35 minute read
driven apart Real-life reads Dad’s
from grrgs q223
by loopedsaxe3
News exclusive
Halayna was the light of any family gathering.
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Above: Halayna at age 16, teaching her dad to take selfies.
The victim
HALAYNA SHOULD ST Grieving dad s
Losing his daughter and her unborn child to violence has ripped Darren’s family apart T wo minutes before she lost her life, pregnant te enager Halayna Wagstaff desperately tried to escape the vice-like grip of her boyfriend. The 17-year-old, urged by others to take her partner Jason Anaru-Emery home from a party, had already been attacked by him earlier in the evening. He’d grabbed her by her neck and thrown her around a room in front of others. Now parked up on the main street of Te Puke, the athletic teen made a desperate dash for freedom, opening her car door and running away from the father of her unborn child, only to b e caught and dragged back into the front seat. According to evidence given in the Hamilton High Court, no-one can be sure who was behind the wheel that winter’s nigh t two years ago when the car sped out of the small Bay of Plenty township so fast it shook an oncoming van. But 90 seconds later it had careened out of control, smashing into a metal guard rail of a bridge on the outskirts of town before going down a bank, only stopping when it hit a concrete power pole. Halayna’s injuries were unsurvivable, her heart bursting the moment her body struck the dashboard.
It’s those last tragic minutes of her life that grieving father Darren Wagstaff, 47, would give anything to have saved his daughter from.
He’s talked to a mate who saw the couple’s car drive erratically along the main road, and even forced himself to watch the gut-wrenching footage of the deadly smash. “I hit the bottle for three days,” the dad-of-six admits. Darren is a man with a broken heart, wishing desperately his strong and stubborn middle daughter with a phenomenal smile had confided in him before she paid the ultimate price. In the 18 months following her death, he claims many knew Halayna had suffered at the hands of her boyfriend. And he wishes the abuse she suffered had not been shrouded in secrecy. “This code that your friends know but don’t tell ... Friends need to tell because that’s being a true friend,” he insists. “If you know there’s violence, then don’t hold that code of silence. “I understand the code of silence in friendship, but there are times things just really, really need to be spoken about.” It’s been a difficult time for the
Tauranga rugby league stalwart –he’s faced a marriage break-up, financial hardship, the death of a grandchild at birth and now he’s coming to terms with the tragic loss of Halayna. Trying to make sense of why his newly pregnant daughter, her sister and her friends kept quiet about what he now believes was an increasingly violent relationship, he acknowledges there were tell-tale signs, but any attempt to address the issue was rebuffed by his daughter. “I don’t think the violence was right from the start but came a few months in,” alleges Darren. “I had a suspicion after three or four months and I even talked to her about it. She said, ‘Dad, you know I can deal with it myself,’ but he must have broken her. “She had bruises on her arms that I knew were not normal bruises. Her sister told me that Jason had punched her in the arm. People are still too scared to tell me everything, so I’m still finding things out slowly.”
A father lost: “That banter that we had. I really miss her,” says Darren.
ILL BE HERE Grieving dad s peaks out
➥Darren says the young couple, who had known each other since meeting at Te Puke Intermediate, had only been with each other for a year and nothing seemed amiss to start with. “They had a crush on each other at school but never went out,” says Darren. “They met up at a party and started going out. He seemed a really, really nice boy. He helped me shift house. I didn’t know the other side of it.” Darren claims that he has since discovered his daughter, who had a rocky start to life –born three months early with a heart condition and weighing just 840g –was planning to get out of the relationship. “They had bought tickets to Perth and were flying out the following week, saying they wanted a change of life. Then this happened. But I later found out she was going to go there and come back to get away from him.” But the relationship ended on a far more tragic note, and
➥
If you are experiencing or witnessing domestic violence, please contact one of the following services for information, advice and support. If you are in immediate danger, call the police on 111. Are You OK: 0800 456 450 Shine: 0508 744 633 Women’s Refuge: 0800 733 843 T EXT: LYNLEY WARD. PICTURES: MAREE WILKINSON. STYLING: ROBYNE DOWDALL. Darren says he’s not spoken to Halayna’s partner since he turned up at her tangi and put a positive pregnancy test in her coffin. “It says in the Bible that you’ve got to forgive, to move on. At the moment, I can’t. It sounds so wrong, but I can’t,” he says, his voice cracking with emotion. “I’m struggling to deal with it. I’m just starting to grieve now.” He says there is a gaping hole since his daughter died, with everyone dearly missing the girl whose generous spirit was the glue that bound the family unit. “She was very strong,” he tells. “She would help