Dì Sān Xiān - Chinese sautéed potato, green pepper and eggplant

I spent the past 2,5 weeks touring through China, and let me tell you, I don't think I've ever tasted so many delicious dishes while on holiday!
One of my favorites was Dì Sān Xiān (地三鲜), which means 'earth three fresh'. The name refers to the 3 main ingredients - potato, green pepper and eggplant.

The Chinese tend to use a lot of oil in their cooking, so to make this dish a bit more waistline-friendly, I altered it a bit... This undoubtedly affects the taste somewhat, but it will still taste great.
Here's my version:


What you need (2 servings):
450g potatoes, diced
1 eggplant, diced
1 green bell pepper, deseeded and diced
1 tsp garlic paste (or 1 fresh clove, finely chopped)
1 tsp ginger paste (or 1cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped)
approx. 3 tbsp ketjap manis (or regular soy sauce plus 1 tsp of sugar) 
salt to taste (note that the ketjap/soy sauce is already salty!)
wet cornstarch (the proportion cornstarch-water should be 1:2)
oil


Bring water to the boil in a pan and cook the potatoes and eggplant for approx. 10 mins. Drain and set aside.
Heat 1tbsp oil in a wok and fry the potatoes until they start to colour. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the bell pepper to the wok and stir-fry for a few seconds.
Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for another few seconds. Add potatoes and eggplant and stir-fry for a few minutes. Season with sugar, soy sauce and salt to taste, and add approx. 2 tbsp wet cornstarch. Stir through the vegetables so they are evenly coated and cook for a few more seconds.


Serve as is or with white rice.

Based on this recipe.

Grandma's Nasi Goreng

In the late 40's, my grandfather served in the military in the Dutch East Indies. He very much enjoyed the local cuisine and after he returned home and my grandparents got married, my grandmother would often make Indonesian dishes like this Nasi Goreng (Indonesian fried rice). If my grandmother would leave the stove unattended, my grandfather and the kids would sneak into the kitchen and steal bites from the pan, impatient to wait for dinner :-)
I made a vegan version of this family favourite.

What you need (1 large pan, approx. 5-6 servings):
500g white rice
175g faux chicken pieces, diced
2-4 tsp sambal oelek (chili paste), according to taste
3 onions, diced
1 garlic clove, minced (or 1 tsp garlic paste)
1 tsp vegetable stock powder
4 tsp salt
1 tsp ketoembar (ground koriander)
1 tsp djinten (ground cumin)
vegetable oil

Boil the rice. Heat some oil in a large pan and sauté the onion, garlic, sambal oelek, salt, soc powcer, ketoembar and djinten until nicely browned. Add the diced 'chicken' and cook a few more minutes. Add the cooked rice and mix well. Turn off the heat, cover ad let it sit for approx. 10 minutes, giving the flavours a chance to mix. Serve as is or as a side dish with other Indonesian dishes such as tempeh pangang or 'chicken' satay.


Try this:
- serve with peanut sauce.
- serve with atjar (Indonesian pickled vegetables).
- sprinkle fried onions or chopped, roasted peanuts on top.

Chili con carne from scratch

Store-bought spice mixes often contain a lot of salt. Making a dish from scratch is ideal if you want to watch your salt-intake. And I bet it will taste better too!

What you need (3 servings):
200 g very lean ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic paste)
2 cans of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp of tomato puree
1 large can of beans (such as pinto, kidney, black-eyed), rinsed and drained
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder (or more if you like it spicy)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped (optional)
salt & pepper, to taste
1 tbsp ketjap manis (optional, to counteract acidity of the tomatoes)
sour cream or guacamole to serve (optional)

Heat the oil in a large pan and saute the onion and garlic, and chopped bell pepper, if using. Add the ground beef, and mash with a fork to break up the meat.
After the meat has browned slightly, add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the spices and ketjap manis, if using. Season with some salt and pepper. Add the beans and simmer for a few minutes.
Serve in a bowl with crackers, or use as filling for taco's or burrito's. Top with a dollop of sour cream or guacamole if you feel adventurous :).

Try this:
- add a small can of corn, drained, along with the beans.
- want a thicker chili? Drain the chopped tomatoes before adding to the pan.
- use ground chicken instead of beef for chili con pollo.

Veganize it!
Use a vegan mince or minced TVP (TSP) for chili sin carne.

Quick potato curry

An Indian colleague of mine provided me with the basics for this dish, and it's easily adaptable to personal taste by substituting the veggies.

What you need (2 servings):
450 g potatoes (I use store-bought pre-cooked pommes parisiennes or potato cubes)
100 g frozen peas
1 small onion, halved and cut in strips
1/2 green pepper, finely chopped
1/2 can of tomato cubes, drained
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp garam massala
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp sambal oelek (chili paste)
salt & pepper to taste
approx. 100ml cooking cream (suitable for warm dishes)
vegetable oil

Heat some oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. Once the seeds start to give off scent, add the garam massala and turmeric, onion, garlic, sambal oelek and chopped pepper. Cook for a few minutes until the onion has softened, then add the potatoes. Add the peas and tomatoes after approx. 10 minutes. After another 5 minutes, stir in the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Since the potatoes already provide plenty of carbs, I serve this as a stand-alone dish without rice or naan.

