fry tricks that I have learnt the hard way: Prepare all your ingredients before you start cooking and use an oil with a high burning point, not olive oil. 

Serves 2
8 Green Prawns
20 or so freshly picked Snow Peas
Half a Red Capsicum, in chunky pieces
4 Spring Onions, sliced in inch long pieces
1 thumb sized piece of Ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
Vietnamese Mint leaves
1/4 cup Teriyaki Sauce
2tsp cornflour
1/2 cup Chicken Stock, or water
Peanut Oil
Sesame Oil
Rice to serve

First put on your rice, then shell and devein the green prawns and marinate them in the teriyaki sauce while you prepare the ingredients. Put a wok on a high heat then in a small bowl mix the cornflour with the stock or water to make a paste then add the remaining liquid. Add a liberal amount of peanut oil with a dash of sesame oil for flavour to your hot wok. Throw in the prawns and cook 5 minutes max then remove to a plate. Add a little more oil if necessary then throw in the ginger and shallots and keep them moving. Then add the capsicum and snow peas. Give them a minute before you put the prawns back in and pour in the remainder of the teriyaki marinade and the cornflour mixture. Stir gently to combine then leave for a minute for the sauce to thicken but don't over cook! Serve with rice and garnish liberally with beautiful aromatic Vietnamese mint.