anyone. She’d bring friends home and say, ‘This is my friend,’ and they w ould end up staying a couple of days. Then I would find out later the girls had problems with their parents. “Her smile was just phenomenal,” he continues. “It was genuine. It came from the heart. She had such a love for life. Her nickname was ‘Boof’ because she never went around –she always went over or straight through. She did that in life too. “She was the heart of the family, the one that kept us together. Her brothers and sisters are missing her terribly.” Darren says the family held a three-day celebration of what sho uld have been Halayna’s 18th birthday in November, four months after her death. “W e had a big party here for her,” he recalls. “We set up a big tent and it went all weekend. We invited family and made a birthday cake for her. It was a chance for us to do what she wanted to do for her 18th, which was to have a party with all of her friends. “W e had music playing and everybody was in their own buzz. The family did a huge haka and I spoke. It was a really good thing for her friends and to be able to celebrate because that’s what she would have wanted.” But Darren, a youth worker, admits marking special milestones have been hard. He explains, “I tried my best but Christmas didn’t feel right. I’m wondering, ‘Where’s the text? When’s my daughter turning up?’ That banter that we had. I really miss her.” It’s meant that instead of celebrating Halayna’s new chapter as a mother and welcoming another grandchild to the whanau, Darren instead w as tasked with laying her ashes to rest and unveiling a headstone, which he designed. “That’s my sanctuary,” says Darren of her resting place. “I feel close to her and talk to her.” B ut he’s struggling to deal with going near the stretch of highway that claimed her young life. “I can’t drive over the bridge,” tells Darren. “I get to the expressway and it’s so hard for me. I start shaking and sweating, and start crying even now just thinking about it. It’s a terrible feeling and I’m not normally like that. I know I’ve got to go there sometime and make peace, but I can’t do it at the moment.” H alayna’s 19-year-old partner was found guilty of kidnapping and assault but cleared of manslaughter due to lack of evidence at his trial last week, and Darren hopes that speaking out will make a difference for others who are in violent relationships. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes and haven’t been a good parent in so many ways,” he sighs. “But the biggest thing I’ve learnt since Halayna’s passing is parents need to know where their daughters are, where their sons are. I only wish I had known more. “There are lots of wishes –if she had confided in me or talked t o me more, it could have been different. If she had just told me, I would have gotten her out.” # Halayna, aged, two, three and 16. “Her smile came from the heart,” says Darren. ‘If she had just told me, I would have gotten her out’
Darren often visits Halayna’s grave. WHERE TO GET HELP
Real life
Never forgotten: UK backpacker Grace forever has a place in our hearts.
OUR HANDBAGS OF HOPE Grace in giving
Join us by bagging up goodies for Kiwi women affected by domestic violence
It was a murder that shook the nation. Grace Millane, young and vibrant, strangled to death by her Tinder date on the eve of her 22nd birthday. As New Zealanders battled shock and disbelief, the British backpacker inadvertently became the face of violence against women in our country. “People could see a sister or a friend or cousin in her,” saysThe Project host Kanoa Lloyd. “The faces of survivors of sexual or domestic violence are usually anonymous. They can be people we’re working with or people we know from school, but it’s often so private and secretive we never find out.” The 33-year-old is one of a number of people who are getting behind a new initiative, Love Grace, started by Grace’s cousin Hannah O’Callaghan in London, and hopes to make a difference to the lives of the 250 N ew Zealand women and children who seek refuge in a safe house on any given night throughout the year. “In my role doing news, we don’t have the choice to ignore headlines,” tells Kanoa. “It was really important to us atThe Project to think about how we could talk about this case in a way that was uplifting and potentially find some good in it. Doing something for other women who are in dangerous situations seemed like the right thing to do.” Love Grace is a three-week campaign that combines Grace’s love of handbags with a legacy to end violence towards women. People are encouraged to dig deep into their wardrobes to find high-quality handbags to donate, as well as toiletries, luxury items and other essentials. With multiple drop-off venues around the country, each bag will include a tag with a drawing of a flower created by Grace, a gifted artist, as well as information about Women’s Refuge –the organisation where all donations will go. “When a woman comes into a safe house, it’s because she has to –she can’t be safe anywhere else,” explains Dr Ang Jury, CEO of the charity. “They don’t bring the good stuff –they bring what they can for the kids. They always do that. But for themselves? Not so much. “Being able to give them these things will help them feel like they’re important, that they’re worth something. It will give them a little b oost that’s really hard