Blog

  • Lamb Tzatziki Burgers

    Lamb Tzatziki Burgers

    Category: Lamb

    Area: Greek

    Ingredients:

    • 25g Bulgur Wheat
    • 500g Lamb Mince
    • 1 tsp Cumin
    • 1 tsp Coriander
    • 1 tsp Paprika
    • 1 clove finely chopped Garlic
    • For frying Olive Oil
    • 4 Bun
    • Grated Cucumber
    • 200g Greek Yogurt
    • 2 tbs Mint

    Instructions:

    Tip the bulghar into a pan, cover with water and boil for 10 mins. Drain really well in a sieve, pressing out any excess water.

    To make the tzatziki, squeeze and discard the juice from the cucumber, then mix into the yogurt with the chopped mint and a little salt.

    Work the bulghar into the lamb with the spices, garlic (if using) and seasoning, then shape into 4 burgers. Brush with a little oil and fry or barbecue for about 5 mins each side until cooked all the way through. Serve in the buns (toasted if you like) with the tzatziki, tomatoes, onion and a few mint leaves.

  • Key Lime Pie

    Key Lime Pie

    Category: Dessert

    Area: American

    Ingredients:

    • 300g Digestive Biscuits
    • 150g Butter
    • 400g Condensed Milk
    • 3 Egg Yolks
    • 4 Lime
    • 300ml Double Cream
    • 1 tbls Icing Sugar
    • to serve Lime

    Instructions:

    Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Whizz the biscuits to crumbs in a food processor (or put in a strong plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin). Mix with the melted butter and press into the base and up the sides of a 22cm loose-based tart tin. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and cool.
    Put the egg yolks in a large bowl and whisk for a minute with electric beaters. Add the condensed milk and whisk for 3 minutes then add the zest and juice and whisk again for 3 minutes. Pour the filling into the cooled base then put back in the oven for 15 minutes. Cool then chill for at least 3 hours or overnight if you like.
    When you are ready to serve, carefully remove the pie from the tin and put on a serving plate. To decorate, softly whip together the cream and icing sugar. Dollop or pipe the cream onto the top of the pie and finish with extra lime zest.

  • Chelsea Buns

    Chelsea Buns

    Category: Dessert

    Area: British

    Ingredients:

    • 500g White Flour
    • 1 tsp Salt
    • 7g Yeast
    • 300ml Milk
    • 40g Butter
    • 1 Eggs
    • Dash Vegetable Oil
    • 25g Butter
    • 75g Brown Sugar
    • 2 tsp Cinnamon
    • 150g Dried Fruit
    • 2 tbs Milk
    • 2 tbs Caster Sugar

    Instructions:

    Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the yeast.
    Meanwhile, warm the milk and butter in a saucepan until the butter melts and the mixture is lukewarm.
    Add the milk mixture and egg to the flour mixture and stir until the contents of the bowl come together as a soft dough. (You may need to add a little extra flour.)
    Tip the dough onto a generously floured work surface. Knead for five minutes, adding more flour if necessary, until the dough is smooth and elastic and no longer feels sticky.
    Lightly oil a bowl with a little of the vegetable oil. Place the dough into the bowl and turn until it is covered in the oil. Cover the bowl with cling film and set aside in a warm place for one hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
    Lightly grease a baking tray.
    For the filling, knock the dough back to its original size and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough out into a rectangle 0.5cm/¼in thick. Brush all over with the melted butter, then sprinkle over the brown sugar, cinnamon and dried fruit.
    Roll the dough up into a tight cylinder , cut ten 4cm/1½in slice and place them onto a lightly greased baking sheet, leaving a little space between each slice. Cover with a tea towel and set aside to rise for 30 minutes.
    Preheat oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
    Bake the buns in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until risen and golden-brown.
    Meanwhile, for the glaze, heat the milk and sugar in a saucepan until boiling. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
    Remove the buns from the oven and brush with the glaze, then set aside to cool on a wire rack.

