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Category: Dessert

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 225g Butter
• 350g Plain Flour
• 100g Caster Sugar
• 280g Mincemeat
• 1 small Egg
• Topping Icing Sugar

Instructions:

To make the pastry, rub 225g cold, diced butter into 350g plain flour, then mix in 100g golden caster sugar and a pinch of salt.

Combine the pastry into a ball – don’t add liquid – and knead it briefly. The dough will be fairly firm, like shortbread dough. You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later.

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Line 18 holes of two 12-hole patty tins, by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole.

Spoon 280g mincemeat into the pies.

Take slightly smaller balls of pastry than before and pat them out between your hands to make round lids, big enough to cover the pies.

Top the pies with their lids, pressing the edges gently together to seal – you don’t need to seal them with milk or egg as they will stick on their own. (The pies may now be frozen for up to 1 month).

Beat 1 small egg and brush the tops of the pies. Bake for 20 mins until golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins, then remove to a wire rack.

To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar.

Category: Lamb

Area: Indian

Ingredients:

• 12 Cashew nuts
• ½ tbsp Khus khus
• ½ tbsp Cumin seeds
• 3 sliced thinly Onions
• 2 tsp Ginger garlic paste
• 4 whole Garlic
• Leaves Mint
• Leaves Cilantro
• ½ tsp dissolved in ½ cup warm milk Saffron
• 2 tbsp Ghee
• 2 Cups Basmati rice
• ½ cup Full fat yogurt
• 1 tbsp Cumin Seeds
• ½ Bay leaf
• 1 thin piece Cinnamon
• 3 Cloves
• 2 Cardamom
• 1 lb Lamb
• 1 tsp Red Chilli powder
• 1 tbsp Biryani masala

Instructions:

Grind the cashew, poppy seeds and cumin seeds into a smooth paste, using as little water as possible. Set aside.

Deep fry the sliced onions when it is hot. Don’t overcrowd the oil. When the onions turn light brown, remove from oil and drain on paper towel. The fried onion will crisp up as it drains. Also fry the cashewnuts till golden brown. Set aside.

Wash the rice and soak in water for twenty minutes.
Meanwhile, take a big wide pan, add oil in medium heat, add the sliced onions, add the blended paste, to it add the green chillies, ginger garlic paste and garlic and fry for a minute.
Then add the tomatoes and sauté them well till they are cooked and not mushy.

Then to it add the red chilli powder, biryani powder, mint, coriander leaves and sauté them well.
Add the yogurt and mix well. I always move the skillet away from the heat when adding yogurt which prevents it from curdling.

Now after returning the skillet back to the stove, add the washed lamb and salt and ½ cup water and mix well. Cook for 1 hour and cook it covered in medium low heat or put it in a pressure cooker for 6 whistles. If the water is not drained totally, heat it by keeping it open.

Take another big pan, add thrice the cup of rice you use, and boil it. When it is boiling high, add the rice, salt and jeera and mix well. After 7 minutes exact or when the rice is 80% done. Switch off and drain the rice.

Now, the layering starts. To the lamb, pat and level it. Add the drained hot rice on the top of it. Garnish with fried onions, ghee, mint, coriander leaves and saffron dissolved in milk.

Cover the dish and bake in a 350f oven for 15 minutes or till the cooked but not mushy. Or cook in the stove medium heat for 12 minutes and lowest heat for 5 minutes. And switch off. Mix and serve hot!
Notes
1. If you are cooking in oven, do make sure to cook in a big oven safe pan and cover it tight and then keep in oven for the final step.
2. You can skip biryani masala if you don’t have and add just garam masala (1 tsp and red chilli powder – 3 tsp instead of 1 tsp)
3. If it is spicy in the end, squeeze some lemon, it will reduce the heat and enhance the flavors also.