to find otherwise.” The 59-year-old, who has been working for Women’s Refuge for more than 20 years, is keen to bust through myths surrounding those who need the charity’s help. “There’s this notion that if you are battered and bleeding, or have something broken and need to go to hospital, that makes it serious domestic violence. That’s what people generally believe,” she explains. “We tend not to think about psychological and emotional violence, the gaslighting that makes her think she’s a bit crazy. “We don’t focus on economic violence. And we don’t recognise that sexual violence is almost an inevitable part of an abusive relationship. We just focus on the physical.” The 40 refuges around the country work hard to provide 24/7 safe housing, and also help women in their homes and communities. It is important work that Love Grace will highlight and which Woman’s Day and The Edge are also getting behind. Breakfast show host Megan Annear, 29, says that from the time Grace was reported missing she felt a connection to her. “I went through social media and saw how many people were blaming her and her parents, and yet when I was 19 I travelled to America on my own,” she says. “I couldn’t imagine her parents struggling to process what had happened to her, let alone being told they were awful for letting her travel the world and be a young woman and free and independent.” At the time, the radio star used her platform on The Edge to video an open message in support of Grace, which has now been viewed more than 3.2 million times and resulted We can do this, ladies! From left: Dr Ang, Megan, Kanoa and Sido are overflowing with gift ideas. TEXT: MARILYNN MCLACHLAN. PICTURES: ROBERT TRATHEN. HAIR & MAKE-UP: JAZ GARNER, KRISZTINA MORICZ. STYLING: LULU WILCOX. CLOTHES: STORM.
We’d love you to get on board and boost a survivor’s feeling of worth and aroha.
in Grace’s mum Gill reaching out to Megan in a letter of thanks. And now the broadcaster’s glad to be involved in the initiative. “I haven’t been in that situation before, but anything we can do to make it easier on women going through domestic violence is really important.” Woman’s Day Editor-in-Chief Sido Kitchin, 48, agrees. “Kiwis were united in grief after the tragic death of Grace, and many of us felt helpless –desperately wanting to do something but not knowing where to channel our heartache and sorrow. “We’ll never forget the beautiful smile and spirit of Grace Millane, and the Love Grace campaign gives us a tangible way to create a lasting positive impact in her name.” Sido adds, “Sadly, our domestic violence rates are the worst in the developed world, and if we can help women escape a violent situation by giving them supplies they need as they seek refuge –and showing them we care and they’re valued –we can make a meaningful difference.” They are sentiments that Dr Ang appreciates. “I really hope people make the connection between this dreadful thing that happened to this beautiful young backpacker and the thousands and thousands of women that we work with that aren’t Grace Millane. “There are many women who are never going to get a headline and who are experiencing conditions that are unthinkable. We need to keep the focus on those everyday women and those victims.” #
BARE NECESSITIES Toothpaste Toothbrush Shower gel Shampoo Conditioner Deodorant Sanitar roducts EXTRAS Tissues & wipes Plasters Soap Hand sanitiser Moisturiser Lip balm Cotton buds Face cloth Torch Hair brush or comb LUXURIES Make-up Perfume Hair ties & clips Playing cards Purse Sunglasses Costume jewellery Nail polish Nail file Chocolate Team up with some riends and a pre- oved bag Shopping list ideas Make a woman’s day ...
For more info, visit bit.ly/lovegracenz
Real life
Lleyton tires easily, but is otherwise unstoppable.
The facts Every week in New Zealand 12 babies are born with a heart defect. The numberone cause of death for infants and newborns is a congenital heart defect, for which there is no prevention or cure.
BRAV Lleyt happ TEXT: CLOE WILLETTS. PICTURES: TESSA BURROWS. HAIR, MAKE-UP & STYLING: MARIESSA WADDINGTON. CLOTHES: FARMERS. A s Lleyton Barrow stands at the top of a 20-metre slip and slide, peering down the grassy slope, his stomach does somersaults. He’s nervous but excited as he dives onto the soapy water and glides down on his stomach, his arms stretched out like Superman. It might be steep, but the Christchurch schoolboy has battled far scarier challenges. A group of boys egg Lleyton on, proudly baring similar scars on their chests from open heart surgeries. Like Lleyton, the other 89 kids at the day’s camp have a heart defect. Some of the volunteers do too. The nine-year-old’s mum Claire Sword, 33, is one of them. As a kid she attended the annual Heart Kids New Zealand camp herself, which Lleyton attended for the first time this year. “I started going to Heart Kids camp when I was 13, and it was always an amazing experience where I could just be a kid and do things like the flying fox, or sit by the bonfire and hang out with mates,” recalls Claire, who was diagnosed with Long QT syndrome, a heart rhythm disorder, after she had a cardiac arrest at age 10. She tells, “It was the same group of us every year, so we Claire’s boy was operated on first as a six-week-old, then again when he was two. The cricket-mad l it with other kids j ust like him On the slide at camp.
