Blog

Category: Dessert

Area: Polish

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Butter
• 3 Egg Yolks
• 8 oz Cream Cheese
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 3 cups Flour
• 1 Jar Jam

Instructions:

In a medium bowl mix egg yolks, philly cheese and baking powder using a hand held mixer. Carefully start adding the flour. When the mixture will not be mixing well, and will look like wood chips, put away the blending mixer and using your hands knead the dough.
Create a roll and cover in foil and freeze for 15 minutes. At this time preheat the oven to 375.
Take the dough out and separate into two. Roll and cut out 3 inch trangles.
Make as many as you can and on centre of each put a small spoon of jam. Roll them into a croissant shape.
Place the croissants onto a greased cookie sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.
Repeat with the rest of the dough.
When you take them out, put aside and sprinkle with powdered sugar on top.
This makes about 3 batches of 20 cookies each.
Total count about 60 cookies.

Category: Chicken

Area: Indian

Ingredients:

• 1.2 kg Chicken
• 5 thinly sliced Onion
• 2 finely chopped Tomatoes
• 8 cloves chopped Garlic
• 1 tbsp Ginger paste
• ¼ cup Vegetable oil
• 2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 3 tsp Coriander seeds
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Chilli powder
• 2 Green chilli
• 1 cup Yogurt
• ¾ cup Cream
• 3 tsp Dried fenugreek
• 1 tsp Garam masala
• To taste Salt

Instructions:

Take a large pot or wok, big enough to cook all the chicken, and heat the oil in it. Once the oil is hot, add sliced onion and fry them until deep golden brown. Then take them out on a plate and set aside.
To the same pot, add the chopped garlic and sauté for a minute. Then add the chopped tomatoes and cook until tomatoes turn soft. This would take about 5 minutes.
Then return the fried onion to the pot and stir. Add ginger paste and sauté well.
Now add the cumin seeds, half of the coriander seeds and chopped green chillies. Give them a quick stir.
Next goes in the spices – turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Sauté the spices well for couple of minutes.
Add the chicken pieces to the wok, season it with salt to taste and cook the chicken covered on medium-low heat until the chicken is almost cooked through. This would take about 15 minutes. Slowly sautéing the chicken will enhance the flavor, so do not expedite this step by putting it on high heat.
When the oil separates from the spices, add the beaten yogurt keeping the heat on lowest so that the yogurt doesn’t split. Sprinkle the remaining coriander seeds and add half of the dried fenugreek leaves. Mix well.
Finally add the cream and give a final mix to combine everything well.
Sprinkle the remaining kasuri methi and garam masala and serve the chicken handi hot with naan or rotis. Enjoy!

Category: Pork

Area: Portuguese

Ingredients:

• 2 Pork
• 200ml White Wine
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 2 Lemon
• 1/2 Lemon Juice
• Dash Olive Oil
• To serve Mayonnaise
• 1 kg Potatoes
• For frying Vegetable Oil

Instructions:

STEP 1

Cut the tenderloins into 5 equal-size pieces leaving the tail ends a little longer. Take a clear plastic bag and slip one of the pieces in. Bash it into an escalope the size of a side-plate with a rolling pin and repeat with the remaining pieces.

STEP 2

Put the wine, paprika, some salt and pepper and the juice of ½ a lemon in a bowl and add the pork. Leave to marinate for 20-30 minutes, while you get your barbecue to the stage where the coals are glowing but there are no flames.

STEP 3

To make the chips, fill a basin with cool water and cut the potatoes into 3cm-thick chips. Soak them in the water for 5 minutes and then change the water. Leave for 5 more minutes. Drain and then pat dry on a towel or with kitchen paper.

STEP 4

Heat the oil in a deep fryer or a deep heavy-based pan with a lid to 130C and lower the chips into the oil (in batches). Blanch for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain well. Place on a tray to cool. Reheat the oil to 180C (make sure it’s hot or your chips will be soggy) and lower the basket of chips into the oil (again, do this in batches). Leave to cook for 2 minutes and then give them a little shake. Cook for another minute or so until they are well coloured and crisp to the touch. Drain well for a few minutes, tip into a bowl and sprinkle with sea salt.

STEP 5

The pork will cook quickly so do it in 2 batches. Take the pieces out of the marinade, rub them with oil, and drop them onto the barbecue (you could also use a chargrill). Cook for 1 minute on each side – they may flare up as you do so. This should really be enough time as they will keep on cooking. Take them off the barbecue and pile onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining batch.

STEP 6

Serve by piling a plate with chips, drop the pork on top of each pile and pouring the juices from the plate over so the chips take up the flavours. Top with a spoon of mayonnaise and a wedge of lemon.

Category: Seafood

Area: Italian

Ingredients:

• 200 g mozzarella balls
• 250 g baby plum tomatoes
• 1 bunch fresh basil
• 350 g farfalle
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 40 g Green Olives
• 200 g tuna
• to taste salt
• to taste pepper

Instructions:

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil
Add the pasta, stir once and cook for about 10 minutes or as directed on the packet.
Meanwhile, wash the tomatoes and cut into quarters. Slice the olives. Wash the basil.
Put the tomatoes into a salad bowl and tear the basil leaves over them. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and mix.
When the pasta is ready, drain into a colander and run cold water over it to cool it quickly.
Toss the pasta into the salad bowl with the tomatoes and basil.
Add the sliced olives, drained mozzarella balls, and chunks of tuna. Mix well and let the salad rest for at least half an hour to allow the flavours to mingle.
Sprinkle the pasta with a generous grind of black pepper and drizzle with the remaining olive oil just before serving.

