Expert Opinion

Solving the ‘what to cook for your family tonight’ dilemma!

We’ve all been there — juggling children who are fussy eaters while also aiming to please hungry partners (and yourself)!
The ‘what to cook for dinner’ dilemma doesn’t have to be complicated, and can be as easy as incorporating simple ingredients into everyday cooking.
Here’s my top three fool-proof dinners and with a few simple tweaks you can easily prepare these meals with the same simple and delicious ingredients from your refrigerator and freeze for future busy nights!

San Choy Bow

(Serves 4)

  • 500g pork mince
  • 1 carrot, finely grated
  • 10cm knob of ginger, grated
  • 1/2 cup coriander, chopped
  • 4 spring onions, chopped
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 iceberg or cos lettuce, to serve
  1. Combine pork mince, carrot, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil in a large bowl and stir until combined.
  2. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add a dash of oil. Add pork mixture and cook for 5-7 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Pour into a bowl and spoon mixture onto lettuce cups to serve.

Tips:

Add cooked rice as an accompaniment to bulk out the recipe for a family of 4

Pork Dumplings

(Makes 24 dumplings)

  • 500g pork mince
  • 1 carrot, finely grated
  • 10cm knob of ginger, grated
  • 1/2 cup coriander, chopped
  • 4 spring onions, chopped
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 x pkt wonton or gow gee wrappers (from chilled section in supermarket)
  1. Combine pork mince, carrot, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil in a large bowl and stir until combined.
  2. Place a teaspoonful of mixture into the center of the wrappers and run water around the edge of each wrapper with your finger. Pinch edges of each wrapper together to enclose filling. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Place into a steamer and onto a pot of boiling water. Steam for 8 minutes.

Pork sausage rolls

(Makes 12 sausage rolls)

  • 500g pork mince
  • 1 carrot, finely grated
  • 10cm knob of ginger, grated
  • 1/2 cup coriander, chopped
  • 4 spring onions, chopped
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 3 x frozen puff pastry sheets, slightly thawed
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  1. Combine pork mince, carrot, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil in a large bowl and stir until combined.
    Spoon pork mixture lengthways onto one side of the pastry sheet.
  2. Roll the whole sheet to enclose pork filling. Slice into half and half again. place into a baking paper lined oven tray. Brush with egg yolk or water and sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional).
  3. Bake for 25- 30 minutes or until golden brown

About the author

A beautiful visual content creator, Amie is also an Author of two children’s recipe books, Baby Pip Eats & Little Pip Eats, and also holds a B.Sc. in Food Science and Nutrition. Amie has over 15 years of experience as a food technologist for some of the world’s largest consumer goods companies and has also worked as a freelance food stylist and recipe writer for magazines, including the Australian Women’s Weekly, Gourmet Traveller and Good Taste
A career highlight for Amie was having the ability to use her varied talents internationally, working as a Food consultant in the USA with food retailers; WholeFoods, Trader Joes and Giant Eagle. On large scale labelling system implementation in accordance with the FDA and USDA regulation nutrition updates for 2020.
More recently, Amie has been involved in managing multiple small and large corporate food projects with more of an ethical purpose, including; Patagonia Provisions range, Cobram Estate, and a small Indigenous food based social enterprise start up.
Amie continues to use her Instagram feed as a means to inspire families to plate up healthy, economical and simple seasonal fare that everyone can enjoy.