E HEART on’s one
Mother and son both have heart conditions.
ad will be mixing it with other kids j ust like him
formed special friendships, and I’d look forward to seeing them every year. I still keep in touch with many of them.” Claire, who has a defibrillator inserted in her chest, knows what the West Auckland-based camp means to Lleyton. The older brother of sisters Stella, seven, and Lilian, four, can’t run as fast or as long as other kids his age, who don’t have heart conditions. There’s also the possibility he can suffer a life-threatening cardiac arrest at any time. In case his heart does stop, Lleyton brings an extra backpack to school every day that contains a defibrillator –a machine used to deliver a therapeutic shock to the heart in case it stops beating. “The camp had 45 parents and volunteers, and medical staff, including a doctor and four nurses who stay on site at all times,” says Claire, a family support worker for the charity. “Safety is the number-one priority.” For Lleyton, knowing there’s other kids who understand is a relief. His mum shares, “He went to an overnight school camp last year but didn’t last the whole time. He had to come home the next morning because he was so tired.” Lleyton’s family found out he Dad Phil and Claire with Lleyton and his sisters Lilian (left) and Stella.
had a heart condition while he was in the womb. In 2010, when Claire was 19 weeks’ pregnant, a routine scan showed her bub had Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and club foot. The devoted mum and Lleyton’s father Phil, 33, were devastated. “At first I figured he’d have Long QT syndrome like me, which I manage with daily medication,” she tells. “But TOF is very different. It means he has four things wrong with his heart. “With the condition you have a hole in your heart and narrowing of the heart valve, while the aortic valve is in the wrong place. Then because of the heart having to work harder, the right side of it has muscle bulk.” When Lleyton was six weeks old, on Claire’s 24th birthday, he went in for his first open heart surgery at Auckland’s Starship Hospital. Claire recalls, “The operation was called the Full Repair Surgery. Handing your baby over to someone you don’t even know –and on your birthday - isn’t the nicest. He went from having a bare chest to a scar and was covered in wires and tubes, and swollen. You block out a lot of the bad stuff.” But three weeks later the couple got to take their baby home for good. Lleyton was nasal gastric-fed for six months because he couldn’t eat and by age two and a half, he was in surgery again for a valve replacement. Then they discovered he also has Long QT syndrome, which Claire learnt is genetic. Her youngest daughter Lilian was also recently diagnosed with the condition. Claire explains, “Since it’s hereditary, they tested our family –and my dad and two brothers have it, as well as a lot of my father’s extended family. None of the men have had a cardiac arrest, but they’ve had times of collapsing, usually during sports.” One day, Lleyton may end up with an internal defibrillator in his chest like his mother, but for now the young cricket lover has a teacher aide full-time at school to help care for him and carry around his spare backpack. “Life isn’t easy for kids who have heart conditions,” says Claire. “But Lleyton isn’t embarrassed of having a heart defect and never asks, ‘Why me?’ He doesn’t let it faze him.” #
R eal l
‘WHAT MY BODY DID IS INCREDIBLE’ I ’ll be honest, I was initially in shoc k by how much my body changed after having a baby,” admits Sofia Dickson, who was so slim pre-kids that she was often called “Twiggy” by her friends. “But then one da y something clicked ,” she recalls. “I started seeing my body as amazing and beautiful.”
In fact, fast-forward to today and the mum of two preschoolers admits tha t she has the body of her dreams, a curvy size 14.
“I finally have these curves and boobs,” Sofia exclaims. “I love my new body more than I ever did when I was very slim.”
The stay-at-home mum admits that she loved every aspect of becoming a mother, from pregnancy to childbirth and breastfeeding.
“I have a newfound respect for my body as it allowed me to do all those things,” she enthuses. “What my body did is next-level incredible.”
In fact, if anyone even thinks about criticising her curvier body or asks her if she misses being a size eight, Sofia, 25, is quick to call them out. “I always say that my body is beautiful,” she explains. “I really do feel more confident now than ever before.” But the Aucklander confesses it’s with great irony that she feels so passionate about her mum bod as she actually spent most of her life not wanting children. It was only two years after striking up a relationship at age 18 with her then 21-year-old husband-to-be Dominic tha t she made a complete U-turn.
