Todays workshop turned out to be something of a lesson in resilience and how things can work out well anyway.

A few items were forgotten on the essential list, like the rice and the oil. Then what to do? The main ingredient for the day was a resilience attitude by everyone there. Things got worked out, alternatives were come up with, composure maintained, fun still had, community spirit put into action, happy hearts unruffled. And the result… ‘Most delicious workshop lunch ever!’

The ‘new improved’ flavour enhancer, resilience.

Deep Fried Spring Roll

Ingredients

• 1 cup of mung bean
• 1/2 cabbage
• 1 cup garlic chives
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 4 cups oil for frying – rice bran
• 2 packets spring roll skins (big sized sheets 25
• sheets per packet)
• 4 carrots
• 1/2 cup dried wood ear mushroom

METHOD

• wash and soak the mung beans for 2 hours and then drain them.
• wash and soak the wood ear fungus for 15 minutes
• cut off the hard stems of the wood ear fungus and finely chop them. Add to a large salad bowl.
• grate the carrots, add to the bowl.
• finely shred the cabbage, add to bowl.
• finely chop the garlic chives, add to bowl.
• in a large pot, add 5 tablespoons of oil. Add all the ingredients from the bowl and the mung beans.
• Stir fry for 10 minutes.
• Add the pepper, soy sauce
• cook for another 10 minutes
• Let the mixture cool down in a colander. Must be cool and drained before wrapping.
• in a small bowl with 1/2 cup of water add the plain
• flour to make a paste. This mix will be used to seal up the spring roll.

WRAPPING

• take the spring roll wraps out of the packet,
• Cut the lot in half diagonally.
• separate out each skin and cover with a damp cloth to prevent drying.
• spoon two tablespoons of the cold mixture onto the base of the triangle of a sheet. Roll over once.
• Fold in the sides, roll again, leaving the top triangle exposed.
• with your finger dip into the flour paste and paint the paste onto the
• edges of the exposed triangle fold over to seal.

FRYING

• In a deep saucepan add the oil for frying. Heat and test the
• temperature by using a wood chopstick or spoon. Put the chopstick onto the bottom of the pan. If bubbles appear, temp is good.
• Add about 10 spring rolls to the oil and fry until golden brown.
• fry all the spring rolls in batches

Shepherds Pie

INGREDIENTS

• Lamyong dried TVP Protein 1 cup
• Onions 4 finely chopped
• garlic chives 1 cup finely chopped
• carrots, 3 finely diced
• broad beans, 2 cups coarsely chopped
• turnip, 3 finely chopped
• soy sauce, 8 teaspoons
• Other vegetables on hand
• Potato, 2 Kg
• Tomato sauce, 1/2 cup
• Tomato paste, ½ cup
• soya milk, 1 cup
• oil, 5 teaspoons
• grated cheese, 2 cups
• black pepper, 2 tablespoons
• fresh herbs parsley, 1 cup finely chopped
• Water, 2 cups

METHOD

• Soak the TVP for 10-15 minutes, then rinse under running water.
• Drain and squeeze out excess water
• Potatoes, wash, cut to size to boil for mashed potatoes,
• Cook the potatoes in boiling water until soft to a fork test.
• Drain the water, add the oil and pepper to the potatoes and mash. Add the soy milk to make the mashed potatoes fluffy by mixing.
• In a large saucepan, add the oil to and brown the onions
• Add carrots, broad beans, turnip and other seasonal vegetables on hand.
• Cook the vegetables for 10 minutes
• Add the tomato and soy sauces and tomato paste. Add black pepper.
• Add the water
• Simmer to reduce, for 30 minutes
• Add the parsley to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes
• Pour the mixture into an oven proof dish, spread the mashed potatoes evenly, and top with the cheese.
• Place the dish into the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes at 230 deg celcius

Penny’s Fried Rice

INGREDIENTS

• 500g frozen corn, peas and carrot mix.
• six cups of cooked rice
• one onion
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 250g packet of veg tuna
• 4 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons mushroom soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons oil

METHOD

• finely chop the onion
• add oil to fry pan and heat, then add the onions until browned
• add the veg tuna and fry for 5 minutes
• add the corn, pea and carrot mix and stir for 5 min
• add the soy sauces and pepper, stir through the rice
• ready to serve.