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Category: Vegetarian

Area: French

Ingredients:

• 2 large Aubergine
• 4 Courgettes
• 2 Yellow Pepper
• 4 large Tomato
• 5 tbs Olive Oil
• Bunch Basil
• 1 medium Onion
• 3 finely chopped Garlic Clove
• 1 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 tsp Sugar

Instructions:

Cut the aubergines in half lengthways. Place them on the board, cut side down, slice in half lengthways again and then across into 1.5cm chunks. Cut off the courgettes ends, then across into 1.5cm slices. Peel the peppers from stalk to bottom. Hold upright, cut around the stalk, then cut into 3 pieces. Cut away any membrane, then chop into bite-size chunks.
Score a small cross on the base of each tomato, then put them into a heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, leave for 20 secs, then remove. Pour the water away, replace the tomatoes and cover with cold water. Leave to cool, then peel the skin away. Quarter the tomatoes, scrape away the seeds with a spoon, then roughly chop the flesh.
Set a sauté pan over medium heat and when hot, pour in 2 tbsp olive oil. Brown the aubergines for 5 mins on each side until the pieces are soft. Set them aside and fry the courgettes in another tbsp oil for 5 mins, until golden on both sides. Repeat with the peppers. Don’t overcook the vegetables at this stage, as they have some more cooking left in the next step.
Tear up the basil leaves and set aside. Cook the onion in the pan for 5 mins. Add the garlic and fry for a further min. Stir in the vinegar and sugar, then tip in the tomatoes and half the basil. Return the vegetables to the pan with some salt and pepper and cook for 5 mins. Serve with basil.

Category: Pork

Area: Chinese

Ingredients:

• 200g Pork
• 1 Egg
• Dash Water
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 10g Soy Sauce
• 10g Starch
• 30g Tomato Puree
• 10g Vinegar
• Dash Coriander

Instructions:

Preparation
1. Crack the egg into a bowl. Separate the egg white and yolk.

Sweet and Sour Pork
2. Slice the pork tenderloin into strips.

3. Prepare the marinade using a pinch of salt, one teaspoon of starch, two teaspoons of light soy sauce, and an egg white.

4. Marinade the pork strips for about 20 minutes.

5. Put the remaining starch in a bowl. Add some water and vinegar to make a starchy sauce.

Sweet and Sour Pork
Cooking Instructions
1. Pour the cooking oil into a wok and heat to 190°C (375°F). Add the marinated pork strips and fry them until they turn brown. Remove the cooked pork from the wok and place on a plate.

2. Leave some oil in the wok. Put the tomato sauce and white sugar into the wok, and heat until the oil and sauce are fully combined.

3. Add some water to the wok and thoroughly heat the sweet and sour sauce before adding the pork strips to it.

4. Pour in the starchy sauce. Stir-fry all the ingredients until the pork and sauce are thoroughly mixed together.

5. Serve on a plate and add some coriander for decoration.

Category: Chicken

Area: Chinese

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs Sake
• 2 tbs Soy Sauce
• 2 tbs Sesame Seed Oil
• 2 tbs Corn Flour
• 2 tbs Water
• 500g Chicken
• 1 tbs Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp Rice Vinegar
• 1 tbs Brown Sugar
• 4 Chopped Spring Onions
• 6 cloves Garlic Clove
• 220g Water Chestnut
• 100g Peanuts

Instructions:

Combine the sake or rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil and cornflour dissolved in water. Divide mixture in half.
In a glass dish or bowl, combine half of the sake mixture with the chicken pieces and toss to coat. Cover dish and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
In a medium frying pan, combine remaining sake mixture, chillies, vinegar and sugar. Mix together and add spring onion, garlic, water chestnuts and peanuts. Heat sauce slowly over medium heat until aromatic.
Meanwhile, remove chicken from marinade and sauté in a large frying pan until juices run clear. When sauce is aromatic, add sautéed chicken and let simmer together until sauce thickens.

