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Category: Chicken

Area: Greek

Ingredients:

• 225g Quinoa
• 25g Butter
• 1 chopped Red Chilli
• 1 clove finely chopped Garlic
• 400g Chicken Breast
• 2 tbs Olive Oil
• Handful Black Olives
• 1 chopped Red Onions
• 100g Feta
• Chopped Mint
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon

Instructions:

Cook the quinoa following the pack instructions, then rinse in cold water and drain thoroughly.

Meanwhile, mix the butter, chilli and garlic into a paste. Toss the chicken fillets in 2 tsp of the olive oil with some seasoning. Lay in a hot griddle pan and cook for 3-4 mins each side or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate, dot with the spicy butter and set aside to melt.

Next, tip the tomatoes, olives, onion, feta and mint into a bowl. Toss in the cooked quinoa. Stir through the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and season well. Serve with the chicken fillets on top, drizzled with any buttery chicken juices.

Category: Lamb

Area: Greek

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves Garlic
• 2 tsp Sea Salt
• 4 tbs Olive Oil
• Zest and juice of 1 Lemon
• 1 tbs Dill
• 750g Lamb Leg
• To serve Pita Bread

Instructions:

Pound the garlic with sea salt in a pestle and mortar (or use a small food processor), until the garlic forms a paste. Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, zest, dill and garlic. Mix in the lamb and combine well. Cover and marinate for at least 2 hrs or overnight in the fridge. If you’re going to use bamboo skewers, soak them in cold water.

If you’ve prepared the lamb the previous day, take it out of the fridge 30 mins before cooking. Thread the meat onto the soaked or metal skewers. Heat the grill to high or have a hot griddle pan or barbecue ready. Cook the skewers for 2-3 mins on each side, basting with the remaining marinade. Heat the pitta or flatbreads briefly, then stuff with the souvlaki. Add Greek salad (see 'Goes well with', right) and Tzatziki (below), if you like.

Category: Dessert

Area: Polish

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Flour
• 2 Eggs
• 1 cup Milk
• 3/4 cup Water
• Pinch Salt
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 3 tbs Butter

Instructions:

Add flour, eggs, milk, water, and salt in a large bowl then mix with a hand mixer until you have a smooth, lump-free batter.
At this point, mix in the butter or the vegetable oil. Alternatively, you can use them to grease the pan before frying each pancake.
Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat, then pour in the batter, swirling the pan to help it spread.
When the pancake starts pulling away a bit from the sides, and the top is no longer wet, flip it and cook shortly on the other side as well.
Transfer to a plate. Cook the remaining batter until all used up.
Serve warm, with the filling of your choice.

Category: Chicken

Area: Italian

Ingredients:

• 800g Potatoes
• 3 Onions
• 2 tblsp Olive Oil
• 100ml Chicken Stock
• 1 pot Creme Fraiche
• Topping Parmesan
• 4 Chicken Breasts
• 4 Bacon
• Topping Spinach
• Topping Peas

Instructions:

15 minute potato gratin with chicken and bacon greens: a gratin always seems more effort and more indulgent than ordinary boiled or roasts, but it doesn't have to take 45mins, it's nice for a change and you can control the calorie content by going with full fat to low fat creme fraiche. (It's always tastes better full fat though obviously!) to serve 4: use 800g of potatoes, finely slice and boil in a pan for about 5-8 mins till firmish, not soft. Finely slice 3 onions and place in an oven dish with 2 tblsp of olive oil and 100ml of chicken stock. Cook till the onions are soft then drain the potatoes and pour onto the onions. Season and spoon over cream or creme fraiche till all is covered but not swimming. Grate Parmesan over the top then finish under the grill till nicely golden. serve with chicken and bacon, peas and spinach.

