Thai fish cakes

These tasty fish cakes are a popular Thai dish that can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator. They are perfect for entertaining, as they can be cooked indoors or on a barbecue and are easy to pass around at parties.

Lamb and plum wraps

Packed with crisp raw vegetables and juicy fruit slices, these wraps make a refreshing alternative to duck in this popular Chinese snack. They are ideal for entertaining because the lamb is equally good served hot or at room temperature, while [...]

Steamed vegetables with peanut dip

This healthy snack combines the natural flavours of lightly steamed crisp vegetables with a deliciously tasty peanut sauce. It is a great way of using leftover vegetables and can be adapted to include any fresh produce that is in season.

Typecast

When a teacher asked my six-year-old nephew why his handwriting wasn’t as neat as usual, he responded, “I’m trying a new font.”

Pleated seafood dumplings

With a bit of practice, these Chinese-style dumplings are simple and fun to prepare. Served warm with a dipping sauce, they make a wonderfully tasty snack or appetiser. And because they are steamed, they are light, low fat and healthy.

Hand-rolled sushi

This type of sushi (temaki zushi) is great fun as all the ingredients are prepared beforehand and guests make their own sushi, without the need for sushi mats. The sushi should be eaten as soon as it's made. Provide each guest with a finger bowl [...]

Soup of leafy greens and herbs

Not only is this soup delicious, but you can almost feel those vitamin-packed leafy greens doing you good as you eat it. Hearty but not too heavy, it is a wonderful dish for summer and autumn. You can use all sorts of greens – simply adjust the [...]

Vegetable soup with fragrant pesto

This soup is based on pistou, the classic French soup from Provence. Laden with vegetables and pasta, and flavoured with pesto, the delicious basil and parmesan sauce, it makes a fabulous change from minestrone, its Italian counterpart. French [...]

Vietnamese broth with noodles

Punchy flavours and aromatic ingredients transform a light broth into an exotic dish that makes a substantial starter or a light meal. The ingredients are not fried before being simmered – making this a great low-fat soup – so select [...]

Courting disaster

I mentioned to an unmarried friend of mine – an attorney – that he should attend a working singles mixer for lawyers. He hated the idea. “Why,” he asked,” would I want to start a relationship with someone who’s been trained to argue for a living?”

Silver lining

After one glance at my updated driver’s licence photo, I said the first thing that came to mind: “Ugghhh!” “What’s wrong?” asked the clerk behind the counter. “I look ancient in this picture!” I said. “Well, look at the bright side,” she [...]

A little on the nose

I work at a garden centre and was tickled to overhear one customer saying to another: “I never knew what compost was until I met husband.”

Cinnamon banana caramels

Any fruit can be used to make this instant version of crème brûlée. The fruit is topped with Greek style yogurt - a lower-fat alternative to thick cream, very handy to have in the fridge for serving with desserts - then topped with raw sugar and [...]
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