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One Pan Spicy Beef Mince
episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • cooking • 25m
PG
episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • cooking • 25m
PG
Marion Grasby may have traded the bustle of Bangkok for Noosa’s laid-back beaches, but life hasn’t slowed down much. Between filming appearing on shows like , writing cookbooks, running a business, and raising two young kids, her days are still packed.
And despite the busyness, she still loves cooking for her family – as she revealed in an takeover chat.
So, who better to ask for time-saving kitchen hacks that don’t skimp on flavour? Here’s how the cook, TV personality, and entrepreneur gets on the table, fast.
Let a roast chook do the heavy lifting
Grasby loves roasting a chicken herself (pro tip: ), but when time is tight, she’ll happily swing by the local chicken shop.
In less than half an hour, she can transform a store-bought chook into a
No need to marinate, no grill in sight, Marion Grasby's cheat butter chicken shortcut elevates the humble store-bought roast chook. Credit: Sippakorn Wongthanapa
She uses it for , , and ; perfect for quick, soul-warming meals later in the week.
Use your freezer wisely
Grasby likes to plan a few meals ahead, but not too many, because she often cooks based on what inspires her that day.
Her secret weapon? A well-stocked freezer filled with dumplings, curries (like this ) and sauce.
“The freezer is your best friend when it comes to meal planning, especially if you've got kids and family,” she says. “I will usually make batches of a curry, but I won't put the vegetables like the carrots or the potatoes in because that doesn't freeze very well.”
Get the kids involved
Cooking with kids sounds chaotic (and let’s be honest, it often is) but Grasby swears it’s worth it.
“Getting them involved in making the food can often really help them to actually get excited and want to eat,” she says. “So, I get my kids to help make . They love that. I get them to help chop up the vegetables for fried rice or whisk the eggs to make an omelette.”
Less dinner-table drama, no need to cook separate meals, and the added bonus of training your own mini sous-chefs? We’re sold.
Adopt the almighty fried rice
In the Grasby household, is practically a food group. She makes huge batches to stash in lunchboxes or freeze for later.
Grasby's Thai Shop-house pork fried rice Credit: Marion Grasby’s Flavours of Heart & Home
“My Thai chicken fried rice has tomatoes, Asian greens and Chinese broccoli in it. So, it becomes something that's quite healthy for the kids to eat as well,” she says. “You can put lots of different things in there. I'll often swap the chicken for little cubes of salmon or swap the broccoli for finely chopped-up baby spinach.”
And if you don’t have day-old rice (which is ), Grasby’s trick is simple: spread freshly cooked rice on a tray, pop it in the freezer for about 20 minutes, and it’ll be cool and ready for the wok.
Rely on rock star spices and condiments
Grasby’s pantry is never without a lineup of powerhouse condiments: , fish sauce, and (a Korean fermented chilli paste that adds instant depth to marinades and stir-fries).
“I think of my soy sauces as Asian salt. I use fish sauce and soy sauce, for example, in my bolognese,” she reveals.
When it comes to spices, she always has garam masala, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and black pepper at the ready, essentials that instantly lift any simple dish.
With a few clever shortcuts and a well-stocked freezer, Marion proves that weeknight meals can still be full of heart and flavour.
