--- airs weeknights on SBS Food (Ch.33) at 7.00pm. All episodes are available anytime on SBS On Demand. For more recipes from Adam Liaw, pick up a copy of ; Hardie Grant (RRP$45) the sequel to Adam Liaw's bestselling recipe collection, featuring 80 new recipes from The Cook Up ---
Adam Liaw, author and TV presenter, has been dishing up every weeknight, sharing his love for food with other food-loving friends. From classic recipes to those that pay homage to his Asian heritage, Adam has produced hundreds of recipes over the past three seasons of The Cook Up.
INGENIOUS BREAKFASTS
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Yet we spend the least amount of time preparing and eating breakfast. Here are some breakfast ideas from Adam to brighten up your day. Say goodbye to breakfast boredom!
Falafel lovers! Here's another way to eat one of your favourite foods! In this version, the ingredients are blended and cooked into fluffy pancakes.
Falafel pancakes Source: Adam Liaw
How about a traditional Japanese breakfast for a change? Made up of rice, miso soup, pickles and a protein – most commonly, grilled fish or an omelette, it is nutritionally well-balanced to start your day.
Source: Adam Liaw
The sauce contains all the signature ingredients of the cocktail. Pour it over a stack of sourdough, crisp bacon and soft scrambled eggs, for a unique and delicious start to your morning.
Bloody Mary bacon and eggs Source: Adam Liaw
Bored with your usual scrambled eggs? Black garlic may do the trick. it's aged garlic, with rich, sweet-and-savoury, almost molasses-like flavour. Combine with the egg and butter for creamy scrambled eggs.
Scrambled eggs on black garlic bread Source: Adam Liaw
By law, these easy pancakes can only be eaten on a Sunday. Of course, we kid, but these really are tailor-made for a lazy Sunday brunch.
Drizzling maple syrup over pancakes is a great move. But have you tried the ingredient in other ways? Source: Adam Liaw
These baked beans are the slow-cooked type made with dried beans, tomatoes, herbs and seasoning and cooked until rich and aromatic.
Red wine baked beans Source: Adam Liaw
LIGHT FANTASTIC
Whether it's quick lunch or a light dinner, having a repertoire of recipes that is not too heavy, healthy and delicious is a good idea. From baked potato soup to ratatouille slice and chicken sausage poule au pot, here are some light meal ideas that won’t fill you out!
Harissa, honey and lemon come together in a dressing that makes this salad really memorable. Bread and tomatoes are perfect salad partners – one juicy, and one to soak up the juices.
Tomato and garlic bread salad Source: Adam Liaw
Onigirazu is a sushi sandwich. It's very, very simple, yet there is an endless possibility of fillings, from meat to fish even your leftover stir fry. This one is a simple tuna mayonnaise, but put your creative hats on and enjoy!
Onigirazu is basically a sushi sandwich. Source: SBS
The classic French way to use up summer produce (tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini) just got a frittata-like makeover. It's easy to make and ideal for picnics and bring-a-plate parties.
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It's go-to recipepe for your busy weeknights that comes together in around 30 minutes. With plenty of veggie goodness and flavours, second serves are guaranteed!
Quick pork and mushroom stew with vermicelli Source: Kitti Gould
Baking potatoes before turning them into soup works like any other roast vegetable soup – it gives the soup a slightly deeper and nuttier flavour that works the extra wait time.
Baked potato soup Source: Adam Liaw
Cooking the tomatoes until a little blackened adds depth to their flavour and turns up their best sweet and savoury qualities. The tartness of the salsa is just the thing for golden-edged, cheese-filled pastries.
Cheese triangles with cherry tomato sauce Source: Kitti Gould
FAMILY FAVOURITES
Being a father himself, Adam knows all too well, dishes that do well with children and families. Whether it's potato gem shepherd's pie, yakitori skewers or ten-minute cheeseburgers, these are quick and easy recipes that your whole family will love.
Punchy green mustard is the perfect balancing act for dipping in crisp, rich and juicy pieces of pork belly. You will need to begin this recipe 1 day ahead.