Category: Chicken

Area: American

Ingredients:

• 2 Chicken Breasts
• 12 ounces Carrots
• 5 Small Potatoes
• 1 Onion
• 1 Beef Stock
• 1 1/2 cup Mozzarella
• 2 tbsp Sour Cream
• Butter
• Sugar
• Vegetable Oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions:

1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. Trim, peel, and cut carrots on a diagonal into ¼-inch-thick pieces. Dice potatoes into ½-inch pieces. Halve, peel, and thinly slice onion.

2

Toss carrots on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast until browned and tender, 15-20 minutes.

3

Meanwhile, place potatoes in a medium pot with enough salted water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 12-15 minutes. Drain and return potatoes to pot; cover to keep warm.

4

While potatoes cook, heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and softened, 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 tsp sugar (2 tsp for 4 servings). Stir in stock concentrate and 2 TBSP water (¼ cup for 4); season with salt and pepper. Cook until jammy, 2-3 minutes more. Turn off heat; transfer to a small bowl. Wash out pan.

5

Pat chicken dry with paper towels; season all over with salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of oil in pan used for onion over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 5-6 minutes per side. In the last 1-2 minutes of cooking, top with caramelized onion and cheese. Cover pan until cheese melts. (If your pan doesn’t have a lid, cover with a baking sheet!)

6

Heat pot with drained potatoes over low heat; mash with sour cream, 2 TBSP butter (4 TBSP for 4 servings), salt, pepper, and a splash of water (or milk, for extra richness) until smooth. Divide chicken, roasted carrots, and mashed potatoes between plates.

Category: Vegetarian

Area: Indian

Ingredients:

• 1 tbls Vegetable Oil
• 1 finely chopped Onion
• 2 cloves chopped Garlic
• 1 part Ginger
• 1 Packet Coriander
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 2 tsp Garam Masala
• 400g Chopped Tomatoes
• 400g Kidney Beans
• to serve Basmati Rice

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to colour. Add the garlic, ginger and coriander stalks and cook for a further 2 mins, until fragrant.

Add the spices to the pan and cook for another 1 min, by which point everything should smell aromatic. Tip in the chopped tomatoes and kidney beans in their water, then bring to the boil.

Turn down the heat and simmer for 15 mins until the curry is nice and thick. Season to taste, then serve with the basmati rice and the coriander leaves.

Category: Miscellaneous

Area: Canadian

Ingredients:

• Dash Vegetable Oil
• 1 Can Beef Gravy
• 5 thin cut Potatoes
• 2 cups Cheese Curds

Instructions:

Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep heavy skillet to 365°F (185°C).
Warm gravy in saucepan or microwave.
Place the fries into the hot oil, and cook until light brown, about 5 minutes.
Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
Place the fries on a serving platter, and sprinkle the cheese over them.
Ladle gravy over the fries and cheese, and serve immediately.

Category: Chicken

Area: Moroccan

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 chopped Onion
• 200g Chicken Breast
• pinch Ginger
• 2 tblsp Harissa Spice
• 10 Dried Apricots
• 220g Chickpeas
• 200g Couscous
• 200ml Chicken Stock
• Handful Coriander

Instructions:

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion for 1-2 mins just until softened. Add the chicken and fry for 7-10 mins until cooked through and the onions have turned golden. Grate over the ginger, stir through the harissa to coat everything and cook for 1 min more.

Tip in the apricots, chickpeas and couscous, then pour over the stock and stir once. Cover with a lid or tightly cover the pan with foil and leave for about 5 mins until the couscous has soaked up all the stock and is soft. Fluff up the couscous with a fork and scatter over the coriander to serve. Serve with extra harissa, if you like.

Category: Breakfast

Area: Indian

Ingredients:

• 50g Butter
• 1 chopped Onion
• 3 Pods Cardamom
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric
• 1 small Cinnamon Stick
• Sprigs of fresh Bay Leaf
• 450g Basmati Rice
• 1 Litre Chicken Stock
• 750g Smoked Haddock
• 3 Eggs
• 3 tblsp chopped Parsley
• 1 chopped Lemon

Instructions:

Melt 50g butter in a large saucepan (about 20cm across), add 1 finely chopped medium onion and cook gently over a medium heat for 5 minutes, until softened but not browned.