“I was dead against ever having children and he knew from the start that it was n’t for me,” she shares. “But one day I just changed my mind and then we were full throttle. “We were engaged a month later and two months after that we were expecting our first,” laughs Sofia. “Now I can’t imagine not being a mum!” Once they decided on having kids, it all happened very quickly for Sofia and Dominic.
Wom an ’ s Day TEXT: AMY NELMES BISSETT. PICTURES: ANGIE HUMPHREYS. HAIR & MAKE-UP: KRISZTINA MORICZ. STYLING: LULU WILCOX. CLOTHES: LOVISA, MOONTIDE, PIHA SWIMWEAR. No more counting calories! Little livewire Kaia is the light of Josh and McKenzie’s world.
WE LOVE OUR MUM BODS! Curvy & confident Having babies has given birth to a self-esteem revolution
Before having a baby McKenzie Devonshire couldn’t remember a time when she didn’t watch what she ate, often counting the calories of every morsel that passed her lips. “I was obsessed with having a flat stomach,” she admits. But that started to change when McKenzie, 22, fell pregnant by surprise during her first year of university when she was studying social work. She had only been dating her now partner Josh Capel for a few months when she found out she was expecting. “It was kind of nice to look down at my stomach and see something that I’d been insecure about my whole life now becoming a little bump,” she tells. “My pregnancy transformed something negative into something positive.” And when McKenzie welcomed daughter Kaia into the world in 2018, she was amazed by how her body pushed through childbirth without pain relief. “I had a home birth and it was an incredible experience,” she beams. “It totally empowered me to trust my body and realise it can actually do anything.” And the full-time mum says she’s in awe that she’s managed to continue breastfeeding for 22 months. “She has grown so much, from a baby to a vibrant toddler, and my body has nourished so much of that,” Mc Kenzie smiles. The Aucklander says her approach to her body since having a baby has completely changed, now focusing on eating a plantbased diet and enjoying yoga and running. “I want to eat to nourish my body rather than to make it look a certain way,” explains McKenzie. “I want to be as healthy as I possibly can be for me and for Kaia.” ‘I’M OVER BODY HANG-UPS’
# T he journey to motherhood has hardly been smooth for Giovanne Presland, who has faced four heartbreaking miscarriages and also lost her first daughter Aalyah soon after birth due to complications. But Giovanne believes each experience has taught her how strong her body is. “I’ve had four children, and three living, and my body has gone through a hell of a lot during that time,” Giovanne, 30, explains. “But what’s really amazed me is how quickly the body, and even the mind, can heal. I truly believe that each pregnancy and birth has defined me.” Mum to Lori, 11, Malakai, two, and seven-month-old Samaria, and stepmum to Waikamania, 14, Waimirirangi, 13, and Keakealani, 10, Giovanne says motherhood always felt like her calling. And she’s now proud of the mum bod that goes with it, saying, “I’ve had a baby and this is what that looks like.” And now, instead of focusing on losing weight, the Whangarei woman admits she has to stay strong to keep up with the six kids she and her partner Johnny Seve have between them. “I eat healthy and focus on gut health,” tells the business manager. “I feel stronger than I’ve ever felt.” Giovanne credits her newfound self-confidence to being a mum. “Having children has helped me discover and accept who I am. I’ll never take that for granted.” ‘CHILDBIRTH HAS DEFINED ME AND MY BODY’
STIR-FRY CRAZY! Grab your wok and have dinner ready in a flash Everyday food
2 / 3 cup jasmine rice
1 tbsp peanut oil 800g chicken thigh fillets, thickly sliced 2 onions, thickly sliced 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp five-spice powder 400g beans, cut into 5cm lengths
½ cup oyster sauce 2 tbsp light soy sauce ½ cup cashews, toasted ½ cup loosely packed fresh Thai basil leaves 1 fresh long red chilli, thinly sliced diagonally
1 Cook rice according to packet FIVE-SPICE POWDER It usually contains star anise, cassia (Chinese cinnamon), cloves, Sichuan pepper, fennel and sometimes ground ginger. THAI BASIL Also known as horapa, this is different to the sweet basil used in Italian cooking – it has smaller leaves, purplish stems and a slight aniseed taste. FIVE S PICE P OW DE R INGREDIENTS DECODED!
directions until tender; drain. 2 Heat half the oil in a wok over high heat, stir-frying chicken in batches until browned all over and cooked through. Remove from wok.om wok. 3 Heat remaining oil in wok, stir-frying onion, garlic and fivespice powder for 3 minutes or until onion softens. Add beans and cook for 4 minutes or until tender. 4 Return chicken to wok with sauces and cashews. Cook until sauce boils and thickens slightly. 5 Just before serving, stir in basil. Serve stir-fry with rice and a sprinkle of chilli.
