Author:

Category: Chicken

Area: Malaysian

Ingredients:

• 6 Chicken Thighs
• 16 Challots
• 1 1/2 Ginger
• 6 Garlic Clove
• 8 Cayenne Pepper
• 2 tbs Turmeric
• 1 1/2 Cumin
• 1 1/2 Coriander
• 1 1/2 Fennel
• 2 tbs Tamarind Paste
• 1 can Coconut Milk
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 cup Water

Instructions:

In a blender, add the ingredients for the spice paste and blend until smooth.
Over medium heat, pour the spice paste in a skillet or pan and fry for 10 minutes until fragrant. Add water or oil 1 tablespoon at a time if the paste becomes too dry. Don't burn the paste. Lower the fire slightly if needed.
Add the cloves, cardamom, tamarind pulp, coconut milk, water, sugar and salt. Turn the heat up and bring the mixture to boil. Turn the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. It will reduce slightly. This is the marinade/sauce, so taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Don't worry if it's slightly bitter. It will go away when roasting.
When the marinade/sauce has cooled, pour everything over the chicken and marinate overnight to two days.
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Remove the chicken from the marinade. Spoon the marinade onto a greased (or aluminum lined) baking sheet. Lay the chicken on top of the sauce (make sure the chicken covers the sauce and the sauce isn't exposed or it'll burn) and spread the remaining marinade on the chicken. Roast for 35-45 minutes or until internal temp of the thickest part of chicken is at least 175 F.
Let chicken rest for 5 minutes. Brush the chicken with some of the oil. Serve chicken with the sauce over steamed rice (or coconut rice).

Category: Pork

Area: Irish

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Kale
• 8 Italian Fennel Sausages
• 1 Head chopped Cabbage
• 8 Garlic Clove
• Sliced Onion
• Sliced Shiitake Mushrooms
• 1 cup Chicken Stock
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Remove the stems from one bunch of Tuscan kale and tear the leaves into 1" pieces (mustard greens, collards, spinach, and chard are great, too). Coarsely chop half a head of green cabbage. Combine the greens in a large baking dish and add 4 cloves of thinly sliced garlic. Adding some sliced onions and shiitake mushrooms at this point is optional, but highly recommended (I'll sauté the onions and mushrooms in a cast iron baking dish right on the stove before adding to the greens). Coat the greens with some olive oil and pour ½ cup chicken stock or broth over everything. Cover the dish with foil and bake until the greens are wilted, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and season with salt and pepper. Continue to bake until cabbage is tender, about 20-25 minutes more.

Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Prick four sweet Italian sausages with a fork and cook until browned on all sides and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. When the greens are done, slice the sausage and toss into the greens with a splash of your favorite vinegar (I like sherry or red wine).

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!

Category: Dessert

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 300g Strawberries
• 250g Blackberries
• 100g Redcurrants
• 500g Raspberries
• 175g Caster Sugar
• 7 Slices Bread

Instructions:

Bring out the juices: Wash fruit and gently dry on kitchen paper – keep strawberries separate. Put sugar and 3 tbsp water into a large pan. Gently heat until sugar dissolves – stir a few times. Bring to a boil for 1 min, then tip in the fruit (not strawberries). Cook for 3 mins over a low heat, stirring 2-3 times. The fruit will be softened, mostly intact and surrounded by dark red juice. Put a sieve over a bowl and tip in the fruit and juice.
Line the bowl with cling film and prepare the bread: Line the 1.25-litre basin with cling film as this will help you to turn out the pudding. Overlap two pieces of cling film in the middle of the bowl as it’s easier than trying to get one sheet to stick to all of the curves. Let the edges overhang by about 15cm. Cut the crusts off the bread. Cut 4 pieces of bread in half, a little on an angle, to give 2 lopsided rectangles per piece. Cut 2 slices into 4 triangles each and leave the final piece whole.
Build the pud: Dip the whole piece of bread into the juice for a few secs just to coat. Push this into the bottom of the basin. Now dip the wonky rectangular pieces one at a time and press around the basin’s sides so that they fit together neatly, alternately placing wide and narrow ends up. If you can’t quite fit the last piece of bread in it doesn’t matter, just trim into a triangle, dip in juice and slot in. Now spoon in the softened fruit, adding the strawberries here and there as you go.
Let flavours mingle then serve: Dip the bread triangles in juice and place on top – trim off overhang with scissors. Keep leftover juice for later. Bring cling film up and loosely seal. Put a side plate on top and weight down with cans. Chill for 6 hrs or overnight. To serve, open out cling film then put a serving plate upside-down on top and flip over. serve with leftover juice, any extra berries and cream.

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: Dessert

Area: Malaysian

Ingredients:

• 400g Rice
• 150ml Coconut Milk
• 100ml Water
• 1 tsp Salt
• 5 tbs Corn Flour
• 3 tbs Flour
• 3 Eggs
• 200ml Coconut Cream
• 140g Sugar

Instructions:

Soak glutinous rice with water for at least 1 ½ hours prior to using. Drain.
Prepare a 9-inch round or square cake pan and spray with cooking spray or line with plastic wrap.
Mix coconut milk, water, salt and the rice. Pour it into cake pan, topped with the pandan knots.
Steam for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, fluff up the rice and remove pandan knots. Then, using a greased spatula, flatten the steamed rice. Make sure there are no holes/air bubbles and gaps in the rice, especially the sides.
Steam for another 10 minutes.