Pork belly with green mustard Source: Adam Liaw
This simple dish hits all the right notes: tangy tomato rice, sweet and savoury caramelised beef, and crunchy fresh lettuce. What’s more, it comes together in just 10 minutes.
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The punchiness of chimichurri – with its parsley and garlic foundations – is just the thing for this juicy barbecue chicken with its deeply caramelised edge. One to have up your sleeve for summer entertaining.
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Yakitori (grilled chicken) is the most well-known of Japanese grilled skewers, but yaki-ton (grilled pork) is just as beloved. This pork is soaked in a Japanese marinade before grilling, to make it flavourful as well as succulent.
Ginger pork skewers Source: Adam Liaw
Here's a clever way to turn potato gems into a crowd-winning dish, with plenty of vegetables and flavours.
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This sweet-and-sour pork from Harbin in northeastern China is a little lighter and less sweet than its Cantonese counterpart and is twice-fried for a crispier coating.
Guo bao rou (Dongbei-style sweet and sour pork) Source: Kitti Gould
A good burger need not be arduous, or bought. Adam Liaw shares his 10-minute version with a homemade burger sauce and easy patties.
Source: Adam Liaw
Curried sausages have been an Aussie family favourite for decades, but have you ever tried them with a Japanese twist?
Source: Adam Liaw
Dry curry is a Japanese curry made with mince, Japanese curry roux and vegetables. It's a popular homemade and cafe meal, served with steamed rice and beni shoga (pickled ginger) – and, as in this case, a soft-boiled egg.
Dry curry mince Source: Adam Liaw
There's little more comforting, or satisfying, than sinking into a fresh, hot chicken pie. Using frozen pastry takes the hardest step out of the process, and from there it's quite easy.
Source: Danielle Abou Karam
MEAT FREE
Whether you're a dedicated vegetarian or trying to cut down on meat, these meat-free recipe ideas from Adam will brighten up your weekday dinners. Full of protein and flavours, you are missing out if you haven't tried them.
Looking for an entree with a twist, or for a new snack to serve with drinks? This is your answer. Quick to make, the battered asparagus spears have a good balance of softness and crunch, sweetness and salt.
Source: Adam Liaw
A nourishing side dish or a satisfying, light main, agedashi tofu is tofu in a light batter and served in a clean-tasting soy sauce broth.
Source: Adam Liaw
Whole cauliflower is a popular alternative to a meat roast – when roasted, it becomes juicy and sweet on the inside with a crisp shell. With extra richness coming from the cheesy sauce, you certainly won't miss the meat.
Roast cauliflower with zucchini cheese sauce Source: Adam Liaw
From the freezer to your dinner table in just 25 minutes, this verdant soup gets a pop of colour and crunch with a topping of corn and croutons.
Frozen pea soup Source: Adam Liaw
Liven up your vegetable sides with the spicy fried broccoli. The trick is that half the spice mix goes into the coating and the other half is toasted and used to finish the broccoli.
Spicy fried broccoli Source: Adam Liaw
This bulked-out guacamole takes it from a condiment to a side dish, perfect alongside barbecued meats, fried halloumi or just served with a few tortillas.
Source: Danielle Abou Karam
PIZZA & PASTA
From kids to adults, everyone loves pizza and pasta! But if you tend to cook the same recipes, here is some inspiration from Adam, to cook and repeat. From the classic Margherita pizza to umami bolognese, these will be a hit.
Upgrade your tomato pasta by roasting cherry tomatoes with olives, olive oil, oregano, garlic and chilli until the tomatoes are warm and wrinkled – and then stirring through the sweet and salty mix with fresh basil leaves.
Roasted cherry tomato and olive pasta Source: Adam Liaw
Once you master this simple pizza dough and sauce recipe, you'll never want to eat takeaway again.
Classic Margherita pizza Source: Kitti Gould
Chinese Lion's Head Meatballs (the name comes from their grand size) get an Italian makeover in this take on spaghetti bolognese.
Lion's Head Meatball Bolognese Source: Adam Liaw
Caramelising the onion before adding the rest of the ingredients in this simple pasta dish creates a deep, rich flavour base you won't be mad about.
Tuna tomato pasta Source: Adam Liaw
Adam makes his rose spaghetti - a smooth blend of creamy and tart-tomato flavours.