2 3 cup jasmine rice 500g firm white fish fillets, cut into 3cm pieces 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 ½ tbsp peanut oil 350g choy sum, coarsely chopped 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks 150g baby corn, halved lengthways (see tip) ¼ cup oyster sauce 1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce 1 tbsp water ¼ cup coriander leaves
1 Cook rice according to packet directions; drain. 2 Combine fish, garlic and 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium bowl. 3 Heat a wok on high heat and stir-fry fish mixture in batches until browned. Remove from wok. 4 Heat remaining oil in wok, stir-frying choy sum, carrot and corn until tender. Return fish to wok with sauces and the water, stir-frying until hot. Season. 5 Sprinkle coriander over stir-fry. Serve with rice and accompany with lemon, if you like.
TIP *SıRILONQSAMSSN TREiQLSNFTIM RSIQFQIERRNISHNKDR SNGESHEQDTQIMG CNNJIMG`
TIP If you can’t iMDFQERHBABX CNQMXNTCAM TRECAMMED IFKIJED`
TOFU & SUGAR SNAP PEA STIR-FRY SERVES 4 PREP & COOK 40 MINUTES (PLUS STANDING)
600g firm tofu (see tip) 2 / 3 cup white long-grain rice 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 red onion, thickly sliced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tsp finely grated ginger 1 tsp cornflour 1 / 3 cup soy sauce 200g sugar snap peas, trimmed 350g baby bok choy, chopped lengthways 1 tbsp brown sugar 1 / 3 cup vegetarian oyster sauce 2 tbsp mirin ¼ cup coriander leaves
1 Preheat oven to 200°C. 2 Weight tofu between two boards; stand, tilted, for 10 minutes to remove excess liquid. Cut tofu into 2cm cubes, pat dry between layers of a paper towel. Place tofu on baking paperlined oven trays. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until browned lightly. 3 Cook rice according to packet directions; drain. 4 Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Stir-fry onion, garlic and ginger for 3 minutes or until onion softens. Add blended cornflour and soy sauce to wok with tofu, peas, bok choy, sugar, oyster sauce and mirin, cooking until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat, stir in coriander, and serve with rice.
Everyday food
TIP If you prefer more heat, sprinkle with dried chilli jAJERSNREQUE`
HOISIN SWEET CHILLI LAMB & VEGETABLE STIR-FRY SERVES 4 PREP & COOK 15 MINUTES
100g dried rice vermicelli noodles 1 tbsp peanut oil 750g lamb strips 400g fresh mixed vegetables 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 3 cup hoisin sauce 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce 2 tbsp water ¼ cup coriander leaves
1 Place noodles in a medium heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and stand for 5 minutes or until noodles are tender; drain. 2 Heat oil in a wok and stir-fry lamb in batches for 3 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from wok. 3 Stir-fry vegetables, ginger and garlic in wok for 5 minutes or until almost tender. Return lamb to wok with noodles, sauces and water, stir-frying until hot. Season to taste and serve sprinkled with coriander.
TAMARIND HONEY PRAWNS WITH PINEAPPLE SERVES 4 PREP & COOK 35 MINUTES
270g packet udon noodles 1.2kg uncooked medium king prawns, shells intact 1 tbsp vegetable oil 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 fresh long red chilli, thinly sliced 1 red capsicum, thinly sliced 150g snow peas, trimmed 1 / 3 cup tamarind concentrate (purée) 2 tbsp kecap manis (see tip) 1 tbsp honey ½ cup water ½ small pineapple, coarsely chopped 4 spring onions, thinly sliced 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
1 Place noodles in a large heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water, separate with a fork and stand for 5 minutes or until tender; drain. 2 Shell and devein prawns, leaving tails intact. 3 Heat oil in a wok, stir-frying prawns, garlic, chilli, capsicum and snow peas until prawns are changed in colour. Add tamarind purée, kecap manis, honey, water, pineapple and spring onions, stir-frying until hot. 4 Serve stir-fry with noodles and a sprinkle of seeds.
TIP Kecap manis is a thick, RVEESEMEDRNXRATCE` It’s delicious in RSIQFQIER`
TIP Try using a vegetable peeler to easily slice cucumber thinly.
