Nasi Goreng

This is a traditional Indonesian rice dish, which is served for breakfast. It is similar to the Chinese fried rice, but with the addition of a Nasi Goreng paste (obviously). this is a spicy paste made with chilli and garlic. You can make your own and there are loads of recipes available on the Internet, but I bought mine from my my local Thai shop. Cooked rice is fried with the paste and vegetables. I also added chicken, but this is not authentic, but can make it into a more substantial meal. Traditionally it is topped with a fried egg and crispy fried onions, as seen in the picture. Having never been to Indonesia, I can't comment on the authenticity of the dish, but I can categorically state that it is delicious. I often find fried rice to be a bit bland but this is really nice without being too spicy. The paste I used is this one:

 Unfortunately, there are no instructions on the jar, so it's simply a case of trial and error, but simply fried with some cooked rice will also make a tasty quick dinner.

Shin of beef with ginger and soy sauce

This recipe was take form Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Every Day book which can also be found here. It really nice and not too fiery despite the addition of chillies. The long, slow cooking makes the beef meltingly soft and shin of beef is a very economically priced cut which means that this could make a great alternative to a traditional Sunday dinner. I served it here, as suggested by Hugh, with noodles and cavalo nero, but i have served it with rice before which is lovely for soaking up the flavourful sauce.It does take quite a while to cook, but once it's on then it can be left, there is little preparation, especially if you get your butcher to chop the meat for you. this means once it's in the oven (or on the stove on a low heat) you can be doing other things while the gorgeous aromas fill your kitchen.  This has long been an addition to my repertoire and I think that if you try it, it will soon become and addition to yours!!