Four fast and fresh family-friendly recipes that make the most of mince

• Five quick family-friendly recipes to make in your air fryer

Mince might not be fancy, but it's hard to beat when it comes to versatile cooking that keeps the family fed on a budget.

The trick is finding new, creative ways to put it to delicious work in the kitchen.

Geelong home cook and Instagram star George Georgievski does just that in his latest cookbook, Dinner Express, which is all about fast, fresh meals for busy people.

Here, he shares four new recipes that make the most of mince.

Fast and fresh Vietnamese-style meatball salad

I love everything about Vietnamese cuisine and culture and I can't wait to get back there to learn more. Here is a simplified version of the popular dish, bun cha, which is absolutely off the charts.

INGREDIENTS

• 500g pork mince
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 4-5 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt flakes
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Vietnamese noodle salad

• 400g vermicelli rice noodles
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, halved lengthways, deseeded and sliced into half moons
• 1 long red chilli, deseeded and julienned (optional)
• 6-8 lettuce leaves of your choice, roughly chopped ⅓ cup coriander leaves

Vietnamese dressing

• 125ml (½ cup) water
• 60ml (¼ cup) fish sauce
• 60ml (¼ cup) rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2½ tbsp caster sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp finely chopped long red chilli

METHOD

1. Time to get cracking. Grab a bowl and drop in the mince, fish sauce, lemongrass, garlic, sugar, spring onion and salt. Using your hands, give it a good mix and make sure all the ingredients are well combined.
2. I like to make traditional-looking Vietnamese meatballs. Spoon a tablespoon of the mince mixture into your hand and form it into a flattish, rounded meatball that's about half the size of your palm. Set aside on a plate and repeat with the remaining mince mixture to make about 12 meatballs.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frypan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the meatballs for about 3 minutes each side, until they are caramelised and cooked through.
4. To make the noodle salad, cook the vermicelli noodles according to the packet instructions, then drain and rinse under running water until cold (you can also cook the noodles ahead of time and store them in the fridge if you prefer). Thoroughly drain the noodles, then transfer to a salad bowl.
5. Add the carrot, cucumber, chilli (if using), lettuce and coriander to the noodles.
6. To make the dressing, place the ingredients in a jar, screw on the lid and give it a good shake. Toss well with the salad to combine.
7. Place the meatballs on top of the salad and serve, while shaking your head in amazement at how much of a flavour punch this dish has.

Serves 4

Note Pork is predominately used in Vietnam for these meatballs, but you can also use chicken or turkey mince in this recipe, plus cold chicken tastes awesome, which means you'll have an amazing lunch the next day.

Pirinska 8 (aka Macedonian baked beans with meatballs)

​This dish is special to me. The name Pirinska 8 was my grandmother's street address back in Macedonia. I've dedicated this recipe to her and her beautiful warmth and contagious smile that recharged my heart and soul every time I saw her. This is something of a hybrid recipe, based on the traditional Macedonian dish, tavche gravche, but with an Aussie twist and a hint of Italian. Gotta love our multicultural country.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 x 400g cans cannellini beans
• 400g can diced tomatoes
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt flakes
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 4 long red or green chillies (optional)
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
• crusty bread, to serve

Pork meatballs

• 500g pork mince
• 3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
• 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt flakes

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 190C fan-forced (210C conventional).
2. Let's make the pork meatballs first. Drop the ingredients into a large bowl and use your hands to mix and squeeze the ingredients until really well combined. Roll the mixture into palm-sized balls and set aside on a plate.
3. Place a frypan over high heat and add the vegetable oil. Sear the meatballs for about 1 minute each side until browned (we don't want to cook them through).
4. Tip the cannellini beans (including the liquid in the cans) and the tomatoes into a large baking dish. Scatter over the onion and garlic and sprinkle with the salt and smoked paprika. Give it a good mix to combine, then top with the meatballs and whole chillies (if using) so they look super cool. Pop the dish in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the liquid thickens.
5. Sprinkle the mint over the top and get ready to fill your soul. I like to add a serving spoon to the dish and invite everyone to help themselves. Serve with crusty bread for mopping up the tomatoey sauce.

