Blog

Category: Seafood

Area: Jamaican

Ingredients:

• 2 Pounds Red Snapper
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 clove peeled crushed Garlic
• 1/2 tsp Ginger
• 2 sprigs Thyme
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 0.5 Red Pepper
• 0.5 Yellow Pepper
• 1 sliced Onion
• 1 chopped Carrots
• 1 tbs Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Allspice
• 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Scotch Bonnet
• 1 Lime
• 3/4 cup Malt Vinegar
• pinch Pepper

Instructions:

Rinse fish; rub with lemon or lime, seasoned with salt and pepper or use your favorite seasoning. I used creole seasoning. Set aside or place in the oven to keep it warm until sauce is ready.

In large skillet heat oil over medium heat, until hot, add the fish, cook each side- for about 5-7 minutes until cooked through and crispy on both sides. Remove fish and set aside. Drain oil and leave about 2-3 tablespoons of oil
Add, bay leave, garlic and ginger, stir-fry for about a minute making sure the garlic does not burn
Then add onion, bell peppers, thyme, scotch bonnet, sugar, all spice-continue stirring for about 2-3 minutes. Add vinegar, mix an adjust salt and pepper according to preference. Let it simmer for about 2 more minutes.

Discard bay leave, thyme spring and serve over fish with a side of this bammy. You may make the sauce about 2 days in advance.

Category: Dessert

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 25g/1oz butter
• 8 thin slices bread
• 50g/2oz sultanas
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 350ml/12fl milk
• 50ml/2fl oz double cream
• 2 free-range eggs
• 25g/1oz sugar
• grated, to taste nutmeg

Instructions:

Grease a 1 litre/2 pint pie dish with butter.
Cut the crusts off the bread. Spread each slice with on one side with butter, then cut into triangles.
Arrange a layer of bread, buttered-side up, in the bottom of the dish, then add a layer of sultanas. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon, then repeat the layers of bread and sultanas, sprinkling with cinnamon, until you have used up all of the bread. Finish with a layer of bread, then set aside.
Gently warm the milk and cream in a pan over a low heat to scalding point. Don't let it boil.
Crack the eggs into a bowl, add three quarters of the sugar and lightly whisk until pale.
Add the warm milk and cream mixture and stir well, then strain the custard into a bowl.
Pour the custard over the prepared bread layers and sprinkle with nutmeg and the remaining sugar and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C/355F/Gas 4.
Place the dish into the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the custard has set and the top is golden-brown.

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: Breakfast

Area: Indian

Ingredients:

• 2 Bread
• 2 Egg
• 0.5 Salt

Instructions:

Make and enjoy

Category: Beef

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 8 slices Beef
• 12 florets Broccoli
• 1 Packet Potatoes
• 1 Packet Carrots
• 140g plain flour
• 4 Eggs
• 200ml milk
• drizzle (for cooking) sunflower oil

Instructions:

Cook the Broccoli and Carrots in a pan of boiling water until tender.

Roast the Beef and Potatoes in the oven for 45mins, the potatoes may need to be checked regularly to not overcook.

To make the Yorkshire puddings:
Heat oven to 230C/fan 210C/gas 8. Drizzle a little sunflower oil evenly into 2 x 4-hole Yorkshire pudding tins or a 12-hole non-stick muffin tin and place in the oven to heat through
To make the batter, tip 140g plain flour into a bowl and beat in four eggs until smooth. Gradually add 200ml milk and carry on beating until the mix is completely lump-free. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the batter into a jug, then remove the hot tins from the oven. Carefully and evenly pour the batter into the holes. Place the tins back in the oven and leave undisturbed for 20-25 mins until the puddings have puffed up and browned. Serve immediately.

Plate up and add the Gravy as desired.

Category: Beef

Area: Croatian

Ingredients:

