Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
625 g/1/1/4 lb fennel bulbs
1 thick lemon slice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
25 g/1 oz grated Parmesan cheese
25 g/1oz butter
fennel fronds, to garnish (optional)
salt and pepper

Finocchio alia Toscana

Trim the fennel bulbs and remove any discoloured skin with a potato peeler. Cut vertically into 1.5 cm/3/4 inch thick pieces. Place in a pan

with a pinch of salt, the lemon and oil and add sufficient boiling water to cover. Cook for 20 minutes or until just tender. Drain well.

melt the butter in a gratin dish or shallow flameproof casserole, add the fennel and turn to coat. Season to taste with pepper and sprinkle

with the grated Parmesan.

place under a preheated grill until lightly browned. Serve immediately, garnished with fennel fronds, if using.

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
2 aubergines, cubed
4 tomatoes, skinned and roughly chopped
4 anchovy fillets, chopped
2 tablespoons pitted black olives
75 g/3 oz pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons chopped capers
handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

Italian Salad Dressing
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper

Aubergine Salad

heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the onion, garlic and aubergin saute for 15 minutes.

meanwhile make the Italian salad dressing. Place all the ingredie a jar with a lid and shake well. Set aside.

add the tomatoes, anchovies, olives, pine nuts, capers and parsley t aubergine mixture and season with salt and pepper. Pour in the salac

dressing, mix well then allow the salad to cool before serving.

Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
50g/2oz Chinese rice noodles, uncooked
2 dressed crabs, or 150g/5oz frozen white crab meat, thawed
115g/4oz alfalfa
1 small iceberg or bib lettuce
4 sprigs coriander, roughly chopped
1 ripe tomato, skinned, seeded and diced
4 sprigs fresh mint, roughly chopped

Sesame lime dressing
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 small red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 piece stem ginger in syrup, cut into matchsticks
2 tsp stem ginger syrup
2 tsp soy sauce
juice of 1/2 lime

Alfalfa Crab Salad with Crispy Fried Noodles

Combine the vegetable and sesame oils in a bowl. Add the chilli, stem ginger, stem ginger syrup and soy sauce with the lime juice.

Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 196°C/ 385°F. Fry the noodles, one handful at a time, until crisp. Lift out and dry on paper.

Flake the white crab meat into a bowl and toss with the alfalfa sprouts. Serve on a nest of noodles and tossed salad ingredients

Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS
2 chicken breast fillets, skinned
1 small red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 piece fresh ginger, 12mm/1/2 in long, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp rice or white wine vinegar
4 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp fish sauce (optional)
115g/4oz bean sprouts
1 head Chinese leaves, roughly shredded
2 medium carrots, cut into thin sticks
1 red onion, cut into fine rings
2 large gherkins (pickles), sliced

Hot and Sour Chicken Salad

Slice the chicken thinly, place in a shallow bowl and set aside. Grind the chilli, ginger and garlic in a pestle and mortar. Add the peanut butter, coriander, sugar and salt.

Then add the vinegar, 2 tbsp of the oil and the fish sauce if using. Combine well. Cover the chicken with the spice mixture and leave to marinate for at least 2—3 hours.

Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil in a wok or frying pan. Add the chicken and cook for 10-12 minutes, tossing the meat occasionally. Serve arranged on the salad.

Makes 12
INGREDIENTS
2eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vegetable oil, plus a little for frying
115g/4oz plain (all-purpose) flour
300ml/1/2 pint/1/1/4 cups water
1 iceberg or bib lettuce
115g/4oz bean sprouts

Filling
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 piece fresh ginger, 12mm/1/2in long, peeled and chopped
1 clove
1 small red chilli, seeded and finely choppe
1 tbsp rice or white wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
115g/4oz giant white radish, peeled and grated
1 medium carrot, grated
115g/4oz Chinese leaf or white cabbage, shredded
2 shallots, or 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

Egg Pancake Salad Wrappers

Break the eggs into a bowl, add the salt, vegetable oil and flour and stir until smooth. Do not over-mix. Add the water a little at a time and

strain into a jug. Allow the batter to stand for 15—20 minutes.

