San choy bau

• 1 iceberg lettuce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced diagonally
• 500g pork mince
• 1 small carrot, peeled, grated
• 1 zucchini, grated
• 1 small red capsicum, deseeded, finely diced
• 125g can corn kernels, drained
• 1/3 cup Oyster Sauce
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce

Method

1. With core of lettuce facing down, bang core on a flat surface. This will make it easy to remove whole core by twisting and pulling out. Remove damaged outer leaves. Discard. Separate leaves and place in a large bowl of icy cold water. Refrigerate until required.

2. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add green onions. Cook for 1 minute. Increase heat to high. Add pork. Cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until browned.

3. Add carrot, zucchini, capsicum and corn. Stir well. Combine oyster sauce and tomato sauce in a jug. Add to mince mixture. Stir well. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat. Simmer for 2 minutes.

4. Drain lettuce leaves. Pat dry with paper towel. Place lettuce cups on a platter. Spoon mince mixture into lettuce cups. Serve

Easter Cake!

From Taste.com.au

(this is their picture)

Photography by Ben Dearnley

This is my cake, made for my son M who had his first communion on Easter Sunday.

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 350g unsalted butter, softened
• 350g caster sugar
• 6 eggs
• 350g self-raising flour, sifted
• 1/4 tsp pink food colouring
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbs cocoa powder

• Icing

• 500g cream cheese
• 180g unsalted butter
• 300g (2 cups) pure icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 8-10 small chocolate eggs, to decorate

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base of two 22cm round cake pans with baking paper.

2. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until just combined. Fold in the flour with a large metal spoon and divide the mixture evenly between 2 bowls. Add the pink food colouring to one bowl, and the cinnamon and cocoa to the other. Stir each to combine. Place the pink mixture in one pan and the chocolate mixture in the other, spreading each mixture evenly.

3. Bake on same shelf in the oven for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside to cool slightly, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

4. Meanwhile, to make the icing, place the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl and use an electric hand beater to beat until smooth.

5. Halve the cakes horizontally by using a sharp knife to slice through centre of each cake. Spread 3 tablespoons of icing on one cake half and place a different coloured half on top. Spread with another 3 tablespoons of icing, then repeat the process. Use the remaining icing to completely cover the cake. Use a fork to make zigzag lines over the surface of the icing. Decorate perimeter of cake with eggs.

Taste was excellent! The cream cheese icing was the best part. A bit fiddley to make, but worth it. Mine was not as chocolately as the picture looked.