• 600g Potatoes
• 1 chopped Courgettes
• 1 chopped Carrots
• 1 chopped Green Pepper
• 1 small Aubergine
• 1 Large Chopped Onion
• 800g Lamb Shoulder
• 1 tbs Garlic Sauce
• 1 tbs Tomato Puree
• 80 ml Olive Oil
• Sprinking Thyme
• 250ml White Wine
• Pinch Pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 200°C fan / 220°C / 425°F / Gas mark 7
If you have not bought diced lamb, cut your lamb shoulder or leg into large chunks and place to one side.
Chunks of chopped lamb of a red chopping board
Make oil marinade –
Mix 80ml of olive oil in a bowl with garlic puree, sundried tomato puree ,black pepper and salt.
olive oil, gia sundried tomato puree and gia garlic puree and black pepper mixed together in a silver bowl to make Croatian peka
Add potatoes and vegetables into a large lidded casserole dish.
Chopped up vegetables which consist of chopped up red onion, courgette, potatoes red peppers in a cast iron pan
Place diced lamb on top of the vegetables, pour the marinade and wine over the top.
Chunks of lamb covered in in a sundried tomato oil sauce which is on top of chopped red onion, aubergine, courgette and potatoes in a cast iron pan
Add the rosemary, thyme and sage, trying to keep the herbs on top.
So you can easily remove the herb stalks once cooked.
Chunks of lamb coated in a sundried tomato oil sauce and covered with thyme, rosemary and sage which is on top of chopped red onion, aubergine, courgette and potatoes in a cast iron pan
Place lid on the casserole dish and cook for 1hr 30 minute
If you do not have a lid cover very well with kitchen foil
Cast iron dish with lid on in the oven
Take the lid off, remove any thick herb stems. Stir in 2 tbsp of olive oil.
Cook for a further 20-30 mins.
Cooked Croatian Lamb Peka in a cast iron pan in the oven
Serve with fresh homemade bread to dip into the juices.

Category: Lamb

Area: Italian

Ingredients:

• 2½ tbsp olive oil
• 6 cut into 1.5cm-thick slices Italian fennel sausages
• 1 large peeled and chopped onion
• 1 trimmed and roughly chopped; reserve any fronds to garnish fennel bulb
• ½ tsp smoky paprika
• 1 clove, peeled and sliced garlic
• 2 tsp lightly toasted and then gently crushed fennel seeds
• 100ml red wine
• 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
• ½ tsp caster sugar
• 50g cut in half lengthways pitted black olives
• 500g rigatoni
• 30g roughly crumbled into 0.5cm pieces pecorino
• 1 rinsed and patted dry anchovy fillet
• 1 clove, peeled and crushed garlic
• 60ml olive oil
• 50g torn basil leaves

Instructions:

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large saute pan for which you have a lid. Add the sausage pieces and fry on a medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until golden-brown all over. Transfer the sausages to a plate, then add the onion and fennel to the hot pan and fry for 15 minutes, stirring once in a while, until soft and caramelised; if the pan goes a bit dry, add a teaspoon or so of extra oil. Stir in the paprika, garlic and half the fennel seeds, fry for two minutes more, then pour on the wine and boil for 30 seconds, to reduce by half. Add the tomatoes, sugar, 100ml water, the seared sausage and half a teaspoon of salt, cover and simmer for 30 minutes; remove the lid after 10 minutes, and cook until the sauce is thick and rich. Remove from the heat, stir through the olives and remaining fennel seeds and set aside until you’re ready to serve.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 12-14 minutes (or according to the instructions on the packet), until al dente. Meanwhile, reheat the sauce. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, stir in a tablespoon of oil, then divide between the bowls.

Put all the pesto ingredients except the basil in the small bowl of a food processor. Add a tablespoon of water and blitz to a rough paste. Add the basil, then blitz until just combined (the pesto has a much better texture if the basil is not overblended).

Spoon over the ragù and top with a spoonful of pesto. Finish with a sprinkling of chopped fennel fronds, if you have any, and serve at once.

Category: Dessert

Area: Croatian

Ingredients:

• 450g Flour
• 55g Caster Sugar
• 2 parts Yeast
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 6 oz Milk
• 2 Beaten Eggs
• 30g Butter
• 140g Walnuts
• 85g Butter
• 85g Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• To Glaze Milk
• To Glaze Icing Sugar

Instructions:

Mix all the ingredients for the dough together and knead well. Cover the dough and put to rise until doubled in size which should take about 2 hours. Knock back the dough and knead lightly.

Divide the dough into two equal pieces; roll each piece into an oblong about 12 inches by 8 inches. Mix the filling ingredients together and divide between the dough, spreading over each piece. Roll up the oblongs as tightly as possible to give two 12 inch sausages. Place these side by side, touching each other, on a greased baking sheet. Cover and leave to rise for about 40 minutes. Heat oven to 200ºC (425ºF). Bake for 30-35 minutes until well risen and golden brown. Bread should sound hollow when the base is tapped.

Remove from oven and brush the hot bread top with milk. Sift with a generous covering of icing sugar.

Category: Chicken

Area: French

Ingredients:

• 1 tbs Olive Oil
• 300g Mushrooms
• 4 Chicken Legs
• 500g Passata
• 1 Chicken Stock Cube
• 100g Black Olives
• Chopped Parsley

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish and stir-fry the mushrooms until they start to soften. Add the chicken legs and cook briefly on each side to colour them a little.
Pour in the passata, crumble in the stock cube and stir in the olives. Season with black pepper – you shouldn’t need salt. Cover and simmer for 40 mins until the chicken is tender. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with pasta and a salad, or mash and green veg, if you like.

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.