Category: Vegetarian

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 1 Rapeseed Oil
• 1 Onion
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 1 tsp Paprika
• ½ tsp Cumin
• 1 tblsp Thyme
• 3 Medium Carrots
• 2 small stalks Celery
• 1 Red Pepper
• 1 Yellow Pepper
• 2 x 400g tins Tomato
• 250ml Vegetable Stock Cube
• 2 sliced Courgettes
• 2 sprigs Thyme
• 250g Lentils

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan. Add the onions and cook gently for 5 – 10 mins until softened.
Add the garlic, spices, dried thyme, carrots, celery and peppers and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, stock, courgettes and fresh thyme and cook for 20 – 25 minutes.
Take out the thyme sprigs. Stir in the lentils and bring back to a simmer. Serve with wild and white basmati rice, mash or quinoa.

Category: Vegetarian

Area: French

Ingredients:

• 10 Eggs
• 1 tbs Olive Oil
• 2 finely chopped Courgettes
• 3 finely chopped Spring Onions
• 4 Red Pepper
• 1 clove peeled crushed Garlic Clove
• 1 Red Chilli
• 300g Cream Cheese
• 6 tblsp Milk
• 4 tbs Chives
• 2 tbs Basil
• to serve Rocket
• to serve Parmesan

Instructions:

Break the eggs into two bowls, five in each. Whisk lightly and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a pan, add the courgettes and spring onions, then fry gently for about 10 mins until softened. Cool, then stir into one bowl of eggs with a little salt and pepper. Add the roasted peppers to the other bowl of eggs with the garlic, chilli, salt and pepper.
Heat a little oil in a 20-23cm frying pan, preferably non-stick. Pour the eggs with courgette into a measuring jug, then pourabout one-third of the mixture into the pan, swirling it to cover the base of the pan. Cook until the egg is set and lightly browned underneath, then cover the pan with a plate and invert the omelette onto it. Slide it back into the pan to cook the other side. Repeat with the remaining mix to make two more omelettes, adding a little oil to the pan each time. Stack the omelettes onto a plate. Make three omelettes in the same way with the red pepper mixture, then stack them on a separate plate.
Now make the filling. Beat the cheese to soften it, then beat in the milk to make a spreadable consistency. Stir in the herbs, salt and pepper. Line a deep, 20-23cm round cake tin with cling film (use a tin the same size as the frying pan). Select the best red pepper omelette and place in the tin, prettiest side down. Spread with a thin layer of cheese filling, then cover with a courgette omelette. Repeat, alternating the layers, until all the omelettes and filling are in the tin, finishing with an omelette. Flip the cling film over the omelette, then chill for up to 24 hrs.
To serve, invert the omelette cake onto a serving plate and peel off the cling film. Pile rocket on the top and scatter over the cheese, a drizzle of olive oil and a little freshly ground black pepper. Serve cut into wedges.

Category: Dessert

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 100g Almonds
• 180g Butter
• 180g Muscovado Sugar
• Zest of 1 Orange
• 3 tbs Apricot Jam
• 225g Plain Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 3 Large Eggs
• 100g Ground Almonds
• 2 tbs Milk
• 500g Dried Fruit
• 100g Glace Cherry
• 1 tbs Milk
• 2 tsp Caster Sugar

Instructions:

Put the almonds into a small bowl and pour over boiling water to just cover. Leave for 5 mins then drain in a sieve and leave to dry.
Preheat the oven to 180C/160 C fan/Gas Mark 4. Line a deep loose-based 20cm cake tin with baking parchment.
Put the butter in a large bowl and beat well until soft. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in the orange zest and apricot jam.
Sieve together the flour and baking powder. Add the eggs to the creamed butter and sugar, a little at a time, beating well between each addition. If the mixture starts to curdle, stir in a little flour.
Add the remaining flour and ground almonds and mix well. Mix in the milk and then add the dried fruit and cherries and mix gently together.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread level using the back of a spoon. Arrange the whole almonds close together in neat circles on the top of the cake. Bake in the oven for 45 mins.
Lower the oven temperature to 160C/140 C fan/Gas Mark 3 and cook for a further 60–80 minutes. Check the cake after 50 minutes by inserting a wooden or metal skewer into the cake. When it’s done it should have just a few crumbs attached. Check every 10 minutes – it’s important not to overcook this cake so the centre will be a little soft.
When cooked, remove the cake briefly from the oven, put the milk and sugar into a small pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Brush over the top of the cake and return the cake to the oven for 2-3 mins. Remove and allow the cake to cool in the tin. When quite cold remove from the tin and wrap in foil and keep for at least 2 days before cutting.

