Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 500g yacon, peeled and cut in 2cm pieces
• 500g orange sweet potato, peeled and cut in 2cm pieces
• 2 boned, skinned, chicken breast halves, cut in 2cm cubes
• 1 400ml can coconut milk
• 2-3 teaspoons Thai green curry paste
• 2 Tablespoons Thai fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• ½ cup vegetable broth or water
• 250g green beans
• 2 shredded kaffir lime leaves (optional)
• ¼ cup shredded fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped coriander

Method:
Prepare and chop all ingredients before you begin cooking. Take a large lidded frypan and place it on medium high. Most coconut milk will have a heavy layer of cream that rises to the top. This is a good cooking oil, scoop out a spoonful and place in pan. Add garlic and stir, as soon as you smell the garlic cooking, add yacon and sweet potato, cook for five minutes, stirring several times. Add chicken, coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce, sugar and kaffir lime. Stir well. Turn heat down to medium low and cover. Cook gently for five minutes and add broth and green beans. Continue cooking for ten minutes. Stir in basil. If beans and sweet potato are tender and cooked, remove from heat. Taste and add more curry paste if needed or more broth if sauce seems dry. Stir in coriander and serve. Total cooking time is 20-25 minutes.

Ingredients for Marinade:

• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• ½ turmeric root
• 3cm piece of fresh ginger
• 3 coriander plants with roots
• 1/2 small red chilli – seeds removed
• 1/3 cup tamari
• 1-2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2-3 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 cup water

Ingredients for Vegetables:

• 1 small cassava tuber
• 6 arrowroot tubers
• 2 cocoyam tubers
• 2 sweet potatoes

Method:
Cut all tubers into required sized, boil cassava and cocoyam tubers.
Starting with the dry marinade ingredients in either a mortar and pestle or food processor, combine peppercorns, garlic, turmeric, ginger and chilli. Add sauces to mixture. Taste and add extra tamari, lemon juice or honey to balance the flavour.

Place all vegies in a bowl and pour marinade over – toss well to coat all pieces. Place vegies in baking tray, pour over rest of marinade, cover tray with baking paper then alfoil to seal.

Bake in oven @ 180 for half an hour. Turn vegies and bake further half hour until cooked. Remove baking paper and foil and brown for 15-20 minutes extra.

Sprouting the chestnuts:

Place them in a tray of dry grass and water them regularly. One week later, the sprouts are 8-10cm high and ready to eat. These sprouts have a fresh, crunchy, nutty taste and are absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon minced ginger
• 2 cups Malabar chestnut sprouts, cut into 2cm lengths
• 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 3 tablespoons coconut milk
• A pinch of sugar
• 1 tablespoon crushed roasted peanuts, garnish

Method:
Heat a small pan with oil and butter over medium to high heat.
Add garlic and ginger, sauté for 1 minute, then stir in sprouts, oyster sauce, coconut milk, and sugar. Continue stirring for 3-4 minutes.
Serve garnished with roasted peanuts.

Ingredients:

• 1kg cassava root, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 cloves roasted garlic
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 red capsicum, chopped

Method:
In a large saucepan cover cassava with 5cm water, add salt. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, cover and let simmer until cassava is fork-tender but still intact. Drain cassava.
Heat oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Add cassava and stir occasionally for 5 minutes. Add garlic and lemon juice; toss to coat vegetables evenly. Cook for a further 2 minutes. Add coriander and capsicum, toss just to mix then transfer to a warm serving platter.

Ingredients:

• Bunch of Brazilian spinach leaves
• 1 cup basil leaves
• 3-4 large cloves of garlic
• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 2 cups macadamia nuts
• Juice of half a lemon

Method:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. If the mixture is a bit thick, you can add a small amount of water, a bit at a time, until it looks right. Serve with sliced yacon.