Combine pandan juice, coconut milk, all purpose flour, cornflour, and sugar. Mix well.
Add eggs and whisk well then strain into a medium sized metal bowl or pot.
Place pandan mixture over simmering water (double boiler or bain-marie)
Stir continuously and cook till custard starts to thicken. (15 minutes)
Pour pandan custard into glutinous rice layer, give it a little tap (for air bubbles) and continue to steam for 30 minutes.
Remove kuih seri muka from the steamer and allow to cool completely before cutting into rectangles or diamond shapes.

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 potatoes
• 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: British

Ingredients:

• 100g Butter
• 175g Muscovado Sugar
• 2 large Eggs
• 225g Self-raising Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Bicarbonate Of Soda
• 3 tbs Black Treacle
• 275ml Milk
• to serve Double Cream
• 100g Butter
• 125g Muscovado Sugar
• 1 tbs Black Treacle
• 300ml Double Cream
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Butter a wide shallow 1.7-litre/3-pint ovenproof dish.
Put the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and treacle into a mixing bowl. Beat using an electric handheld whisk for about 30 seconds or until combined. Pour in the milk gradually and whisk again until smooth. Pour into the prepared dish. Bake for 35–40 minutes or until well risen and springy in the centre.
To make the sauce, put all the ingredients into a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. Bring to the boil, stirring for a minute.
To serve, pour half the sauce over the pudding in the baking dish. Serve with the cream or ice cream.

Category: Side

Area: Russian

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Buckwheat
• 2/3 Cup Flour
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Yeast
• 1 cup Milk
• 2 tbs Butter
• 1 Seperated Egg

Instructions:

In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup buckwheat flour, 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon yeast.

Make a well in the center and pour in 1 cup warm milk, whisking until the batter is smooth.

Cover the bowl and let the batter rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Enrich and Rest the Batter
Stir 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1 egg yolk into the batter.

In a separate bowl, whisk 1 egg white until stiff, but not dry.

Fold the whisked egg white into the batter.

Cover the bowl and let the batter stand 20 minutes.

Pan-Fry the Blini
Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Drop quarter-sized dollops of batter into the pan, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for about 1 minute or until bubbles form.

Turn and cook for about 30 additional seconds.

Remove the finished blini onto a plate and cover them with a clean kitchen towel to keep warm. Add more butter to the pan and repeat the frying process with the remaining batter.

Category: Vegetarian

Area: Indian

Ingredients:

• 1 large Aubergine
• ½ cup Onion
• 1 cup Tomatoes
• 6 cloves Garlic
• 1 Green Chilli
• ¼ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
• 1.5 tablespoon Oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped Coriander Leaves
• as required salt

Instructions:

Rinse the baingan (eggplant or aubergine) in water. Pat dry with a kitchen napkin. Apply some oil all over and
keep it for roasting on an open flame. You can also grill the baingan or roast in the oven. But then you won't get
the smoky flavor of the baingan. Keep the eggplant turning after a 2 to 3 minutes on the flame, so that its evenly
cooked. You could also embed some garlic cloves in the baingan and then roast it.
2. Roast the aubergine till its completely cooked and tender. With a knife check the doneness. The knife should slid
easily in aubergines without any resistance. Remove the baingan and immerse in a bowl of water till it cools
down.
3. You can also do the dhungar technique of infusing charcoal smoky flavor in the baingan. This is an optional step.
Use natural charcoal for this method. Heat a small piece of charcoal on flame till it becomes smoking hot and red.
4. Make small cuts on the baingan with a knife. Place the red hot charcoal in the same plate where the roasted
aubergine is kept. Add a few drops of oil on the charcoal. The charcoal would begin to smoke.
5. As soon as smoke begins to release from the charcoal, cover the entire plate tightly with a large bowl. Allow the
charcoal smoke to get infused for 1 to 2 minutes. The more you do, the more smoky the baingan bharta will
become. I just keep for a minute. Alternatively, you can also do this dhungar method once the baingan bharta is
cooked, just like the way we do for Dal Tadka.
6. Peel the skin from the roasted and smoked eggplant.
7. Chop the cooked eggplant finely or you can even mash it.
8. In a kadai or pan, heat oil. Then add finely chopped onions and garlic.
9. Saute the onions till translucent. Don't brown them.
10. Add chopped green chilies and saute for a minute.
11. Add the chopped tomatoes and mix it well.
12. Bhuno (saute) the tomatoes till the oil starts separating from the mixture.
13. Now add the red chili powder. Stir and mix well.
14. Add the chopped cooked baingan.
15. Stir and mix the chopped baingan very well with the onion­tomato masala mixture.
16. Season with salt. Stir and saute for some more 4 to 5 minutes more.
17. Finally stir in the coriander leaves with the baingan bharta or garnish it with them. Serve Baingan Bharta with
phulkas, rotis or chapatis. It goes well even with bread, toasted or grilled bread and plain rice or jeera rice.