Asian Ground Beef Pasta

 

Ingredients
250 g pasta
4-5 large garlic cloves finely minced
1 lg shallot minced (or onion)
100g fresh shiitake or 24gm dried soaked, dice to small cubes
20 ml olive oil
400-500g ground beef
20-30 ml Chinese cooking wine
20 ml light soy sauce
20 ml dark soy sauce
20 ml oyster sauce
A little freshly white pepper, add salt if necessary
2 spring onions sliced (garnish)

Method 
Cook the pasta then drain - reserve ¼ cup of pasta water.
Sauté garlic and shallots over medium heat until fragrant, about 15 sec.
Add the mushrooms and beef and cook over medium-high heat and stir until the beef is cooked through - about 5-6 min. Deglaze with cooking wine.Add soy sauces and oyster sauce. Toss to incorporate.
Add the pasta to the pan and stir through sauce. Season with pepper and add salt if needed. Add a little reserved pasta water if necessary.
Serve garnished with spring onions. Serve hot or warm with a fresh vegetable side.

Chook’s note: I used pappardelle because I had it and love it, but use whatever pasta you prefer. Best pasta is something that captures the sauce – rigatoni, penne, gomiti, or wide ribbons.
I also added a few shredded kale leaves.
I used a combination of fresh and dried shiitake (because I didn’t have enough fresh) and then used the soak water to loosen up the meat combo.
You can freeze the meat sauce in meal size containers and heat with pasta later.  I freeze pre-cooked pasta to use later. [Pre-cooked and reheated pasta increases its resistant starch content, which lowers blood sugar spikes and reduces absorbed calories. I do this with rice too for ease and it's better for your gut.] 

Thai turkey mince with rice

 

Ingredients 
1 Tbsp peanut oil
750g turkey mince
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
!/2 red onion chopped, optional

1/3 cup sweet chilli sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 red onion, halved, finely sliced
1 cup fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
A handful of iceberg lettuce leaves, shredded
Steamed jasmine rice, to serve
Lime wedges, to serve

Serves 4

Method
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add mince, garlic and chilli. Cook, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 min or until mince is browned and cooked through. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add sweet chilli sauce, lime juice, onion, coriander and lettuce. Toss to combine.
Serve with rice and lime wedges.

Chook’s note: It’s the fresh ingredients and herbs added at the end that give this dish a wonderful zing. You could also add a splash of fish sauce but it’s not necessary. If you don't like sweet chili suace which I don't much, you could use something else, but it worked here. It's a dish of flavours so do whatever you love.  You could use any lettuce leaves you have on hand but I like the iceberg.
You can prep the meat part ahead and simply warm at the last minute.
I use whatever rice I have pre-cooked in the freezer.

Japanese Salmon Rice

A quick an easy dish which can be thrown together from pantry items. I always modify to taste and according to what I have in the pantry-freezer 

Ingredients
1 ½ cups Japanese rice
½ cup sake (optional)
1 3/4 cup salmon stock or dashi (or chicken stock)
2 green onions, sliced thin
150gm cooked salmon meat, flaked
2 Tbsp furikake seasoning (see below)
1 to 2 Tbsp sesame oil

Serves 4

Method
Rinse the rice well before cooking. Put the rice, sake and stock in a pot, cover and turn on high until it boils. Drop the heat to medium-low and cook until the rice is mostly done, about 10 mins. When it's done, quickly uncover the pot and put in the green onions and salmon. Cover the pot and wait 5 minutes.

When you are ready to serve, fluff the rice with the sesame oil and furikake seasoning.

Chook's notes: If you don't have furikake seasoning, simply toast 2 Tbsp of sesame seeds and use that. (For recipe see https://thepingingchook.blogspot.com/2025/07/citrus-furikake.html)
I substitute Chinese cooking wine for sake and use chicken stock (because it is always handy).
I rarely have Japanese rice so I simple use medium grain white.  You can use precooked rice from the freezer, warm it and then add the green onions and a little stock before adding the salmon
I usually make this with smoked salmon cooking pieces or hot smoked salmon fillets.

Optional serving suggestions: add a touch of cream or butter and lemon juice to the rice, serve with steamed snow peas and scatter with chopped dill.

Turkey pilaf

 

[image from the internet]

Ingredients 
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
500g turkey mince
1-2 cup cooked rice
1 lemon, rind finely grated, juiced
1 cup each of fresh mint and coriander leaves, firmly packed

Serves 4

Method

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic, stirring, for 2 mins or until soft. Add the spices and chilli. Cook, stirring, for 1 min or until aromatic. Increase heat add the turkey. Cook, breaking up the mince with a wooden spoon, for 6 min/until browned and cooked through.

Heat the rice and add the lemon juice and zest.  Season and add to the turkey mixture. 

Add the chopped the mint and coriander and stir to combine. Sprinkle with toasted chopped pistachios (optional) and drizzle with the extra oil or dob with butter – or both!

Chook’s note: the original recipe used couscous but I prefer rice. If you want to use couscous, place the couscous, lemon rind, juice and water in a heatproof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Stand for 5 min to absorb. Fluff with a fork. Season. You can add cranberries if you wish but this is delicious as is.