Category: Lamb

Area: Moroccan

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4cm piece finely chopped ginger
• 2 cloves peeled and chopped garlic
• 800g peeled and chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 50 vine leaves
• 1 large fennel bulb
• 400g lamb mince
• 1 medium onion
• 1 small peeled and coarsely grated potato
• 2 tbsp basmati rice
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ tsp ground clove
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 medium tomatoes

Instructions:

Use pickled vine leaves here, preserved in brine. Small delicate leaves are better than the large bristly ones but, if only large leaves are to hand, then trim them to roughly 12 by 12 cms so that you don't get too many layers of leaves around the filling. And remove any stalks. Drain the preserved leaves, immerse them in boiling water for 10 minutes and then leave to dry on a tea towel before use.
Basmati rice with butter and pine nuts is an ideal accompaniment. Couscous is great, too. Serves four.
First make the filling. Put all the ingredients, apart from the tomatoes, in a bowl. Cut the tomatoes in half, coarsely grate into the bowl and discard the skins. Add half a teaspoon of salt and some black pepper, and stir. Leave on the side, or in the fridge, for up to a day. Before using, gently squeeze with your hands and drain away any juices that come out.
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a medium pan. Add the ginger and garlic, cook for a minute or two, taking care not to burn them, then add the tomato, lemon juice and sugar. Season, and simmer for 20 minutes.
While the sauce is bubbling away, prepare the vine leaves. Use any torn or broken leaves to line the base of a wide, heavy saucepan. Trim any leaves from the fennel, cut it vertically into 0.5cm-thick slices and spread over the base of the pan to cover completely.
Lay a prepared vine leaf (see intro) on a work surface, veiny side up. Put two teaspoons of filling at the base of the leaf in a 2cm-long by 1cm-wide strip. Fold the sides of the leaf over the filling, then roll it tightly from bottom to top, in a cigar shape. Place in the pan, seam down, and repeat with the remaining leaves, placing them tightly next to each other in lines or circles (in two layers if necessary).
Pour the sauce over the leaves (and, if needed, add water just to cover). Place a plate on top, to weigh the leaves down, then cover with a lid. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook on a bare simmer for 70 minutes. Most of the liquid should evaporate. Remove from the heat, and leave to cool a little – they are best served warm. When serving, bring to the table in the pan – it looks great. Serve a few vine leaves and fennel slices with warm rice. Spoon the braising juices on top and garnish with coriander.

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.

Category: Starter

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 2 tblsp Rapeseed Oil
• 1 finely chopped Onion
• 1 Celery
• 1 sliced Leek
• 1 medium Potatoes
• 1 knob Butter
• 1 litre hot Vegetable Stock
• 1 Head chopped Broccoli
• 140g Stilton Cheese

Instructions:

Heat the rapeseed oil in a large saucepan and then add the onions. Cook on a medium heat until soft. Add a splash of water if the onions start to catch.

Add the celery, leek, potato and a knob of butter. Stir until melted, then cover with a lid. Allow to sweat for 5 minutes. Remove the lid.

Pour in the stock and add any chunky bits of broccoli stalk. Cook for 10 – 15 minutes until all the vegetables are soft.

Add the rest of the broccoli and cook for a further 5 minutes. Carefully transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth. Stir in the stilton, allowing a few lumps to remain. Season with black pepper and serve.