My husband and I love dumplings. We have a favorite dumpling restaurant in Perth that we go to called Authentic Bites and their dumplings are just amazing! But as we dont live very close to the city we have to sometimes make our own. This simple dumpling recipe hits the spot when we are craving our special pork dumplings from Authentic Bites.

Ingredients:

500g  Pork Mince
2 cups Chinese Cabbage, Shredded
2 teaspoons Garlic, minced
3 Spring onions, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons Hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon Sesame oil
Salt and Pepper
36 Wonton wrappers
Dumpling sauce to serve

Method:

Add pork mince, cabbage, garlic, spring onion, hoisin sauce, sesame oil and a large pinch of salt and pepper to a large bowl. Mix until well combined. 
Fill a small bowl with water. Lay out a wonton wrapper and use your finger dipped in water to wet the entire edge of the wrapper. 
Scoop about a teaspoon of filling into the center of the dumpling wrapper.
Fold the wrapper in half and press the edges together to seal the dumpling  and fold the edges back to each other.
To steam dumplings Line base of a large steamer basket with baking paper. Place dumplings, in a single layer, in basket. Pour water into a saucepan until one-quarter full. Bring to the boil over high heat. Place steamer over saucepan, ensuring base doesn't touch water. Steam dumplings for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender and cooked through. Serve dumplings warm with dipping sauce.

Note:  To steam dumplings using your Thermomix. Place 600g water into mixing bowl. Place Varoma in position, secure Varoma lid and steam 12 min/Varoma/speed 1. 

This recipe is a special one in our family. I've been cooking this dish for about 15years and it always comes out when we want something special. I dont know whether its the tender beef or the tanginess of the sauce, its delicious. I serve this dish with mash potato, but you can serve it with chips or even a salad.

Ingredients:

2 Beef Filets
4 Rashes Steaky Bacon
2 Tablespoons Butter
Sauce
1 Onion, diced
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
3 Tablespoons Tomato Sauce
150ml Thickened (cooking) cream
Mash Potato to serve

Method:

Preheat oven to 180'c.
In a large (oven-proof) frying pan heat the oil. Wrap bacon around steak and pin with toothpicks. Season steak with salt and pepper on both sides. Once oil is hot, add steak. Cook until seared one one side then flip and add butter. Baste with butter and cook another 3 minutes, making sure all sides are seared.. Transfer frying pan to the oven and cook until cooked to your liking, about 5 minutes for medium. Whilst steak is cooking prepare your sauce.
To a small saucepan sweat off onion and garlic in oil. Add Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce and bring to the boil. Turn heat down and add cream. Stir until thickened. 
Serve steak on top of mash potatoes and pour over sauce. 

These super easy sausage taco cups are great for kids.. Using the meat out of pre-made sausages gives them that already seasoned flavor. I make my sausage balls just a bit bigger than a maltesers, so they are bite sized for my little ones.

Ingredients:

8 sausages ( i use Irish pork sausages)
1 teaspoon Olive oil
24 Wonton Wrappers
2 cups Cheese, grated
Taco toppings of your choice ( we use lettuce, sour cream and tomato sauce)

Method:

Preheat oven to 180'c..
Squeeze the sausage meat out of the casing and roll into little meatballs (a little bit bigger than a malteser).
To a large frying pan add olive oil and heat on a medium heat. Add sausage meatballs and fry until golden and cooked through.
Spray 2 cupcake tins with cooking oil and line each hole with a wonton wrapper.  Bake wrappers for 8-10mins until golden and crisp. Remove from oven and top with your favorite taco fillings and cooked sausage meatballs.
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These delicious bites are so tasty. The texture of the soft bao bun with the crispy pork, sour pickled onions and crunchy, sweet carrot makes them the perfect bite.
These bao buns are perfect for parties and dinner parties. You can use pre-made buns or make them yourself. For this recipe i use pre made buns from costco as they were very cheap $6 for 24.

Ingredients:

1 packet Pork mince (approx 500g)
1 packet Taco seasoning
1 packet Bao Buns
1 Carrot, grated
pickled onions, sliced thinly
Grated Parmesan cheese to serve (if wanted)
Sauces to taste (we used sriracha & tomato)

Method:
Heat a large heavy frying pan over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Add pork and cook, breaking up with a spoon, for 3-4 mins or until pork is cooked through. Add taco seasoning and stir though until its all combined.  Spread pork in an even layer and cook, without moving, for 3 mins or until crisp underneath. Once mince is crisped to your liking. Turn off heat.
Cook bao buns using the packets instructions (we steamed ours in the microwave).
To serve open up bun and spread a thin layer of sauce, fill with crispy mince, carrot, pickled onion and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Serve whilst buns are still warm.
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A warm and comforting stew. A great dish to set and forget. Can be made in the slow cooker as well.

