Chilled Cucumber Salad

This is taken from Kylie Kwong's recipe in her book "Simple Chinese Cooking".

Main

• 5 small cucumbers, peeled
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• pinch ground black pepper

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 1 tablespoon finely diced ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1. Cut cucumber in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds using a spoon.
2. Place cut side down on a chopping board and cut on the diagonal into 3/4 inch pieces.
3. Place cucumber in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar and salt, then mix well.
4. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine..
6. Drain the cucumbers and, using your hands, gently squeeze away any excess liquid.
7. Combine the cucumber in a serving bowl with the dressing.
8. Sprinkle with pepper and serve immediately.

Vietnamese-Style Lemongrass Chicken

This is adapted from Donna Hay's recipe from her magazine.

We did this on the barbeque, and found it a fantastic flavour - note that some charring is acceptable.  I've listed how we serve this chicken, but this chicken can be used in a variety of recipes.

Main

• 2 stalks of lemongrass, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 8x 120g chicken thigh fillets, trimmed

1. Place the lemongrass and garlic in a small food processor, and process until finely chopped.
2. Place in a bowl with the soy, sugar, fish sauce, and chicken.
3. Toss well to coat, then cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for an hour.
4. Heat a char grill or barbeque over high heat, and cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes each side (basting with the marinade) or until cooked through.
5. Slice and serve with the dipping sauce, a green salad, and steamed rice.

Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 small chillies, sliced
• 1/3 cup peanuts, roasted and chopped

1. Place the ingredients in a non-metallic bowl, and stir to combine.

Note: We spoon this sauce over the chicken, but can be used for dipping or as a condiment for other dishes.

Stir-Fried Hokkien Noodles with Chicken, Chilli, and Bean Sprouts

This is adapted from Kylie Kwong's recipe in her book "Simple Chinese Cooking".

There is a marinating time of 30 minutes for the chicken, but we've found that's how it takes to do the rest of the preparations so works out quite well.

Marinade

• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mirin (we've found shao hsing wine or Bacardi are acceptable alternatives)
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Main

• 400g chicken thigh fillets, cut into 2cm slices
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 small white onion, cut into half and then into thick wedges
• 12 thin slices of root ginger
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 red capsicum, sliced
• 1 head of broccoli, chopped
• 450g fresh Hokkien noodles
• 2 tablespoons mirin (see the above note)
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon malt vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 1/s cup spring onion, julienne
• 2 large red chillies, fine sliced diagonally

1. Combine and marinade ingredients in a bowl.
2. Cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a hot wok until the surface seems to shimmer slightly.
4. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 1 minute.
5. Remove from the wok and set aside.
6. Add the remaining oil to the hot wok with the onion, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry for 1 minute or until the onion is slightly browned.
7. Toss in the noodles, capsicum, broccoli, chicken, mirin, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil. Stir-fry for 1 1/2 minutes.
8. Add the bean sprouts, spring onion, and half the chilli. Stir-fry for a further 30 seconds or until chicken is just cooked through and noodles are hot.
9. Arrange the noodles in bowls, top with the remaining chilli, and serve immediately.