Blog

  • 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.

  • Flamiche

    Flamiche

    Category: Vegetarian

    Area: French

    Ingredients:

    • 75g Butter
    • 1kg Leek
    • ½ tsp Salt
    • 300ml Creme Fraiche
    • 1 Egg
    • 3 Egg Yolks
    • ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
    • 225g Plain Flour
    • ½ tsp Salt
    • 60g Butter
    • 60g Lard
    • 50g Cheddar Cheese
    • 2 tbs Water

    Instructions:

    For the pastry, sift the flour and salt into the bowl of a food processor, add the butter and lard, then whizz together briefly until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Tip the mixture into a bowl, then stir in the cheese and enough of the water for the mixture to come together. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth. Roll out thinly and line a 23cm x 4cm loose-?bottomed fluted flan tin. Prick the base with a fork. Chill for 20 minutes.
    02.Melt the 75g butter in a saucepan over a low heat, then add the leeks and the salt. Cover and cook for ?10 minutes until soft. Uncover the pan, increase the heat and cook ?for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated. Spoon onto a plate and leave to cool.
    03.Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Line the pastry case with baking paper and baking beans or rice and blind bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are biscuit-coloured. Remove the paper and beans/rice and return the case to the oven for 7-10 minutes until the base is crisp and lightly golden. Remove and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 190°C/fan170°C/gas 5.
    04.Put the crème fraîche into a bowl with the whole egg, egg yolks and nutmeg. Lightly beat together, then season. Stir in the leeks. Spoon ?the mixture into the tart case and bake for 35-40 minutes until set ?and lightly golden. Remove from ?the oven and leave for 10 minutes. Take out of the tin and serve.

  • Portuguese fish stew (Caldeirada de peixe)

    Portuguese fish stew (Caldeirada de peixe)

    Category: Seafood

    Area: Portuguese

    Ingredients:

    • 2 finely chopped Onions
    • 1 Diced Red Pepper
    • Small bunch Coriander
    • 1 small Red Chilli
    • 3 cloves Garlic
    • 400ml Dry White Wine
    • Pinch Saffron
    • 1 Bay Leaf
    • 300g Potatoes
    • 400g Plum Tomatoes
    • 600g Cod
    • 300g Squid
    • 8 Tiger Prawns
    • 500g Clams
    • 500g Mussels
    • 1 sliced Baguette

    Instructions:

    STEP 1

    Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, deep-sided frying pan, and fry the onion and pepper on a medium heat until softened but not browned. Finely chop the coriander stalks (keep the leaves for later), and add to the pan with the chilli and chopped garlic. Fry for another few minutes. Add the wine, saffron and bay leaf and let it simmer until reduced by half.

    STEP 2

    Add the potatoes, tomatoes, and 300ml water and bring to a gentle boil. Break up the tomatoes with a spoon on the side of the pan and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are just tender, and the tomatoes have broken down.

    STEP 3

    Season well, then gently push the fish into the sauce, and arrange the squid, prawns, clams and mussels on the surface. Put the lid on and cook for 6-8 minutes until the mussel and clam shells have opened, the prawns are cooked and the fish is flaky. Toast the bread, rub lightly with the halved garlic clove and drizzle with olive oil. Serve the stew scatted with chopped coriander leaves, and the toasts for dunking.

  • Roast fennel and aubergine paella

    Roast fennel and aubergine paella

    Category: Vegan

    Area: Spanish

    Ingredients:

    • 6 small Baby Aubergine
    • 4 small Fennel
    • 1 thinly sliced Red Pepper
    • 1 medium Courgettes
    • 1 finely chopped Onion
    • 300g Paella Rice
    • 1 tsp Paprika
    • pinch Saffron
    • 200ml White Wine
    • 700ml Vegetable Stock
    • 100g Frozen Peas
    • 1 chopped Lemon
    • Handful Parsley
    • pinch Salt
    • pinch Black Pepper

    Instructions:

    1 Put the fennel, aubergine, pepper and courgette in a roasting tray. Add a glug of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss around to coat the veggies in the oil. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, turning a couple of times until the veg are pretty much cooked through and turning golden.

    2 Meanwhile, heat a paella pan or large frying pan over a low– medium heat and add a glug of olive oil. Sauté the onion for 8–10 minutes until softened. Increase the heat to medium and stir in the rice, paprika and saffron. Cook for around 1 minute to start toasting the rice, then add the white wine. Reduce by about half before stirring in two-thirds of the stock. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes without a lid, stirring a couple of times.

