What makes a meal taste great?

WHAT makes a meal taste great? Good ingredients, of course, but you need plenty of flavour.

cumin chicken

WHAT makes a meal taste great? Good ingredients, of course, but you need plenty of flavour.

Stock your pantry and fridge with basic herbs, spices and sauces and you'll always be able to whip up a tasty meal. Here, ginger, garlic, five-spice, cumin, chilli sauce and chilli flakes create three great weeknight meals.

- Michelle Southan, Australian Good Taste

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CUMIN CHICKEN AND PUMPKIN WITH WARM CHICKPEA SALSA

Serves 4

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Skills: Basic

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes

2 large (about 600g) chicken breast fillets, halved lengthways

1 tbsp olive oil

850g Kent pumpkin, cut into wedges

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 small brown onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 1/2 tbsp currants

400g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained

1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves

1 tbsp lemon zest

Combine cumin and chilli in a bowl. Sprinkle half over chicken with 1 teaspoon oil.

Place pumpkin in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover. Cook on high for 6 minutes or until just tender. Pat dry. Drizzle over 1 teaspoon oil. Season.

Heat a barbecue grill or chargrill on medium-high. Cook the pumpkin, turning, for 6-8 minutes or until tender. Cook chicken, turning, for 5-6 minutes or until cooked.

Drizzle over 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Stir in onion, garlic, currants and the remaining spice mix for 4 minutes. Stir in chickpeas for 3 minutes or until warm. Stir in coriander, lemon zest and remaining lemon juice.

Season. Cut the pumpkin and chicken into pieces. Serve with the warm chickpea salsa.

For a different flavour twist, replace the pumpkin with thickly sliced sweet potato and the lemon zest with orange zest.

Recipe: Katrina Woodman

Picture: Jeremy Simons

WINE MATCH

Trentham La Famiglia Sangiovese Rose 2012 - $14

The sunniness of a quality rose partners very happily with the sweet flavours of roast pumpkin and the warmth of cumin. With aromatics that hint at strawberry and cherry and a light, but firm structure this tangy rose doesn't get in the way of the food.

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FISH POCKETS

Serves 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Skills: Basic

1/4 cup sweet chilli sauce

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger

1 garlic clove, crushed

4 (about 150g each) white fish fillets

1 red capsicum, halved, seeded, thinly sliced

3 shallots, trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally

1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves

Fresh coriander sprigs, to serve

Steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Steamed green round beans, to serve

Preheat oven to 200C. Cut four 40cm-long pieces of non-stick baking paper.

Combine sweet chilli sauce, lime juice, fish sauce, ginger and garlic in a small jug.

Divide fish fillets among the centres of the paper.

Top with the sweet chilli sauce mixture, capsicum, shallot and coriander leaves.

Bring the two long sides of the paper together and fold over twice. Fold the ends over to enclose the filling.

Place parcels on a large baking tray and bake for 10 minutes or until the fish flakes when tested with a fork.

Top the fish with coriander sprigs. Serve with rice and green beans.

Recipe: Miranda Farr

WINE MATCH

Xanadu Next of Kin Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2012 - $18

WITH flavours of chilli, lime, ginger and coriander in this recipe, a subtle white would get lost. This Thai-inspired dish is perfect for a sauvignon blanc/semillon blend. Here the sauvignon blanc provides fresh flavours and aromas and the semillon gives a fish friendly structure.

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SPICED PORK WITH FRIED BROWN RICE

Serves 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Skills: Basic

2 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice

2 (about 250g each) pork fillets

3cm-piece fresh ginger, peeled, cut into matchsticks

200g snow peas, halved diagonally

150g sugar snap peas

6 spring onions (shallots), thinly sliced

300g (2 cups) cooked long-grain brown rice

2 tbsp dry sherry

2 tsp tamari or soy sauce

Thinly sliced long fresh red chilli, to serve

Strips of spring onion (shallot), to serve

Preheat oven to 180C. Combine the sesame oil and Chinese five-spice in a dish. Add pork and stir to coat. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes to marinate.

Heat a large frypan over high heat. Cook pork for 2 minutes each side or until browned. Transfer to a baking tray. Roast for 10-12 minutes for medium or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate. Cover with foil. Set aside for at least 5 minutes to rest.

Meanwhile, heat a wok over high heat. Spray with olive oil. Stir-fry the ginger for 1 minute. Stir in snow peas and sugar snap peas for 2 minutes. Stir in sliced spring onion for 1 minute.

Add rice, sherry and tamari. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until rice is heated through.

Slice pork. Divide fried rice among bowls. Top with pork, chilli and spring onion strips.

TIP: Yes, brown rice takes slightly longer to cook but the big reward is a nuttier taste and chewier texture, plus lots of bonus nutrients.

It is an excellent source of manganese for healthy bones and provides magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin E, protein and fibre.

Recipe: Chrissy Freer

WINE MATCH

Riddoch Coonawarra Merlot 2010 - $20

THE magic behind this match is that the wine provides a foil for the flavours in the spiced pork to bounce off. The satsuma plum and red berry flavours enhance the spice of the pork and the nutty texture of the fried brown rice. This merlot is no pushover and should easily cope with the big flavours in this dish.