Try these veggie alternatives:
* small cauliflower florets (blanched) - Aloo Gobi is an Indian classic!
* leeks instead of onion
* green beans instead of peas
* red, yellow or orange pepper instead of green pepper, or a combination of different colours
* sliced mushrooms

Grandma's macaroni

This is how my grandma and my mom make macaroni. Really easy and yummy.
I more or less guessed the quantities, but it's enough to make a large pan: ideal for putting some portions in the freezer for days when you don't feel like cooking or don't have time to make dinner.

What you need:
300g lean ground beef
1 bag ready-chopped soup vegetables*
1 box of macaroni (approx. 500g)
salt & pepper for seasoning
tomato sauce of your choice

Heat a non stick frying pan (no need to add extra oil or butter), cook the beef with a little salt and pepper until it's brown. Drain most of the fat and set aside.
Cook the macaroni according to the instuctions on the box. Drain when done and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking.
In another pan, cook the vegetables for about 15 mins in plenty of water with a pinch of salt. (I always test a piece of carrot to see if they're done, I like them soft and cooked instead of crunchy). Drain the vegetables and mix them, along with the beef, through the macaroni.
Serve with your choice of tomato sauce (my favourite is old-fashioned ketchup but you could use any type of pasta sauce).

* contents will vary depending on where you live. The type that I use contains finely chopped leek, carrot, broccoli, white cabbage, selery and cauliflower and is sold in bags of 200-300g depending on the brand.

Tip: don't throw out the water in which you cooked the veggies but use the stock as a base for soup or to cook rice in for some extra flavour. You can freeze it if you don't use it right away.

Spicy bean stir fry

What you need (4 servings):
250g chicken or turkey breast, in cubes
150g leek, in rings
150g finely sliced white cabbage
100g onion, in half rings
25g bean sprouts
1 red chili, finely chopped (or less if you prefer)
1 clove of garlic, pressed
1 large can of kidney beans (ca. 700g nett weight), drained and rinsed
Oil
Salt, pepper

Heat some oil in a wok. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook in the wok until golden brown. Take the chicken out of the pan and put aside.
Heat some more oil en stir fry the onion, garlic, white cabbage, leek and chili in the wok. When the onion has softened, add the beans, bean sprouts and chicken and cook for a few minutes until everything is piping hot but the bean sprouts are still crispy. Serve immediately on its own or with rice.

Try this:
- use a mix of beans such as kidney beans, pinto beans, black-eyed peas etc
- replace the chicken with tofu for a vegetarian dish

[adapted from a Weight Watchers recipe]

Chicken and Bok Choi stir fry

What you need (2 servings):
1 Bok Choi, leaves and stalks cut into strips and rinsed
1 onion in half rings
200g chicken breast in strips
250g button mushrooms, sliced
1 clove of garlic, pressed
sambal oelek (chili paste) to taste
1 tbsp oil
15 ml sesame seed oil
2 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
1 tbsp cream sherry

Heat half of the the oil in a wok and sauté the onion, garlic, sambal oelek and mushrooms. In a separate pan, fry the chicken strips in the rest of the oil until golden brown. Add the bok choi and stir fry for approx 30secs on high heat. Add soy sauce, sherry and sesame oil and stir fry for a few mins. Add the chicken strips and serve with rice or noodles.

Try this:
- use sliced leeks, bamboo strips (canned and drained), mini corn cobs (canned and drained) etc.
- use tofu or faux chicken pieces for a vegan dish.

Mushroom risotto

What you need ( 2 servings)

90g risotto rice (e.g. Arborio)
1 tbsp (olive)oil
200g chicken breast in cubes
1 clove of garlic, pressed
1 onion, finely diced
250g sliced button mushrooms
2 tbsp grated Parmezan cheese
1 tbsp dried parsley
500ml hot chicken stock

Sauté the onion, garlic and mushrooms in the oil. Add the chicken cubes and fry until golden brown. Add the rice and stir until coated with oil. Add approx. 300ml stock and bring to the boil. Let simmer for approx. 25 mins, stirring often. Add more stock is necessary, the risotto should be moist. Stir in the cheese and parsley before serving.

Try this: leave out the chicken and use vegetable stock for a vegetarian dish.

Leftovers? Try this for a lunchbox treat:
Spread the leftover risotto on a plate to cool completely and store in the fridge overnight (covered). In the morning, shape little burgers from the risotto with wet hands (so it won't stick to your hands too much), lightly dust them with flour and pan fry them in a bit of oil. When browned and crispy, take out of the pan, let cool completely and pack in a lunchbox.