Category: Miscellaneous

Area: Italian

Ingredients:

• 4 meaty shanks Veal
• ½ cup Flour
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 3 tablespoons Butter
• 1 medium chopped into ½-inch pieces Onion
• 1 chopped into ½-inch pieces Carrots
• 1 chopped into ½-inch pieces Celery
• 1 bulb chopped into ½-inch pieces Fennel
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 2 strips Orange Zest
• 1 ½ teaspoons Marjoram
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 cup Dry White Wine
• ½ cup Chicken Stock
• 1 cup chopped with juice Tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped Parsley
• 1 teaspoon minced Garlic
• 1 teaspoon grated Lemon Zest

Instructions:

Heat the oven to 300 degrees.
Dredging the shanks: pour the flour into a shallow dish (a pie plate works nicely). Season the veal shanks on all sides with salt and pepper. One at a time, roll the shanks around in the flour coat, and shake and pat the shank to remove any excuses flour. Discard the remaining flour.
Browning the shanks: put the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a wide Dutch oven or heavy braising pot (6 to 7 quart) and heat over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted and the oil is shimmering, lower the shanks into the pot, flat side down; if the shanks won’t fit without touching one another, do this in batches. Brown the shanks, turning once with tongs, until both flat sides are well caramelized, about 5 minutes per side. If the butter-oil mixture starts to burn, lower the heat just a bit. Transfer the shanks to a large platter or tray and set aside.
The aromatics: pour off and discard the fat from the pot. Wipe out any burnt bits with a damp paper towel, being careful not to remove any delicious little caramelized bits. Ad the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the pot and melt it over medium heat. When the butter has stopped foaming, add the onion, carrot, celery, and fennel. Season with salt and pepper, stir, and cook the vegetables until they begin to soften but do not brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, orange zest, marjoram, and bay leaf, and stew for another minute or two.
The braising liquid: add the wine, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, to reduce the wine by about half, 5 minutes. Add the stock and tomatoes, with their juice, and boil again to reduce the liquid to about 1 cup total, about 10 minutes.
The braise: Place the shanks in the pot so that they are sitting with the exposed bone facing up, and pour over any juices that accumulated as they sat. Cover with parchment paper, pressing down so the parchment nearly touches the veal and the edges hang over the sides of the pot by about an inch. Cover tightly with the lid, and slide into the lower part of the oven to braise at a gentle simmer. Check the pot after the first 15 minutes, and if the liquid is simmering too aggressively, lower the oven heat by 10 or 15 degrees. Continue braising, turning the shanks and spooning some pan juices over the top after the first 40 minutes, until the meat is completely tender and pulling away from the bone, about 2 hours.
The gremolata: While the shanks are braising, stir together the garlic, parsley, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a cool place (or the refrigerator, if your kitchen is very warm.)
The finish: When the veal is fork-tender and falling away from the bone, remove the lid and sprinkle over half of the gremolata. Return the veal to the oven, uncovered, for another 15 minutes to caramelize it some.
Using a slotted spatula or spoon, carefully lift the shanks from the braising liquid, doing your best to keep them intact. The shanks will be very tender and threatening to fall into pieces, and the marrow will be wobbly inside the bones, so this can be a bit tricky. But if they do break apart, don’t worry, the flavor won’t suffer at all. Arrange the shanks on a serving platter or other large plate, without stacking, and cover with foil to keep warm.
Finishing the sauce: Set the braising pot on top of the stove and evaluate the sauce: if there is a visible layer of fat floating on the surface, use a large spoon to skim it off and discard it. Taste the sauce for concentration of flavor. If it tastes a bit weak or flat, bring it to a boil over high heat, and boil to reduce the volume and intensify the flavor for 5 to 10 minutes. Taste again for salt and pepper. If the sauce wants more zip, stir in a teaspoon or two of the remaining gremolata.
Portioning the veal shanks: if the shanks are reasonably sized, serve one per person. If the shanks are gargantuan or you’re dealing with modest appetites, pull apart the larger shanks, separating them at their natural seams, and serve smaller amounts. Be sure to give the marrow bones to whomever prizes them most.
Serving: Arrange the veal shanks on warm dinner plates accompanied by the risotto, if serving. Just before carrying the plates to the table, sprinkle on the remaining gremolata and then spoon over a generous amount of sauce – the contact with the hot liquid will aromatize the gremolata and perk up everyone’s appetite with the whiff of garlic and lemon.