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
500g Gravy Beef, large dice
1 Brown Onion, diced
1 Carrot, diced
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
1 Tin Tomatoes
500ml Beef Stock
1/2 Cup Pearl Barley
2 Rosemary Sprigs

Method;

Heat oil in a large casserole dish over a medium heat. Cook the beef in batches, turning occasionally until browned. Transfer to a bowl. Add onion and carrot to a bowl and cook, stirring for 5mins or until onion softens. Add garlic and cook for 1min. Return the beef to the pan with the tomatoes, beef stock, barley and rosemary. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 2hrs, covered. Season well and serve.

A quick and tasty lunch. This mustard steak baguette is filled with and amazingly stick onion jam/sauce. Perfect for those days when you want maximum flavor/minimum time.

Ingredients: 

1 Baguette
Mixed Lettuce Leaves
Handful of Cheese
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Onions, thinly sliced
1 Rump Steak 
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tablespoon Wholegrain Mustard
2 Tablespoon Water

Method:

Cut the bread into 4 equal lengths, then cut each piece horizontally in half. Spread butter on each side and add some lettuce and cheese. 
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-15mins until softened and golden. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Increase the heat to high and add the remaining oil to the pan, when hot, add the steak, season with salt and pepper. Cook til your liking. Transfer steak to same plate as onions.
Add the Worcestershire sauce,mustard and water to the pan and stir to deglaze by scraping any sediment from the base of the pan. Return the onions to the pan, season and mix well. 
Thinly slice the steak and divide between the bread. Cover with the onions and Serve.

A heartwarming dinner with a bit of a twist. This Shepard's pie has lentils in it to bulk it up and a super tasty sweet potato topping. Tasty and good for you.

Ingredients:

1 Tin Brown Lentils, rinsed and drained
250g Lean Lamb Mince
1 Brown Onion, chopped
​1 Carrot, grated
2 Cloves Garlic, Crushed
200ml Beef Stock
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon Vegemite
1 Large Sweet Potato, peeled and chopped roughly
2 Tablespoons Greek Yoghurt
2 Tablespoons Chives, chopped

Method:

Preheat oven to 200'c. In a frying pan fry the mince until browned. Add the onions, carrots and garlic to the mince and stir for 5mins. Add the stock, worcestershire sauce, vegemite and lentils. Season well.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 10mins.
Whilst the sauce is simmering, steam the potatoes (I do this in my pressure cooker for 10mins). When potato is cooked, mash it together with the yoghurt. Add the chives and mix well.
Pour the mince mixture into an ovenproof dish, top with sweet potato mash and bake for 25 mins or until the top is golden.

Perfect nibble food. These skewers are super delish and really simple to make. A few good quality ingredients like prosciutto an mozzarella makes all the different.

Ingredients:

8 French bread slices
Extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
Fresh mozzarella slices
Roma tomato slices
Fresh basil leaves
4 Slices prosciutto , cut in half

Method:
Brush  the bread  lightly  with  olive  oil  and  season  with  Italian seasoning. Grill until lightly browned (about 3 minutes). To make the skewers layer toast, mozzarella, prosciutto, tomato and a fresh basil leaf. Bake at 180'c for about 5 minutes or until mozzarella just starts to melt. Garnish with extra fresh basil and serve hot.

Tip- You don't have to serve them hot, you can also serve them cold (perfect when making ahead).

Currywurst is a traditional German dish of sausages in a curry/tomato style sauce. This super moorish dish is perfect for winter, and kids will love it too. 

Ingredients:

8 Pork Sausages
½ Tablespoons Butter
¼ cup Tomato Sauce
¼ cup Water
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon Sugar
1 ­1/2 teaspoon Curry powder
½ teaspoon Onion powder
¼ teaspoon Smoked paprika 

Method:

Cook the sausages per the packages instructions. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan on medium ­low heat, melt the butter. Add the tomato sauce and water, stirring to combine. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, sugar, onion powder, paprika and 1 tsp. of the curry powder. You will have a thin sauce. Let the sauce simmer, stirring frequently, until it reduces, for about 4 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of your spoon. Remove from heat. Cut the sausages into pieces, Mix the sauce into the sausages and serve. 

If you're anything like my family, you always have a taco night each week. I always like to try new things for tea to keep the meals interesting and i've seen alot of these one pot meals with pasta. I thought id give it ago trying to combine pasta and tacos and i've created this Taco Pasta. It simple to make and tastes amazing! My husband was a big fan! The best thing about this dish is that its all in one, Create, make and serve all in the same pot! WINNING!

Ingredients:

500g Minced beef
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 Packet Taco/Mexican Seasoning
2 1/2 cups Water
1 cup Mild Salsa
250g Pasta (I used penne)
1 1/2 cups Shredded Cheese
Toppings - chopped tomatoes, crushed Doritos, sour cream, chives. spring onions (whatever you like)

Method:

Preheat a large pot over medium heat. Add beef mince and seasoning, season well. Cook, stirring occasionally until cooked thorough. Stir in water, salsa and uncooked pasta. Stir, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 12/15 minutes until pasta is tender. Turn off heat and stir in cheese. Serve with toppings.