CHILI & LIME BEEF AND NOODLE WARM SALAD

I love the combination of chili and lime. Citrus is one of my favourite flavours and partnered with the punch of chili is just divine and perfect for the warmer nights. Seeing as winter is lifting and gloriously sunny days and warmer evenings are starting to happen this was the perfect dinner dish!

INGREDIENTS

500 grams rump steak
MARINADE
4 cloves garlic chopped
2 limes zested and juiced
1 long red chili
1 stalk of lemongrass chopped
2 cm piece of ginger roughly chopped
5 coriander roots well washed
60 grams coconut sugar
60 mls vegetable oil
WARM NOODLE SALAD
200 grams rice noodles
vegetable oil
1 red onion cut into thin wedges
4 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
2 cm ginger julienned
2 tbs oyster sauce
2 long red chillies deseeded and sliced
200 grams green beans trimmed and sliced into 2cm battens
handful of coriander, leaves picked
handful of mint, leaves picked

Place all the marinade ingredients into a blender and blitz until smooth. Pour over beef leaving 1 tbs behind and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.

Pour boiling water over noodles and allow to sit while preparing the rest of the salad. Fry beef in a little oil to just under desired finish. Eg cook to rare if you like you meat medium rare. Remove from pan and allow to rest. Clean out pan and add a little more oil and add onion, garlic and ginger and cook stirring for 5 minutes until softened and starting to get some colour. Add oyster sauce, reserved marinade and beans and cook for a further 5 minutes, meanwhile slice up steak. Once beans are tender add drained noodles, steak and half of the herb and toss. Serve up and scatter remaining herbs over the top. Serves 2.

RISOTTO WITH PRAWNS AND PEAS

This is one of my favorite risottos. I'm not usually a fish fan, especially shell fish, but in this I like prawns and the way they pop in your mouth. I find making my own stock works best for this, I find the store bought stuff way too salty, you could try the low salt version if you are pressed for time, but prefer making my own and find it is so simple to make.

FOR THE STOCK

prawn shells and heads from peeled prawns
2 carrots chopped
2 stalks of celery chopped
2 onions chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp whole black pepper
2 L water

Toss the prawn shells in a pot with a little oil until they turn pink add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for at least an hour. Strain the stock and use as required. If you make too much it freezes well.

You can find the pea and prawn risotto recipe here.