Cauliflower and Cashew Curry

Based loosely on Charmaine's Sri Lankan Fish Curry (p126) and Vegetable Curry (p142).

Soak cashews (roasted seem to work fine, but raw would be better) in hot water for several hours.

Sliced onions, fenugreek seeds, ginger, lemon rind, curry leaves, crushed garlic, "special curry powder" (from D'Souza's - mostly turmeric), fried on low heat in ghee. Add thin coconut milk and tamarind and simmer cashews for about 30 mins. Add chopped cauliflower and cook until soft (about 10 mins). Add thick coconut milk and heat for 5 mins. Add chopped fish pieces (trevally is good, optional) and cook very gently for a couple of minutes to cook fish through. If sauce is too runny, drain and reduce separately. Serve with rice.

Result: 5
Preparation: dead easy

Eggplant Parmigiana V2

A not-so-vegetarian version ...

Slice eggplant lengthways into 7mm thick slices. Cook in a little olive oil in a very hot non-stick pan until slightly blackened and cooked through. Lay on an oiled oven tray.

Make a tomato sauce with tinned tomatoes, sliced onion, garlic, a splash of cinzano, chicken stock, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook for about 20 mins.

Assemble by putting thin slice of ham on top of eggplant and topping with tomato sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan. Cook in oven for about 20 mins underneath spuds.

Serve with rosemary potatoes (small cubes, microwaved for 5 mins then cooked in oven dish with olive oil and rosemary on fan grill 180) and green salad.

Result: 4. Yummy with the ham.
Preparation: a lot quicker than the crumbed and fried version!

Steak and Veg

Steak (e.g. scotch fillet) cooked in griddle pan.

Accompany with:
- sweet potato, mashed with sour cream
- asparagus and snow peas, steamed above the sweet potato, then charred a little in the griddle pan (before the meat) and then sauced with a vinaigrette of white wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and sugar.

Result: 4
Preparation: almost non-existent.

Proscuitto, Tomato and Rocket Pasta

Cook fettucine. Halve cherry tomatoes. Wash rocket (lots of it). 4 slices of proscuitto, fried but not too crunchy, with garlic. Cook tomatoes for a couple of minutes. Add drained pasta, olive oil, cap of cinzano, pepper, rocket, and stir to combine and heat through. Serve with parmesan.

Result: 4.5 - and looks great too.
Preparation: ridiculously quick and easy.

Aloo Mattar

Fry onion and garlic in ghee. Add 2 tsp "d'souza's curry powder premium", and chuck in cubed potato, chopped cauliflower, mix around a bit, then add about a cup of water. Cook for about 20 mins, adding frozen peas towards the end. Serve with yoghurt and deep-fried flathead.

Result: 3.5 (or 4.5 for flathead ...)
Preparation: dead easy

Chicken Dalfrezi

Recipe from Charmaine's complete Asian cookbook. Probably would be better with pumpkin and spinach actually put in, and the wet masala mix made with fresh herbs, and the full variety of lentils! Not as fiddly as it looks, and easy with chicken thigh pieces. Great thick sauce.

Result: 4
Preparation: several steps, but mostly easy.

Moroccan Zucchini Roll

Grill zucchini and capsicum slices in griddle. Finely slice some dates. Line souffle dish in circles with zucchini, with some dates in a layer down the bottom. Fill with capsicum. Warm through in the oven. Invert onto plate to serve.

Serve with cous cous, grilled fish (under fan grill in oven) with dukkah and harissa mayonnaise.

Result: 4.5 (zucchini gets 5).
Preparation: Really easy.