  • Chakchouka

    Chakchouka

    Category: Miscellaneous

    Area: Tunisian

    Ingredients:

    • 4 Tomatoes
    • 2 tbs Olive Oil
    • 1 Diced Onion
    • 1 sliced Red Pepper
    • 1 sliced Green Pepper
    • 3 Cloves Crushed Garlic
    • 1 tsp Cumin
    • 1 tsp Paprika
    • 3/4 teaspoon Salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
    • 4 Eggs

    Instructions:

    In a large cast iron skillet or sauté pan with a lid, heat oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add the peppers and garlic, and sauté for an additional 3-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cumin, paprika, salt, and chili powder. Mix well and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to simmer, uncovered, 10-15 minutes until the mixture has thickened to your desired consistency. (Taste the sauce at this point and adjust for salt and spice, as desired.) Using the back of a spoon, make four craters in the mixture, large enough to hold an egg. Crack one egg into each of the craters. Cover the skillet and simmer for 5-7 minutes, until the eggs have set. Serve immediately with crusty bread or pita.

  • Tourtiere

    Tourtiere

    Category: Pork

    Area: Canadian

    Ingredients:

    • 1 medium Potatoes
    • 1 tsp Sunflower Oil
    • 500g Minced Pork
    • 1 finely chopped Onion
    • 1 finely chopped Garlic Clove
    • ¼ tsp Cinnamon
    • ¼ tsp Allspice
    • ¼ tsp Nutmeg
    • 100ml Vegetable Stock
    • 400g Shortcrust Pastry
    • To Glaze Egg

    Instructions:

    Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Boil the potato until tender, drain and mash, then leave to cool. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the mince and onion and quickly fry until browned. Add the garlic, spices, stock, plenty of pepper and a little salt and mix well. Remove from the heat, stir into the potato and leave to cool.
    Roll out half the pastry and line the base of a 20-23cm pie plate or flan tin. Fill with the pork mixture and brush the edges of the pastry with water. Roll out the remaining dough and cover the pie. Press the edges of the pastry to seal, trimming off the excess. Prick the top of the pastry case to allow steam to escape and glaze the top with the beaten egg.
    Bake for 30 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden. Serve cut into wedges with a crisp green salad. Leftovers are good cold for lunch the next day, served with a selection of pickles.

  • Toad In The Hole

    Toad In The Hole

    Category: Pork

    Area: British

    Ingredients:

    • 8 sausages
    • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
    • 100g plain flour
    • 2 medium eggs
    • 1 tbsp grated horseradish
    • 225ml milk
    • 200g cherry tomatoes

    Instructions:

    Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. fry sausages in a non-stick pan until browned.
    Drizzle vegetable oil in a 30cm x 25cm x 6cm deep roasting tray and heat in the oven for 5 minutes.
    Put the plain flour in a bowl, crack in the medium free-range eggs, then stir in the grated horseradish. Gradually beat in the semi-skimmed milk. Season.
    Put the sausages into the hot roasting tray and pour over the batter. Top with cherry tomatoes on the vine and cook for 30 minutes until puffed and golden.

  • Salted Caramel Cheescake

    Salted Caramel Cheescake

    Category: Dessert

    Area: American

    Ingredients:

    • 250g Digestive Biscuits
    • 75g Pretzels
    • 135g Butter
    • 450g Cream Cheese
    • 1tsp Vanilla Extract
    • 100g Icing Sugar
    • 150g Caramel
    • 1tsp Sea Salt
    • 300ml Double Cream
    • drizzle Caramel Sauce
    • Top Toffee Popcorn
    • Top Pretzels

    Instructions:

    1) Blitz the biscuits and the pretzels in a food processor and mix the biscuits with the melted butter. Spread on the bottom of an 8″/20cm Deep Springform Tin and press down firmly. Leave to set in the fridge whilst you make the rest!

    2) Using an electric mixer, I use my KitchenAid with the whisk attachment, whisk together the cream cheese, vanilla, and icing sugar until smooth and then add the caramel and whisk again until smooth and lump free – this could take a couple of minutes, I whisk it at half speed so not too quick or slow!

