Recipes of the week

Ingredients:

2 bunches asparagus, woody ends removed

2 tbsp oil

600g rump steak, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 red capsicum, sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbsp red curry paste

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

6 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded

25 Thai basil leaves

2 long red chillies, sliced thinly diagonally

Steamed Jasmine rice and sliced red chillies (optional), to serve

Method:

Cut asparagus into 8cm lengths.

Heat oil in a wok or large pan and stir-fry beef strips in batches for 2-3 minutes until browned. Remove from wok and set aside.

Add asparagus and capsicum to pan and stir-fry 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and curry paste to pan and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Stir in fish sauce, sugar, lime leaves and one-third cup water and bring to a simmer.

Return beef and to pan and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until heated through. Check flavours and season as needed.

Serve immediately with steamed Jasmine rice and scattered with sliced red chillies (optional).

Tips:

If cooking for kids, reduce or omit chillies according to their taste.

For a delicious vegetarian option, substitute sliced marinated tofu for beef, omit fish sauce and choose a vegetarian curry paste.

You can add more vegies when you add the capsicum, such as carrot strips, sugar snap peas, broccoli and zucchini strips.

Serve with brown rice or other grains such as quinoa, or rice and quinoa mix instead of jasmine rice.

Breakfast Asparagus with Hazelnut Dukkah

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

2 bunches asparagus spears, woody ends removed

8 slices haloumi cheese

baby truss tomatoes or cherry tomatoes

4-8 eggs

2 tbsp white vinegar

4 slices toasted rye bread

Snow pea shoots or tendrils or watercress sprigs and lemon wedges, to serve

Hazelnut Dukkah:

½ cup hazelnuts, roasted with skins rubbed off

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp whole coriander seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tbsp sesame seeds

½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper

¼ tsp paprika

1 tsp flaked sea salt

Method:

To make the Hazelnut Dukkah, preheat a dry cast iron pan or wok over low to medium heat and add cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and sesame seeds. Shake pan over heat until seeds become fragrant and lightly toasted. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.

Coarsely grind hazelnuts in a food processor and transfer to a storage jar. Grind toasted seeds in spice grinder or use a mortar and pestle. Add ground seeds to hazelnuts with paprika, salt and pepper. Shake jar to combine all ingredients and store until ready to use.

Place 1 slice of toast on each serving plate. Heat pan over medium to high heat and add 2 teaspoons oil. Cook haloumi until a golden brown colour taking care not to burn. Remove from pan and place 2 slices on each slice of toast.

Add remaining oil to pan and cook asparagus until tender but still bright green, turning spears over after 2 minutes. Remove from pan and place spears on top of haloumi.

Add tomatoes to pan and shake over medium to high heat until nicely seared. Scatter tomatoes around toast.

To poach eggs, bring a pan of water 4cm deep to boil and reduce heat to a low simmer. Add vinegar to water. Break egg into a small bowl, holding bowl close to the water surface tip egg into the gently simmering water.

Simmer for exactly 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove eggs from pan and arrange on top of asparagus.

Sprinkle with Hazelnut Dukkah and top with snow pea shoots, tendrils or watercress. Serve at once.

Tip:

To vary the recipe, use slices of crispy prosciutto or bacon or smashed avocado, marinated herb feta cheese or spicy tomato chutney.

Source: https://www.asparagus.com.au/