Bulgogi - Korean Barbequed Beef (includes Thermomix instructions)

This is a delicious way of cooking beef on a barbeque - the marinade makes the meat really tender.

Listed at number 23 of the world's 50 most delicious foods (from a reader's poll in CNN Go - have a look here if you're intrigued as to what else is on it) - if you're a lover of all things beefy and barbecued and keen on Asian flavours this is something you might want to try!

         

If you fancy something a little different, but not too 'out there', this is a great way to cook rump* steak. One of the tastiest cuts of steak, it is also from a hard-working muscle which means it is not the most tender steak - however in this dish, the Asian pear in the marinade really tenderises the meat. And on top of this, it's packed full of robust Asian flavours - garlic, ginger, soy and onions, with a hint of sweetness (and all you need to do is blitz up all the ingredients for the marinade in a food processor or blender - so it's easy to prepare too!).

Serves four people, at 287 calories per serving.

Miso-Sesame Grilled Aubergines (Eggplants)

Aubergines, Japanese style!

Great vegetarian main or side dish – even my children loved it  and scoffed the lot, which surprised me as one of them is not too keen on aubergine! Goes well with some form of pickles, or acidic salad (e.g. my Japanese Pickles, Cucumber-Radish Pickles, Cucumber and Wakame Seaweed Salad (Sunomono)) on the side, as it’s quite rich-tasting.

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Serves 2 as a main dish or four as a side dish; 88 calories per serving (aubergine half) as a side dish, 174 calories per serving for a main course.

Steamed Chilli Chicken (or Tofu) cooked with Sea-Spiced Aubergines and Rice - Thermomix Method

These are quite simple dishes to make in themselves. (If you want the non-thermomix methods, go here for the Steamed Chilli Chicken recipe, and here for the Sea-Spiced Aubergines recipe). You can cook them all together in your Thermomix, and just finish off the aubergines in the sauce in a wok at the end while the chicken is resting and keeping warm in the Varoma.

The quantities given for the chicken serves two people as a main dish for 161 calories per serving, and you could easily double this if you're feeding more. If you prefer, substitute firm tofu (you can press wrapped in clean muslin for 20 minutes first, to firm up a little more, before cubing), and omit the blanching stage as not necessary. The quantities given for the aubergine serves four as a main, or six to eight as a side (depending on how hungry you are! Its 84 calories for a quarter of this quantity.), and I have cooked it in greater quantities because it freezes and re-heats well, and is great stirred into stir-fried noodles the next day, with some poultry, or meat of your choice and a handful of beansprouts, or similar! However, feel free to halve the quantities if you only want to make enough for two without lefteovers. The aubergines are also great as an accompaniment to dishes such as home-made Char Siu Pork or a smoked dish such as Tea-Smoked Chicken or duck.

Sea-spiced Aubergines

The correct translation of this very-popular Sichuan dish, is 'fish-fragrant' aubergines, but I tend to think people are more familiar with 'sea-spiced', which doesn't give the incorrect impression that there is any actual fish in the dish (the term comes from using flavours often used to cook fish with).

This quantity would serve four as a vegetarian main dish, or six to eight as a vegetable side dish, or as a selection of Chinese dishes and it's a great accompaniment to a drier dish (like a steamed dish such as my Steamed Chilli Chicken, maybe some home-made Char Siu Pork or a smoked dish such as Tea-Smoked Chicken or duck). This entire quantity is only 337 calories, making it 84 calories per serving for a main, and only 42 to 56 calories for a side dish (depending on whether serving between eight or six people).

Unlike some Chinese dishes, it freezes and re-heats well - the next day I tossed some of it with some cooked noodles and stir-fried mince with a little extra light soy and sesame to make another really quick and tasty dish (see notes below for noodle ideas using this)!