Blog

Category: Dessert

Area: Canadian

Ingredients:

• 375g Shortcrust Pastry
• 2 large Eggs
• 175g Muscovado Sugar
• 100g Raisins
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 50g Butter
• 4 tsp Single Cream
• 50g Walnuts

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to fan 170C/ conventional 190C/gas 5. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface so it’s slightly thinner than straight from the pack. Then cut out 18-20 rounds with a 7.5cm fluted cutter, re-rolling the trimmings. Use the rounds to line two deep 12-hole tart tins (not muffin tins). If you only have a regular-sized, 12-hole tart tin you will be able to make a few more slightly shallower tarts.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl and combine with the rest of the ingredients except the walnuts. Tip this mixture into a pan and stir continuously for 3-4 minutes until the butter melts, and the mixture bubbles and starts to thicken. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Don’t overcook, and be sure to stir all the time as the mixture can easily burn. Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts.
Spoon the filling into the unbaked tart shells so it’s level with the pastry. Bake for 15-18 minutes until set and pale golden. Leave in the tin to cool for a few minutes before lifting out on to a wire rack. Serve warm or cold.

Category: Vegetarian

Area: Chinese

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Chicken Stock
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Sugar
• pinch Pepper
• 1 tsp Sesame Seed Oil
• 1/3 cup Peas
• 1/3 cup Mushrooms
• 1 tbs Cornstarch
• 2 tbs Water
• 1/4 cup Spring Onions

Instructions:

In a wok add chicken broth and wait for it to boil.
Next add salt, sugar, white pepper, sesame seed oil.
When the chicken broth is boiling add the vegetables to the wok.
To thicken the sauce, whisk together 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 Tablespoon of water in a bowl and slowly add to your soup until it's the right thickness.
Next add 1 egg slightly beaten with a knife or fork and add it to the soup slowly and stir for 8 seconds
Serve the soup in a bowl and add the green onions on top.

Category: Dessert

Area: French

Ingredients:

• 320g Puff Pastry
• 4 tbs Dark Brown Soft Sugar
• 3 Braeburn Apples
• 4 tbs Red Wine Jelly
• 100ml Creme Fraiche
• 1 tbs Icing Sugar
• 3 Cardamom

Instructions:

To make the red wine jelly, put the red wine, jam sugar, star anise, clove, cinnamon stick, allspice, split vanilla pod and seeds in a medium saucepan. Stir together, then heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Turn up the heat and boil for 20 mins until reduced and syrupy. Strain into a small, sterilised jam jar and leave to cool completely. Will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Take the pastry out of the fridge and leave at room temperature for 10 mins, then unroll. Heat the grill to high and heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cut out 2 x 13cm circles of pastry, using a plate as a guide, and place on a non-stick baking sheet. Sprinkle each circle with 1 tbsp sugar and grill for 5 mins to caramelise, watching carefully so that the sugar doesn’t burn. Remove from the grill. Can be done a few hours ahead, and left, covered, out of the fridge.

Peel, quarter and core the apples, cut into 2mm-thin slices and arrange on top of the pastry. Sprinkle over the remaining sugar and pop in the oven for 20-25 mins until the pastry is cooked through and golden, and the apples are softened. Remove and allow to cool slightly. Warm 3 tbsp of the red wine jelly in a small pan over a low heat with 1 tsp water to make it a little more runny, then brush over the top of the tarts.

Tip the crème fraîche into a bowl, sift over the icing sugar and cardamom, and mix together. Carefully lift the warm tarts onto serving plates and serve with the cardamom crème fraîche.

Category: Seafood

Area: Greek

Ingredients:

• 500g Raw king prawns
• 3 tablespoons Olive oil
• 1 Chopped onion
• pinch Freshly chopped parsley
• 250ml White wine
• 1 (400g) tin Chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon Minced garlic
• 1 (200g) pack Cubed Feta cheese

Instructions:

Place the prawns in a pot and add enough water to cover. Boil for 5 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid, and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan. Add the onion; cook and stir until soft. Mix in the parsley, wine, tomatoes, garlic and remaining olive oil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened.
While the sauce is simmering, the prawns should become cool enough to handle. First remove the legs by pinching them, and then pull off the shells, leaving the head and tail on.
When the sauce has thickened, stir in the prawns. Bring to a simmer again if the sauce has cooled with the prawns, and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the feta and remove from the heat. Let stand until the cheese starts to melt. Serve warm with slices of crusty bread.
Though completely untraditional, you can add a few tablespoons of stock or passata to this recipe to make a delicious pasta sauce. Toss with pasta after adding the feta, and serve.

Category: Beef

Area: Uruguayan

Ingredients:

• 2 Beef Brisket
• 2 Bread
• 1 Lettuce
• 1 Tomato
• 100g Ham
• 100g Mozzarella
• 100g Bacon
• 1 Egg
• 1 Onion
• 1 Pepper

Instructions:

Crush the meat so that it is finite and we put it on a griddle to brown. Put the eggs, bacon and ham to fry.
Cut the bread in half, put the beef brisket, the fried eggs, the bacon, the ham, the mozzarella, the tomato and the lettuce. Cover with the other half of the bread and serve.