Source: Adam Liaw
You don’t need to be vegan to enjoy this. The key is hitting the umami as often as you can
Source: Danielle Abou Karam
WOK
The wok is an ingenious tool that allows faster cooking with less oil. Here are some ingenious wok recipes from Adam, from noodles to stir-fry, they're perfect for weeknight dinners. Once you master the basics, you'll be whipping up restaurant-style dishes every time!
Featuring a cup of fresh basil leaves, this recipe is a great option when you're blessed with an abundance of the herb. The anise flavour of basil works in harmony with the sweetness of prawns and the richness of the oyster sauce.
Prawns with chilli and basil Source: Adam Liaw
Everyone needs another reliable stir-fry recipe, so here's one of pork belly and capsicum cooked in a simple and flavourful Chinese-style marinade.
Pork belly with ginger and red capsicum Source: Adam Liaw
For when you want a new variation on your go-to fried chicken recipe, this southern Indian classic stands out for its spice-edged marinade and topping of crispy fried curry leaves.
Chicken 65 Source: Adam Liaw
Ebi means prawn in Japanese, and 'ebichiri' is a popular local dish of prawns stir-fried in chilli sauce; 'ebimayo' is prawns sautéed in an umami-rich Japanese mayonnaise-based sauce.
Ebichiri and ebimayo Source: Adam Liaw
The sweet soy sauce here is something Adam has in the fridge at all times. His kids love it drizzled over grilled salmon or chicken, and it matches very well with the sweetness of seafood in this noodles marinara.
Noodles marinara Source: Kitti Gould
In this stir-fry take on the Scottish soup, the key ingredients (chicken and leek) get an Asian spin, with Shaoxing wine, soy sauce and ginger.
Cock-a-leekie stir-fry Source: Adam Liaw
SWEET
From single malt cheesecake to maple and cinnamon beavertails, Tonight's Dinner 2 features many easy-to-replicate sweets from The Cook Up. Bake for your loved ones, or bake with your family, these recipes are sure to bring smiles to everybody's faces.
A slug of whisky adds a delightfully boozy, caramelly edge to this classic cheesecake.
Single malt cheesecake Source: Adam Liaw
This is an easy twist on a classic pav – just add a few teaspoons of matcha powder to the whipped cream, which will give itpleasanttly grassy flavour that pairs perfectly with fresh berries.
Source: Adam Liaw
Storebought sponge never looked so good. The finishing touches are what make this birthday cake a hip-hip-hooray moment!
Adam Liaw birthday traycake Source: Kitti Gould
These simple crumbles are crafted using a cored apple as a base, building the nutty, spiced crumble atop.
Source: Adam Liaw
Corn flakes bring a touch of nostalgia as well as a crunchy element to this vanilla-scented cake. Serve with silky whipped cream to add a smooth texture to the mix.
Honey crackle cake Source: Adam Liaw
If you love the mango pancakes you get at yum cha, this cake version will knock your socks off.
Source: Danielle Abou Karam
Part cookie, part cake – behold the skillet cookie. This giant choc-chip cookie is cooked in a cast-iron frying pan to give it a warm and gooey centre with a crisp shell.
Double chocolate and pecan skillet cookie Source: Adam Liaw
The classic American strawberry shortcake is closer to what we would call a scone than a cake. In Japan, it’s made with a soft and pillowy sponge that is quite unrecognisable from the rustic country kitchen American version. Whichever your preference, it’s not a bad idea to start with the original. For one, it’s a much easier cake to make.
Strawberry shortcake Source: Adam Liaw/Danielle Abou Karam
For lovers of a Danish butter cookie, you can now enjoy indulging in these vanilla cupcakes topped with Danish butter cookie icing and topped with an extra cookie for good measure.
Danish butter cookie cupcakes Source: Adam Liaw
This spin on tiramisu skips the coffee and amps up the chocolate factor – savoiardi sponge biscuits are dipped in cooled hot chocolate, then layered with a whip of cream, mascarpone and vanilla for a chilled comfort dessert.
Hot chocolate tiramisu Source: Kitti Gould