250g dried rice stick noodles 2 tsp peanut oil 500g beef rump steaks, thinly sliced 1 tbsp finely chopped lemongrass, white part only 1 garlic clove, crushed 2 / 3 cup lime juice 1 / 3 cup fish sauce 1 tbsp coarsely grated palm sugar 100g Chinese mustard leaf, coarsely chopped 1 cup bean sprouts ½ cup loosely packed coriander leaves ½ cup loosely packed mint leaves 3 spring onions, thinly sliced 1 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced
1 Place noodles in a large heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and stand for 5 minutes or until tender; drain. 2 Heat half the oil in a wok and stir-fry beef in batches until browned. Remove from wok. 3 Heat remaining oil in wok, stir-frying lemongrass and garlic until fragrant. Return beef to wok with juice, sauce and sugar, cooking until heated through. Add noodles and remaining ingredients.
Everyday food
TIP To curl spring onion, slice thinly then place in iced water for 5 minutes.
CHINESE BARBECUED PORK STIR-FRY SERVES 4 PREP & COOK 25 MINUTES 375g dried rice stick noodles 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 small red Thai chilli, seeded, thinly sliced 250g mixed mushrooms, thickly sliced 175g broccolini, coarsely chopped 2 tsp cornflour ¼ cup soy sauce 600g Chinese barbecued pork, thickly sliced 1 tbsp fish sauce ¾ cup chicken stock 4 spring onions, thinly sliced (see tip) sesame seeds to serve 1 Place noodles in a large heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and stand until just tender; drain. 2 Heat oil in a wok, stir-frying garlic, chilli, mushrooms and broccolini for 3 minutes or until mushrooms are just tender. 3 Blend cornflour with the soy sauce in a small jug. Add cornflour mixture to wok with
pork, fish sauce and chicken stock, stir-frying until sauce boils and thickens slightly. 4 Add noodles and spring onion to wok, stir-frying until mixture is heated through. Serve stir-fry sprinkled with sesame seeds.
TIP To prevent the honey sticking to your measuring cup, spray it with a little oil first.
HONEY SOY CHICKEN SERVES 4 PREP & COOK 25 MINUTES (PLUS REFRIGERATION)
¼ cup honey (see tip) ¼ cup soy sauce ½ tsp five-spice powder 1 tbsp dry sherry 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger 700g chicken breast fillets, thinly sliced 1 tbsp peanut oil 1 onion, thinly sliced 1 tbsp sesame seeds 500g bok choy, quartered 500g choy sum, coarsely chopped 2 tbsp dry roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped 1 fresh long red chilli, thinly sliced
1 Combine honey, sauce, fivespice, sherry, garlic and ginger in a small screw-top jar; shake well. Place chicken in a medium bowl, combine with half the honey mixture, cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Reserve remaining honey mixture, covered, in the fridge. 2 Drain chicken, discarding marinade. Heat half the oil in a wok, stir-frying chicken and onion in batches until chicken is browned and cooked through. Remove from wok. 3 Heat remaining oil in wok, stir-frying seeds until browned lightly. Return chicken to wok with bok choy, choy sum and reserved honey mixture, stir-frying until vegetables are just wilted. Sprinkle with peanuts and chilli to serve.
500g udon noodles 2 tbsp peanut oil 750g beef mince 1 small onion, thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 3 cup black bean sauce 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks (see tip) 1 bunch bok choy, coarsely chopped ¼ cup hoisin sauce ¼ cup beef stock 2 tbsp rice vinegar 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 Place noodles in a large heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and stand for 5 minutes or until tender; drain. 2 Heat oil in a wok over high heat, stir-frying beef, onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until beef is browned and almost cooked. Add black bean sauce and stir-fry until mixture is well browned. 3 Add noodles, carrot, bok choy, hoisin sauce, stock and vinegar, stir-frying for 3 minutes or until vegetables are just tender. Serve sprinkled with coriander.
TIP You could shred the carrots with a julienne peeler, if preferred.
Make afternoon tea a breeze with these milky treats TIDE ’EM OVER
TIP For perfectly even rolls, weigh the kneaded dough and divide by nine so each roll is the same weight.
STARTER 90ml a2 Milk TM by Anchor TM , plus ½ cup extra 2 tablespoons high-grade fl our 1 egg 55g melted butter DOUGH 2½ cups high-grade fl our ¼ cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon instant yeast GLAZE 1 egg 1 tablespoon a2 Milk TM by Anchor TM
1 STARTER. In a small saucepan, whisk together the fi rst measure of milk and fl our until smooth. Cook over a low heat, whisking continuously for 3-5 minutes or until the mixture forms a smooth thick paste. Set aside to cool. When cool, mix in the second measure of milk, egg and melted butter.