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: Chicken

Area: American

Ingredients:

• 1 whole Chicken
• 2 quarts neutral frying Oil
• 1 Egg White
• 1 1/2 cups Flour
• 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Salt
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons onion salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sage
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon marjoram

Instructions:

Preheat fryer to 350°F. Thoroughly mix together all the spice mix ingredients.
Combine spice mix with flour, brown sugar and salt.
Dip chicken pieces in egg white to lightly coat them, then transfer to flour mixture. Turn a few times and make sure the flour mix is really stuck to the chicken. Repeat with all the chicken pieces.
Let chicken pieces rest for 5 minutes so crust has a chance to dry a bit.
Fry chicken in batches. Breasts and wings should take 12-14 minutes, and legs and thighs will need a few more minutes. Chicken pieces are done when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165°F.
Let chicken drain on a few paper towels when it comes out of the fryer. Serve hot.

Category: Beef

Area: American

Ingredients:

• 5 Potatoes
• 12 ounces Carrots
• 1 Scallions
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 Slice Bread
• 1 Garlic Powder
• 2 Soy Sauce
• 1 Ground Beef
• 1 tsp Vegetable Oil
• 2 tsp Sugar
• 2 tbsp Butter

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. Dice potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. Trim, peel, and cut carrots on a diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens; finely chop whites. Peel and finely chop garlic.

2. In a medium bowl, soak bread with 2 TBSP water (4 TBSP for 4 servings); break up with your hands until pasty. Stir in beef, sriracha, scallion whites, half the garlic, salt (we used 3/4 tsp kosher salt; 11/2 tsp for 4), and pepper. Form into two 1-inch-tall loaves (four loaves for 4). Place on one side of a baking sheet. Toss carrots on empty side of same sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. (For 4, spread meatloaves out across whole sheet and add carrots to a second sheet.) Bake for 20 minutes (we'll glaze the meatloaves then).

3. Meanwhile, place potatoes in a medium pot with enough salted water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until very
tender, 12-15 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup potato cooking liquid, then drain. While potatoes cook, in a small bowl, combine soy sauce, garlic powder, 1/4 cup ketchup (1/2 cup for 4 servings), and 2 tsp sugar (4 tsp for 4).

4. Once meatloaves and carrots have baked 20 minutes, remove from oven. Spoon half the ketchup glaze over meatloaves (save
the rest for serving); return to oven until carrots are browned and tender, meatloaves are cooked through, and glaze is tacky, 4-5 minutes more.

5. Meanwhile, melt 2 TBSP butter (4 TBSP for 4 servings) in pot used for potatoes over medium heat. Add remaining garlic and cook
until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add potatoes and 1/4 tsp wasabi. Mash, adding splashes of reserved potato cooking liquid as necessary until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (If you like things spicy, stir in more wasabi!)

6. Divide meatloaves, mashed potatoes, and roasted carrots between plates. Sprinkle with scallion greens and serve with remaining ketchup glaze on the side for dipping.

Category: Pork

Area: American

Ingredients:

• 2 Potatoes
• 1 Apples
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 Lemon
• 2 Pork
• 1 Zucchini
• 1 Chicken Stock
• 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1 1/2 tsp Sugar
• 2 tbsp Butter

Instructions:

Serves 2

1.

Adjust racks to top and middle positions and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. Dice sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. Toss on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on top rack for 12 minutes (we'll roast the zucchini then).

2.

Meanwhile, halve and core apple; thinly slice into half-moons. Peel and finely chop garlic. Quarter lemon. Trim and halve zucchini lengthwise; cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons. Toss on a second baking sheet with a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.

3.

Pat pork dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook until browned and cooked through, 4-5 minutes per side. Turn off heat; transfer to a plate.

4.

Once sweet potatoes have roasted 12 minutes, transfer baking sheet with zucchini to middle rack and continue roasting until both veggies are browned and softened, 12-15 minutes more.

5.

Meanwhile, melt 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) in pan used for pork over medium-high heat. Add apple and season with salt and pepper. Cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan, until apple is slightly softened, 2-3 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add 1/z cup water (3/4 cup for 4), stock concentrate, and 11/2 tsp sugar (3 tsp for 4). Cook, stirring, until sauce has thickened and apple is very tender, 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

6.

Remove pan with apple from heat; stir in 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) and a squeeze of lemon juice. Divide pork, zucchini, and sweet potatoes between plates. Top pork with glazed apple sauce. Top zucchini with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Category: Dessert

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 3 Orange
• 1 tbs Demerara Sugar
• 2 tbs Grand Marnier
• 300g Christmas Pudding
• 500g Custard
• 250g Mascarpone
• 284ml Double Cream
• Handful Flaked Almonds
• Grated Dark Chocolate

Instructions:

Peel the oranges using a sharp knife, ensuring all the pith is removed. Slice as thinly as possible and arrange over a dinner plate. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar followed by the Grand Marnier and set aside.

Crumble the Christmas pudding into large pieces and scatter over the bottom of a trifle bowl. Lift the oranges onto the pudding in a layer and pour over any juices.

Beat the mascarpone until smooth, then stir in the custard. Spoon the mixture over the top of the oranges.

Lightly whip the cream and spoon over the custard. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds and grated chocolate. You can make this a day in advance if you like, chill until ready to serve.