    3) Pour in the double cream & Salt flakes and continue to whisk for a couple of minutes until its very thick and mousse like (I mix it on a medium speed, level 6/10) – Now this could take up to 5 minutes depending on your mixer, but you seriously have to stick at it – it will hold itself completely when finished mixing (like a meringue does!) If you don’t mix it enough it will not set well enough, but don’t get impatient and whisk it really quick because that’ll make it split! Spread over the biscuit base and leave to set in the fridge overnight.

    4) Remove the Cheesecake from the tin carefully and decorate the cheesecake – I drizzled over some of the spare caramel, and then some Toffee Popcorn and more Pretzels!

  • Coddled pork with cider

    Coddled pork with cider

    Category: Pork

    Area: Irish

    Ingredients:

    • Knob Butter
    • 2 Pork Chops
    • 4 Bacon
    • 2 Potatoes
    • 1 Carrots
    • 1/2 Swede
    • 1/2 Cabbage
    • 1 Bay Leaf
    • 100ml Cider
    • 100g Chicken Stock

    Instructions:

    STEP 1
    Heat the butter in a casserole dish until sizzling, then fry the pork for 2-3 mins on each side until browned. Remove from the pan.

    STEP 2
    Tip the bacon, carrot, potatoes and swede into the pan, then gently fry until slightly coloured. Stir in the cabbage, sit the chops back on top, add the bay leaf, then pour over the cider and stock. Cover the pan, then leave everything to gently simmer for 20 mins until the pork is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

    STEP 3
    Serve at the table spooned straight from the dish.

  • Jam Roly-Poly

    Jam Roly-Poly

    Category: Dessert

    Area: British

    Ingredients:

    • 50g Butter
    • 250g Self-raising Flour
    • 1 small Vanilla
    • 50g Suet
    • 150ml Milk
    • 100g Raspberry Jam
    • to serve Custard

    Instructions:

    Put a deep roasting tin onto the bottom shelf of the oven, and make sure that there’s another shelf directly above it. Pull the roasting tin out on its shelf, fill two-thirds with boiling water from the kettle, then carefully slide it back in. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Tear off a large sheet of foil and greaseproof paper (about 30 x 40cm). Sit the greaseproof on top of the foil and butter it.
    Tip butter, flour and vanilla seeds into a food processor; pulse until the butter has disappeared. Tip into a mixing bowl. Stir through the suet, pour in the milk and work together with a cutlery knife until you get a sticky dough. You may need a drop more milk, depending on your flour.
    Tip the dough out onto a floured surface, quickly pat together to smooth, then roll out to a square roughly 25 x 25cm. Spread the jam all over, leaving a gap along one edge, then roll up from the opposite edge. Pinch the jam-free edge into the dough where it meets, and pinch the ends roughly, too. Carefully lift onto the greased paper, join-side down (you might find a flat baking sheet helpful for this), loosely bring up the paper and foil around it, then scrunch together along the edges and ends to seal. The roly-poly will puff quite a bit during cooking so don’t wrap it tightly. Lift the parcel directly onto the rack above the tin and cook for 1 hr.
    Let the pudding sit for 5 mins before unwrapping, then carefully open the foil and paper, and thickly slice to serve.

  • French Lentils With Garlic and Thyme

    French Lentils With Garlic and Thyme

    Category: Miscellaneous

    Area: French

    Ingredients:

    • 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
    • 1 Onion
    • 2 cloves Garlic
    • 1 Carrots
    • 2 1/4 cups French Lentils
    • 1 teaspoon Thyme
    • 3 Bay Leaf
    • 1 tablespoon Salt
    • 2 sticks Celery

    Instructions:

    Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add oil. When hot, add chopped vegetables and sauté until softened, 5 to 10 minutes.
    Add 6 cups water, lentils, thyme, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a fast simmer.
    Simmer lentils until they are tender and have absorbed most of the water, 20 to 25 minutes. If necessary, drain any excess water after lentils have cooked. Serve immediately, or allow them to cool and reheat later.
    For a fuller taste, use some chicken stock and reduce the water by the same amount.