Beef Dopiaza & Spiced Carrot Salad

So my dad's been getting all this neat new curry stuff, but he hasn't used any of it yet! Amongst the great gear he recieved for Christmas and his birthday were the above metal bowls, a chest full of spices including whole dried tumeric which i've never seen before, and a spice grinder from yours truly (actually that was for fathers day). And this dish puts it all to good use!

Pork & Veal Italian Meatballs on Summer Couscous

So i've decided to go off soups this year for lunches! I think i was starting to creep my colleagues out. So this year i'll just be looking for good, nutritious food that carries well throughout the week. And first up: meatballs!
I'm a big fan of the pork and veal mince that is common at supermarkets these days. I love the flavour of pork but it's terribly fatty. The veal evens this out! And finally, hopefully aussies will make true bolognese, with veal and pork rather than beef!

Pork Sang Choy Bao

I remember the first time i had this dish... we were at our local Chinese restaurant, a daggy little place in Ringwood. But i loved it. The food was actually quite good, and it was one place we went quite often with extended family to celebrate birthdays and the like. Normally the presence of three children ensured the ordering of such staple fares as honey chicken and sweet and sour pork. As my tastes matured i became a devotee of the crystal prawns. But when my mother ordered the 'pork in lettuce cup' I, and my siblings, were mortified! "You mean to tell us you wasted one dish on LETTUCE???" raced through our heads.

Thankfully, the dish came out, and we were instantly converted. My favorite part of this dish is the contract in textures, which can come from a variety of sauces. The slight chewiness of the ground meat, the crisp crunch of the water chestnuts, the unctuous stickiness of the hoisin. This version is not the most regal one out there, but it stays relatively true to my first taste of the dish at Ringwood Chinese Restaurant.

One change i made: replacing the fried noodles on which the pork mixture sits, with fresh bean sprouts.

Butter Pecan Icecream

Yes, i've been absent without leave for quite some time now! But that doesn't mean i haven't been cooking away. I've simply been too engrossed in eating my creations before i get a chance to photograph them.

To get your tastebuds a-tingling, and your saliva a-flowing after a long hiatus, let me introduce to you the best icecream i've ever made! Taken from the recipe for a well known icecream brand, it is also one of the easiest icecreams to make too. No risk of curdling THIS custard!

Ingredients

• 1 cup of pecan halves
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 cup full cream milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar

Method

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat.

Once melted, add the pecans
Saute until the butter is juuuuust beginning to brown, and the pecans are very fragrant.

Pour off the butter into a cup and reserve the pecans.
Crack the eggs into a deep bowl and whisk until thick and creamy (about 2 minutes)
Add the sugar in 5 lots, whisking with each addition, then whisk for a further 1 minutes
Add the cream, milk, and melted butter, whisking to combine well
Transfer to a jug and chill in the refrigerator (say 2 hours)
Transfer the mixture to an icecream maker and freeze as per manufacturer's instructions.
Just before the mix is fully frozen, add the pecan halves
Enjoy!