2 DOUGH. Combine fl our, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of a mixer fi tted with a dough hook (or a bread machine). Mix at low speed and add the starter mixture. The dough will appear very sticky at fi rst, but don’t add more fl our. Increase speed and continue kneading for 10 minutes or until dough is smooth, elastic and springy. 3 With oiled hands, shape the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly greased large bowl. Cover and microwave on low for 1 minute. Rest dough for 10 minutes, then repeat. When the dough has doubled in size, divide into 9 even portions (see tip). Form into rolls and arrange in a greased 22cm square pan. Leave to rise for 20 minutes or until doubled in size. 4 Preheat oven to 190°C. 5 GLAZE. Whisk egg and milk together, then gently brush glaze over the rolls when risen. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in tin for 5 minutes, then gently turn out onto a cooling rack. /
SECRET CENTRE RASPBERRY MUFFINS MAKES 12 PREPARATION & COOKING 30 MINUTES
2 cups self-raising fl our ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon mixed spice 1 teaspoon lemon zest 100g butter, melted 1 cup a2 Milk TM by Anchor TM 1 egg 1 3 cup raspberry jam ½ cup icing sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla essence juice of ½ a lemon ¼ cup crushed freeze-dried raspberries to decorate (optional)
1 Preheat oven to 190° C. Line a 12- hole muffi n pan with patty cases. 2 In a mixing bowl, combine fl our, baking powder, sugar, spice and zest. In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, milk and egg. Fold liquids into dry ingredients until just mixed. Spoon ¾ of the mixture into the patty cases and reserve the remaining batter. 3 Using a teaspoon, place a blob of jam in the middle of each muffi n, then fi ll cases with remaining batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until risen and springy. Cool. 4 In a small bowl, mix icing sugar and vanilla with just enough lemon juice to form a spreadable consistency. Spread each muffi n with icing and sprinkle with crushed freeze-dried raspberries if desired.
WOMAN’S DAY + A2 MILK
1¾ cups a2 Milk TM by Anchor TM 1 tablespoon cornfl our 1½ tablespoons sugar 2 egg yolks peppermint essence green food colouring (optional)
1 Place 1 cup of milk, cornfl our, sugar and egg yolks in a small bowl. Using a whisk, mix until smooth. 2 Transfer mixture to a saucepan and heat gently, stirring continuously until thickened. Do not boil. Remove from heat and whisk, then set aside until almost cooled. 3 Whisk in the remaining milk and peppermint essence to taste. Add green food colouring and stir to combine. Pour into popsicle moulds, insert sticks and freeze until set.
2 eggs 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 1 slightly heaped cup plain fl our 1¼ teaspoons baking powder ¾ cup a2 Milk TM by Anchor TM 75g butter, cubed Strawberry Frosting 110g soft butter 3 cups icing sugar 2 tablespoons a2 Milk TM by Anchor TM ¼ cup strawberry sundae syrup pink food colouring 100s and 1000s to decorate (optional)
1 Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line a 12-hole muffi n or cupcake pan with patty cases. 2 In a large bowl, beat eggs on high speed for 5 minutes or until thick and pale. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is light and fl uffy. Mix in vanilla. 3 Combine fl our and baking powder, then gradually add to batter, beating at low speed until smooth. 4 In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter until just melted. Gradually add to batter, beating until just combined. Divide the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. 5 STRAWBERRY FROSTING. Beat butter until pale, then add the icing sugar in 2 or 3 increments, beating well after each addition. Beat until light and fl uffy, adding a dash of milk if needed. Mix in the strawberry sundae syrup and a drop of food colouring. Transfer icing to a piping bag fi tted with a star nozzle, then pipe rosettes onto the tops of each cupcake. Sprinkle with 100s and 1000s if desired.
BANANA THICKSHAKE WITH COCONUT CRUMB SERVES 1 PREPARATION 5 MINUTES
1 tablespoon shredded coconut ½ teaspoon honey 1 frozen banana, peeled and cut into chunks 1/2 cup a2 Milk TM by Anchor TM wafer biscuits or straws (optional)
1 Scatter coconut on a saucer. Rub the rim of a glass or bottle lightly with honey, then twist in the coconut to decorate. 2 Place banana and milk in a blender and pulse to combine, then pour into the prepared glass. Add a wafer biscuit or straw if desired.