    3 Stir in the peas, add some seasoning, then gently mix in the roasted veg. Pour over the remaining stock, arrange the lemon wedges on top and cover with a lid or some aluminium foil. Cook for a further 10 minutes.

    4 To ensure you get the classic layer of toasted rice at the bottom of the pan, increase the heat to high until you hear a slight crackle. Remove from the heat and sit for 5 minutes before sprinkling over the parsley and serving.

  • Moroccan Carrot Soup

    Moroccan Carrot Soup

    Category: Vegetarian

    Area: Moroccan

    Ingredients:

    • 6 chopped Carrots
    • 1 sliced Onion
    • 4 Garlic Clove
    • 1 tsp Cumin
    • 1/2 tsp Coriander
    • 1 tbs Olive Oil
    • 1/4 tsp Garam Masala
    • 1 tsp Lemon Juice

    Instructions:

    Step 1
    Preheat oven to 180° C.
    Step 2
    Combine carrots, onion, garlic, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, salt and olive oil in a bowl and mix well. Transfer on a baking tray.
    Step 3
    Put the baking tray in preheated oven and roast for 10-12 minutes or till carrots soften. Remove from heat and cool.
    Step 4
    Grind the baked carrot mixture along with some water to make a smooth paste and strain in a bowl.
    Step 5
    Heat the carrot mixture in a non-stick pan. Add two cups of water and bring to a boil. Add garam masala powder and mix. Add salt and mix well.
    Step 6
    Remove from heat, add lemon juice and mix well.
    Step 7
    Serve hot.

  • French Onion Chicken with Roasted Carrots & Mashed Potatoes

    French Onion Chicken with Roasted Carrots & Mashed Potatoes

    Category: Chicken

    Area: American

    Ingredients:

    • 2 Chicken Breasts
    • 12 ounces Carrots
    • 5 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.

  • Beef Caldereta

    Beef Caldereta

    Category: Beef

    Area: Filipino

    Ingredients:

    • 2kg cut cubes Beef
    • 1 Beef Stock
    • 1 tbs Soy Sauce
    • 2 cups Water
    • 1 sliced Green Pepper
    • 1 sliced Red Pepper
    • 1 sliced Potatoes
    • 1 sliced Carrots
    • 8 ounces Tomato Puree
    • 3 tablespoons Peanut Butter
    • 5 Chilli Powder
    • 1 chopped Onion
    • 5 cloves Garlic
    • 3 tbs Olive Oil

    Instructions:

    0. Heat oil in a cooking pot. Saute onion and garlic until onion softens
    1. Add beef. Saute until the outer part turns light brown.
    2. Add soy sauce. Pour tomato sauce and water. Let boil.
    3. Add Knorr Beef Cube. Cover the pressure cooker. Cook for 30 minutes.
    4. Pan-fry carrot and potato until it browns. Set aside.
    5. Add chili pepper, liver spread and peanut butter. Stir.
    6. Add bell peppers, fried potato and carrot. Cover the pot. Continue cooking for 5 to 7 minutes.
    7. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Serve.

  • Dal fry

    Dal fry

    Category: Vegetarian

    Area: Indian

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup Toor dal
    • 2-1/2 cups Water
    • 1 tsp Salt
    • 1/4 tsp Turmeric
    • 3 tbs Ghee
    • 1 cup Chopped tomatoes
    • 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
    • 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
    • 2 Bay Leaf
    • 1 tbs chopped Green Chilli
    • 2 tsp shredded Ginger
    • 2 tbs Cilantro
    • 1/2 tsp Red Pepper
    • 1/2 tsp Salt
    • 1 tsp Sugar
    • 1/4 tsp Garam Masala

    Instructions:

    Wash and soak toor dal in approx. 3 cups of water, for at least one hours. Dal will be double in volume after soaking. Drain the water.
    Cook dal with 2-1/2 cups water and add salt, turmeric, on medium high heat, until soft in texture (approximately 30 mins) it should be like thick soup.
    In a frying pan, heat the ghee. Add cumin seeds, and mustard seeds. After the seeds crack, add bay leaves, green chili, ginger and chili powder. Stir for a few seconds.
    Add tomatoes, salt and sugar stir and cook until tomatoes are tender and mushy.
    Add cilantro and garam masala cook for about one minute.
    Pour the seasoning over dal mix it well and cook for another minute.
    Serve with Naan.

  • Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

    Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

    Category: Dessert

    Area: British

    Ingredients:

    • 350g Flour
    • 1 tsp Salt
    • 2 tbs Sugar
    • 1 cup Butter
    • 1/2 cup Water
    • 450g Rhubarb
    • 450g Strawberries
    • 3 tbs Cornstarch
    • 150g Sugar
    • 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
    • 1 tsp Lemon Juice
    • 2 tbs Unsalted Butter
    • 2 tbs Milk
    • Spinkling Sugar

    Instructions:

    Pie Crust: In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse

    meal (about 15 seconds). Pour 1/4 cup (60 ml) water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough just holds together when pinched. If necessary, add more water. Do not process more than 30 seconds.
    Turn the dough onto your work surface and gather into a ball. Divide the dough in half, flattening each half into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about one hour before using. This will chill the butter and relax the gluten in the flour.

    After the dough has chilled sufficiently, remove one portion of the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry into a 12 inch (30 cm) circle. (To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards).) Fold the dough in half and gently transfer to a 9 inch (23 cm) pie pan. Brush off any excess flour and trim any overhanging pastry to an edge of 1/2 inch (1.5 cm). Refrigerate the pastry, covered with plastic wrap, while you make the filling.

    Remove the second round of pastry and roll it into a 13 inch (30 cm) circle. Using a pastry wheel or pizza cutter, cut the pastry into about 3/4 inch (2 cm) strips. Place the strips of pastry on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.

    Make the Strawberry Rhubarb Filling: Place the cut strawberries and rhubarb in a large bowl. In a small bowl mix together the cornstarch, sugar, and ground cinnamon.

    Remove the chilled pie crust from the fridge. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of the sugar mixture over the bottom of the pastry crust. Add the remaining sugar mixture to the strawberries and rhubarb and gently toss to combine. Pour the fruit mixture into the prepared pie shell. Sprinkle the fruit with about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and dot with 2 tablespoons of butter.

    Remove the lattice pastry from the refrigerator and, starting at the center with the longest strips and working outwards, place half the strips, spacing about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, on top of the filling. (Use the shortest pastry strips at the outer edges.) Then, gently fold back, about halfway, every other strip of pastry. Take another strip of pastry and place it perpendicular on top of the first strips of pastry. Unfold the bottom strips of pastry and then fold back the strips that weren't folded back the first time. Lay another strip of pastry perpendicular on top of the filling and then continue with the remaining strips. Trim the edges of the pastry strips, leaving a 1 inch (2.5 cm) overhang. Seal the edges of the pastry strips by folding them under the bottom pastry crust and flute the edges of the pastry. Brush the lattice pastry with milk and sprinkle with a little sugar. Cover and place in the refrigerator while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Put a baking sheet, lined with aluminum foil, on the oven rack (to catch any spills.)

    Place the pie plate on the hot baking sheet and bake the pie for about 35 minutes and then, if the edges of the pie are browning too much, cover with a foil ring. Continue to bake the pie for about another 10 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown color and the fruit juices begin to bubble.

    Remove the pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for several hours. Serve at room temperature with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Reheat before serving. This pie can be frozen.

    Makes one 9 inch (23 cm) pie.

  • Krispy Kreme Donut

    Krispy Kreme Donut

    Category: Dessert

    Area: American

    Ingredients:

    • 1/4 ounce Yeast
    • 1/4 cup Water
    • 1 1/2 cups Water
    • 1/2 cup Sugar
    • 1 tsp Salt
    • 2 Eggs
    • 1/3 cup Shortening
    • 5 drops Flour
    • Sprinking Canola Oil
    • 1/2 cup Milk
    • 2 cups Sugar
    • 1 1/2 cups Vanilla
    • 6 tablespoons Boiling Water
    • 1/3 cup Butter

    Instructions:

    Dissolve yeast in warm water in 2 1/2-quart bowl. Add milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening and 2 cups flour. Beat on low for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in remaining flour until smooth. Cover and let rise until double, 50-60 minutes. (Dough is ready when indentation remains when touched.) Turn dough onto floured surface; roll around lightly to coat with flour. Gently roll dough 1/2-inch thick with floured rolling pin. Cut with floured doughnut cutter. Cover and let rise until double, 30-40 minutes.
    Heat vegetable oil in deep fryer to 350°. Slide doughnuts into hot oil with wide spatula. Turn doughnuts as they rise to the surface. Fry until golden brown, about 1 minute on each side. Remove carefully from oil (do not prick surface); drain. Dip the doughnuts into creamy glaze set on rack.

    Glaze:
    Heat butter until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.