Ginger Beef with Peppers

Ingredients
500g Steak (thinly sliced)
2 Teaspoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
1in Fresh Ginger (finely sliced)
2 Teaspoons Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Cornflour
1 Clove Garlic (crushed)
1 Red Pepper (cored, de seeded and chopped into bite size chunks)
1 Green Pepper (cored, de seeded and chopped into bite size chunks)
1 Tablespoon Water
A Pinch of Chinese 5 Spice Powder
Thin Slices of Red Chilli (de seeded) to decorate.

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Garlic Press
1 Wok
1 Spatula
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Slotted Spoon

The Good Bit

1. Put the steak in the mixing bowl along with the soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the oil, the ginger, vinegar, water, salt and cornflour, mix well and leave to stand in a fridge for 20 minutes.
2. With the rest of the oil in the wok, heat the garlic and 5 spice for 30 seconds then add the marinated steak, stir fry over a high heat to colour the the meat evenly on all sides but still leave the middle a little pink, remove the meat and set aside.
3. Now stir fry the peppers for 3 minutes then add the meat back in for a quick 1 minute blast along with any remaining marinade, serve and garnish with thin slivers of red chilli
   

Serves 4

Sweet and Sour Pork

Ingredients
500g Pork (cut into bite size cubes)
1/2 Teaspoon 5 Spice Powder
2 Tablespoon Sherry
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons Cornflour
Vegetable Oil for deep frying.
2 Tablespoons Groundnut Oil
1 Clove Garlic (crushed)
1 Onion (roughly chopped)
1 Green Pepper (cored and de seeded)
250g Can Pineapple Chunks (keep the juice, DO NOT USE PINEAPPLE IN SYRUP)
3 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
50g Sugar
4 Tablespoons Tomato Ketchup
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Wok (for deep frying)
1 Large Frying Pan
1 Sauce Pan
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Wooded Spoon
1 Spatula
1 Garlic Press
Kitchen Paper

The Good Bit

1. Boil a Sauce pan of water and add the pork until it changes colour, drain and dry the pork on the kitchen paper
2. Mix the sherry, egg, cornflour, 5 spice and a sprinkle of salt and pepper together, dip in the pork until it's coated all over, then in the wok (or chip pan) heat a good amount of oil up to 190c 375f (a cube of bread should take 30 seconds to brown) Deep fry the pork until it browns all over, remove and set aside on kitchen paper.
3. In the frying pan, heat the groundnut oil, fry the garlic until it is brown then add the onion and pepper for 1 minute, then stir in the pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup and sugar, heat and keep stirring until it has thickened than add the pineapple and pork, heat well and serve.
   

Serves 4

Chili Mince Tacos

Ingredients
500g mince beef (or turkey if you want to be healthy)
1 Large Onion
1 400g Can Kidney Beans
1 400g Can Chopped Tomatoes
150ml STRONG Black Coffee
1 Teaspoon Chilli Powder
1 Teaspoon of Chinese 5 Spice Powder
1 Pack of ready to serve Tacos
Dash of Oil
Salad to garnish
Maybe some Soured Cream with a sprinkle of Paprika on top

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Can Opener
1 Large Frying Pan/Wok
1 Plastic/Wooden Spatula

The Good Bit

1. Heat the oil in your pad/wok, whilst that is warming, chopped your onion into small pieces and open all your cans.
2. Add the onion to the pan/wok and cook until it begins to go clear and feels soft when pressed with the spatula, 5 minutes, add the meat the chilli and 5 spice powder and cook until the meat is brown, 5 minutes.
3. Now add the kidney beans, tomatoes and the hot black coffee and leave to simmer for about 20 minutes, this will look thicker and a lot darker than the chilli I have already made (if you have made that) due to the coffee, it also has a very authentic rustic taste.
4. Heat the tacos to the packet instructions, only a few seconds in a microwave, for best results oven warm.
5. Serve 2 taco shells on a bed of lettuce with a healthy dollop of the chilli mix next to it and at the side of the plate a good spoonful of soured cream sprinkled with paprika.
6. I also like to add sliced tomatoes to the plate, it gives it more colour and also when eaten can take the heat out of the chilli (because I like my chilli hot!)

Serves 4