Stir in 3 split cardamom pods, ¼ tsp turmeric, 1 small cinnamon stick and 2 bay leaves, then cook for 1 minute.

Tip in 450g basmati rice and stir until it is all well coated in the spicy butter.

Pour in 1 litre chicken or fish stock, add ½ teaspoon salt and bring to the boil, stir once to release any rice from the bottom of the pan. Cover with a close-fitting lid, reduce the heat to low and leave to cook very gently for 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring some water to the boil in a large shallow pan. Add 750g un-dyed smoked haddock fillet and simmer for 4 minutes, until the fish is just cooked. Lift it out onto a plate and leave until cool enough to handle.

Hard-boil 3 eggs for 8 minutes.

Flake the fish, discarding any skin and bones. Drain the eggs, cool slightly, then peel and chop.


Uncover the rice and remove the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods if you wish to. Gently fork in the fish and the chopped eggs, cover again and return to the heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the fish has heated through.

Gently stir in almost all the 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, and season with a little salt and black pepper to taste. Serve scattered with the remaining parsley and garnished with 1 lemon, cut into wedges.

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.

Category: Miscellaneous

Area: Jamaican

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Kale
• 2 strips Bacon
• 3 cloves Chopped Garlic
• 1 medium Onion
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 1 Sprig Thyme
• 1 Tomato
• 1 Red Pepper
• 4 Banana
• Splash Vegetable Oil

Instructions:

Cut leaves and soft stems from the kale branches, them soak in a bowl of cold water for about 5-10 minutes or until finish with prep.
Proceed to slicing the onions, mincing the garlic and dicing the tomatoes. Set aside
Remove kale from water cut in chunks.
Place bacon on saucepan and cook until crispy. Then add onions, garlic, thyme, stir for about a minute or more
Add tomatoes; scotch bonnet pepper, smoked paprika. Sauté for about 2-3 more minutes.
Finally add vegetable, salt, mix well, and steamed for about 6-8 minutes or until leaves are tender. Add a tiny bit of water as needed. Adjust seasonings and turn off the heat.
Using a sharp knife cut both ends off the plantain. This will make it easy to grab the skin of the plantains. Slit a shallow line down the long seam of the plantain; peel only as deep as the peel. Remove plantain peel by pulling it back.
Slice the plantain into medium size lengthwise slices and set aside.
Coat a large frying pan with cooking oil spray. Spray the tops of the plantains with a generous layer of oil spray and sprinkle with salt, freshly ground pepper.
Let the plantains "fry" on medium heat, shaking the frying pan to redistribute them every few minutes.
As the plantains brown, continue to add more cooking oil spray, salt and pepper (if needed) until they have reached the desired color and texture.
Remove and serve with kale

Category: Chicken

Area: Japanese

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 4 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 (12 oz.) stir-fry vegetables
• 3 cups brown rice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
Combine soy sauce, ½ cup water, brown sugar, ginger and garlic in a small saucepan and cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove lid and cook for one minute once boiling.
Meanwhile, stir together the corn starch and 2 tablespoons of water in a separate dish until smooth. Once sauce is boiling, add mixture to the saucepan and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce starts to thicken then remove from heat.
Place the chicken breasts in the prepared pan. Pour one cup of the sauce over top of chicken. Place chicken in oven and bake 35 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and shred chicken in the dish using two forks.
*Meanwhile, steam or cook the vegetables according to package directions.
Add the cooked vegetables and rice to the casserole dish with the chicken. Add most of the remaining sauce, reserving a bit to drizzle over the top when serving. Gently toss everything together in the casserole dish until combined. Return to oven and cook 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle each serving with remaining sauce. Enjoy!