Serves 4-6

Note You can use pork chops, beef cheeks or even raw prawns instead of the pork meatballs; just remember to adjust the cooking time accordingly. Any canned beans will work well in this dish – try kidney beans, black beans or even borlotti beans. Let your imagination run wild.

Everyday tacos

When I do school pick-up on a Tuesday and I ask my daughters what they'd like for dinner they will always say tacos. Even if it's not a Tuesday, they'll still ask for tacos. This recipe is so simple – vamos!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 500g beef mince
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon salt flakes
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano

Taco toppings

• 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1 tomato, sliced into wedges
• 125g (1 cup) grated cheddar
• 125g can sweetcorn kernels, rinsed and drained
• 1 avocado, sliced
• ½ cup coriander leaves
• 250g (1 cup) sour cream
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 12 mini soft flour tortillas

METHOD

1. Time to get cracking. Heat the oil in a large frypan over medium heat, add the onion and garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until just starting to turn translucent.
2. Add the mince and cook, breaking up any lumps with the back of a wooden spoon, for 4-5 minutes, until browned. Stir through the paprika, cumin, salt and oregano, then add 125 millilitres (½ cup) of water and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes.
3. I like to present the toppings on a large chopping board. Place the lettuce, tomato, cheddar, sweetcorn, avocado and coriander in little bowls on the board and place a serving spoon in each bowl. Spoon the sour cream into a small bowl, squeeze one of the lime wedges over the top and stir, then place the remaining wedges on the board.
4. Grab a large bowl, add the mince including all the juices from the pan and place it next to the toppings and sour cream.
5. Warm the tortillas in the microwave according to the packet instructions or for a few seconds each side in a dry frypan over medium heat. Alternatively, you can turn them into hard taco shells by baking them in a preheated 200C fan-forced (220C conventional) oven for 6 minutes.
6. For me, the best thing about making tacos is watching my family assemble them, seeing what toppings they choose and getting sour cream all over their faces. So sit back and watch the seagulls swoop in and go for the attack.

Serves 4

Note I like to use beef mince as it's quick to cook, but you can also use pork, chicken or even turkey mince – just make sure you adjust the cooking time. You can serve up any taco toppings including shop-bought salsa. I always top my own tacos with fresh sliced chilli or a good chilli sauce. Enjoy.

Meatball parmigiana

Who doesn't love a good parma? This dish is just like a chicken parma but with meatballs! It's best served with a leafy green salad to help balance the heaviness of the cheese and tomato sauce, which I love dipping the baguette into. Trust me, this is a soon-to-be family favourite that the kids will ask for again and again.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 500g pork and veal mince
• 2 eggs
• 50g (½ cup) dried breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan
• 2 x 400g cans crushed tomatoes
• 300g (2 cups) grated mozzarella

To serve

• crusty baguette
• leafy green salad
• basil leaves

METHOD

1. Crank the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional).
2. Grab a baking dish and add the oil, onion and garlic. Set aside.
3. Now let's make the meatballs. Place the mince, one egg and half the breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Using your hands, squeeze the ingredients together until completely combined.
4. Whisk the remaining egg in a bowl and combine the remaining breadcrumbs and the parmesan on a plate.
5. The next steps go like this: roll the mince mixture into roughly golf ball-sized meatballs, dip them into the beaten egg, then roll in the parmesan breadcrumbs to coat. As you finish rolling each meatball, pop it neatly in the baking dish.
6. Once all the meatballs are made, pour the crushed tomatoes into the base of the dish and over the meatballs. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top and whack it in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and the cheese is golden and bubbling.
7. Meanwhile, cut the baguette into thick slices and pop them on a serving board in the middle of the table, along with a leafy green salad.
8. To serve, scatter over some basil leaves, drop a serving spoon into the baking dish and bring it to the table. Let the family attack it like a bunch of hungry seagulls attacking a chip.

Serves 4

Note You can use any mince you like in this recipe. If you prefer your meatballs crunchy, crisp them up in 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frypan over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes before adding them to the baking dish.

This is an edited extract from Dinner Express by George Georgievski, published by Plum, RRP $26.99. Photography by Nikole Ramsay. Buy now