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: 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!

Category: Pork

Area: Chinese

Ingredients:

• 1lb Pork
• 3 chopped Garlic Clove
• 1 tsp Ginger
• 1 tbs Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp Sesame Seed Oil
• 3 finely chopped Carrots
• 3 finely chopped Celery
• 6 chopped Spring Onions
• 1 Packet Wonton Skin
• Fry Oil
• Bottle Water

Instructions:

Combine pork, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and vegetables in a bowl.
Separate wonton skins.
Place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center of the wonton.
Brush water on 2 borders of the skin, covering 1/4 inch from the edge.
Fold skin over to form a triangle, sealing edges.
Pinch the two long outside points together.
Heat oil to 450 degrees and fry 4 to 5 at a time until golden.
Drain and serve with sauce.

Category: Vegan

Area: Italian

Ingredients:

• 1 cups green red lentils
• 1 Carrots
• 1 onion
• 1 small zucchini
• sprinking coriander
• 150g spinach
• 10 lasagne sheets
• 35g vegan butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 300ml soya milk
• 1.5 teaspoons mustard
• 1 teaspoon vinegar

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.
2) Boil vegetables for 5-7 minutes, until soft. Add lentils and bring to a gentle simmer, adding a stock cube if desired. Continue cooking and stirring until the lentils are soft, which should take about 20 minutes.
3) Blanch spinach leaves for a few minutes in a pan, before removing and setting aside.
4) Top up the pan with water and cook the lasagne sheets. When cooked, drain and set aside.
5) To make the sauce, melt the butter and add the flour, then gradually add the soya milk along with the mustard and the vinegar. Cook and stir until smooth and then assemble the lasagne as desired in a baking dish.
6) Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes.

Category: Beef

Area: Malaysian

Ingredients:

• 1lb Beef
• 5 tbs Vegetable Oil
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 3 Cloves
• 3 Star Anise
• 3 Cardamom
• 1 cup Coconut Cream
• 1 cup Water
• 2 tbs Tamarind Paste
• 6 Lime
• 1 tbs Sugar
• 5 Challots

Instructions:

Chop the spice paste ingredients and then blend it in a food processor until fine.
Heat the oil in a stew pot, add the spice paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom and stir-fry until aromatic. Add the beef and the pounded lemongrass and stir for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, tamarind juice, water, and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until the meat is almost cooked. Add the kaffir lime leaves, kerisik (toasted coconut), sugar or palm sugar, stirring to blend well with the meat.
Lower the heat to low, cover the lid, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is really tender and the gravy has dried up. Add more salt and sugar to taste. Serve immediately with steamed rice and save some for overnight.

Category: Pork

Area: Irish

Ingredients:

• 800g Floury Potatoes
• 50g Butter
• 3 chopped Garlic Clove
• 1 chopped Cabbage
• 8 Spring Onions
• 100ml Double Cream
• 2 tbs Mustard
• 180g Ham
• 4 Eggs

Instructions:

STEP 1
Peel and cut the potatoes into even, medium-sized chunks. Put in a large pan filled with cold salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 10-15 mins until a knife can be inserted into the potatoes easily.

STEP 2
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic, cabbage, spring onions and some seasoning. Stir occasionally until the cabbage is wilted but still retains a little bite, then set aside.

STEP 3
Drain the potatoes, leave to steam-dry for a couple of mins, then mash with the cream, mustard and seasoning in the same saucepan. Stir in the cabbage and ham hock. Keep warm over a low heat.

STEP 4
Reheat the pan you used to cook the cabbage (no need to wash first), add a splash of oil, crack in the eggs and fry to your liking. To serve, divide the colcannon between bowls and top each with a fried egg.