Moisten a small non-stick frying pan with vegetable oil and heat. Cover the base of the pan with batter and cook for 30 seconds.Turn over

and cook briefly. Stack the pancakeson a plate, cover and keep warm.

Heat the oil in a large wok, 1 ginger, garlic and chilli and fry Add the vinegar, sugar, white radish, Chinese leaf and shallots. Cook fo

minutes. Serve with the pancakes and salad.

Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS
225g/8oz fresh or cooked prawn (shrimp) tails, peeled and de-veined
2 ripe paw paws, or papayas
225g/8oz cos, iceberg or bib lettuce leaves, Chinese leaves and young spinach
1 firm tomato, skinned, seeded and roughly chopped
3 spring onions (scallions), shredded

Dressing
1 tbsp creamed coconut
2 tbsp boiling water
6 tbsp vegetable oil
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp hot chilli sauce
2 tsp fish sauce (optional)
1 tsp sugar
1 small bunch coriander, shredded, to garnish
1 large chilli, sliced, to garnish

Hot Coconut Prawn (Shrimp) and Paw Paw Salad

To make the dressing, place the creamed coconut in a screw-top jar and add the boiling water to soften. Add the vegetable oil, lime juice,

chilli sauce, fish sauce if using and sugar. Shake well and set aside. Do not refrigerate.

If using fresh prawn (shrimp) tails, cover with cold water in a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for no longer than 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

To prepare the paw paws or papayas, I each in half from top to bottom ar remove the black seeds with a teaspoon. Pf away the outer skin

and cut the flesh in even-sized pieces. Wash the salad leaves ar toss in a bowl. Add the other ingredients. Pa on the dressing and serve.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
675g/1/1/2 Ib fillet steak (beef tenderloin)
30ml/2 tbsp olive oil
2 small mild red chillies, seeded and sliced
225g/8oz/31/2 cups
shiitake mushrooms, sliced

For the dressing
3 spring onions (scallions), chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
juice of 1 lime
15-30ml/1-2 tbsp fish or oyster sauce, to taste
5ml/1 tsp soft light brown sugar
30ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

To serve
1 cos or romaine lettuce, torn into strips
175g/6oz cherry tomatoes, halved
5cm/2in piece cucumber, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
45ml/3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

THAI BEEF SALAD

Preheat the grill (broiler), then cook the steak for 2-4 minutes on each side depending on how well done you like steak. Leave to cool for at least 15 minutes.

Use a very sharp knife to slice the ! meat as thinly as possible and place the slices in a bowl.

Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan. Add the seeded and sliced red chillies and the sliced mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes,stirring

occasionally. Turn off the heat and add the grilled (broiled) steak slices to the pan, then stir well to coat the slices in the chilli and mushroom mixture.

Stir all the ingredients for the dressing together, then pour it over the meat mixture and toss gently.

Arrange the salad ingredients on a serving plate. Spoon the warm steak mixture into the centre and sprinkle the sesame seeds over, then serve.

Variation

if you can find them, yellow chillies make a colourful addition to this dish. Substitute one for one of the red chillies.

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

1 smoked whitefish, skinned and boned
2 celery sticks, chopped
1/2 red, white or yellow onion or 3-5 spring onions(scallions), chopped
45ml/3 tbsp mayonnaise
45ml/3 tbsp sour cream or Greek yogurt
juice of 1/2-1 lemon
1 round lettuce
ground black pepper
5-10ml/l-2 tsp chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Whitefish Salad

Break the smoked fish into bitesize pieces. In a bowl, combine the chopped celery, onion or spring onion, mayonnaise, and sour cream or

yogurt, and add lemon juice to taste.

Fold the fish into the mixture and season with pepper. Arrange the lettuce leaves on serving plates, then spoon the whitefish salad on top.

Serve chilled, sprinkled with parsley.