Category: Seafood

Area: Spanish

Ingredients:

• 400g Mussels
• 8 Prawns
• 2 pinches Saffron
• 350g Vermicelli Pasta
• 5 tblsp Olive Oil
• 1 large Onions
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 2 tbs Paprika
• 1 tail Monkfish
• 4 Baby Squid
• 650ml Fish Stock
• 2 large Tomatoes
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• Topping Parsley

Instructions:

Boil the kettle. Empty the mussels into a colander and run under cold water. Throw away any with broken shells. Pick through the shells, tapping each one on the side of the sink – they should be closed or should slowly close when tapped – if they stay open, throw them away. If any of the shells still have barnacles or stringy beards attached, pull them off with a cutlery knife and rinse the shells well. Keep in the colander, covered with a cold, damp cloth, until you’re ready to cook. Peel the prawn shells on the body section only – leave the heads and tails intact. Score down the backs and pull out any gritty entrails. Chill until you’re ready to cook.
Put the saffron in a small cup, cover with 50ml kettle-hot water and set aside for 10 mins. If using vermicelli, put in a bowl and crush to little pieces (about 1cm long) with your hands.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan with at least a 3cm lip, or a 40cm paella pan. Add the onion and stir around the pan for 5 mins until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min more, then tip in the vermicelli and cook for 5 mins, stirring from time to time, until the vermicelli is toasted brown. Stir in the paprika.
Keeping the heat moderate, stir through the monkfish, squid and saffron with its water, seasoning well. Spread the ingredients out in an even layer, then pour over the hot stock and scatter the tomatoes on top. Bring to a simmer, then cover the whole dish with a tight-fitting lid (or foil). Turn the heat to medium and cook for 6 mins.
Uncover and stir to incorporate the dry top layer of pasta. Push the mussels into the pasta so the hinges are buried in the bottom of the dish, and they stand straight up. Arrange the prawns on top, cover tightly and cook for another 6 mins or until the mussels are open, the prawns are pink and the pasta is cooked through. Leave to simmer for another 2-3 mins to cook off most of the remaining liquid (leave a little in the pan to prevent the pasta from sticking together). Allow to sit for 2-3 mins, then squeeze over the lemon juice and arrange the wedges on top. Scatter with parsley before serving.

Category: Seafood

Area: Portuguese

Ingredients:

• 8 Sardines
• 2 tbs Olive Oil
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 1 tbs Paprika
• 1/2 Lemon
• 4 sprigs Rosemary
• 1 Red Chilli

Instructions:

STEP 1

Put all of the ingredients, except the sardines, into a bowl and mix together with some seasoning. Pour into a baking dish, add the sardines and toss really well. Cover and chill for a few hours.

STEP 2

Heat a BBQ or griddle pan until hot. Cook the sardines for 4-5 minutes on each side or until really caramelised and charred. Put onto a serving plate, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with a little more paprika and squeeze over the lemon wedges.

Category: Dessert

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 50g Hazlenuts
• 125g Butter
• 150g Caster Sugar
• Grated Lemon
• 150g Plain Flour
• ½ tsp Baking Powder
• 600g Blackberries
• 75g Sugar
• 2 tbs Caster Sugar
• 1 tbs Lemon Juice
• 300ml Double Cream
• 100ml Yogurt
• Garnish with Mint

Instructions:

For the biscuits, preheat the oven to 200C/180C (fan)/Gas 6 and line two large baking trays with baking parchment. Scatter the nuts over a baking tray and roast in the oven for 6-8 minutes, or until golden-brown. Watch them carefully so that they don’t have a chance to burn. Remove from the oven, tip onto a board and leave to cool.
Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until light and creamy. Roughly chop the cooled nuts and add to the creamed butter and sugar, along with the lemon zest, flour and baking powder. Stir well until the mixture comes together and forms a ball – you may need to use your hands.
Divide the biscuit dough into 24 even pieces and roll into small balls. Place the balls the prepared baking trays, spaced well apart to allow for spreading.
Press the biscuits to flatten to around 1cm/½in thick. Bake the biscuits, one tray at a time, for 12 minutes or until very pale golden-brown. Leave to cool on the trays. They will be very soft when you take them out of the oven, but will crisp as they cool.
Store in an airtight tin and eat within five days.
For the fool, rinse the blackberries in a colander to wash away any dust or dirt. Put the blackberries in a non-stick saucepan and sprinkle over the caster sugar.
Stir in the lemon juice and heat gently for two minutes, or until the blackberries begin to soften and release their juices. Remove and reserve 12 blackberries for decoration and continue cooking the rest.
Simmer the blackberries very gently for 15 minutes, stirring regularly until very soft and squidgy. Remove from the heat and press the berries and juice through a sieve over a bowl, using the bottom of a ladle to help you extract as much of the purée as possible. Leave the purée to cool and discard the seeds. You should end up with around 325ml/11fl oz of purée.
Put the cream and yoghurt in a large bowl and whip with an electric whisk until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed from the bowl – the acidity of the fruit will thicken the cream further, so don’t take it too far.
When the purée is completely cold, adjust the sweetness to taste by adding more sugar if needed. Pour it into the bowl with the whipped cream and yoghurt and stir just once or twice until very lightly combined.
Spoon the blackberry fool into individual wide, glass dishes – or one large, single bowl. It should look quite marbled, so don’t over-stir it. Scatter a few tiny mint leaves on top and decorate with the reserved blackberries. Sprinkle with a little sugar if you like and serve with the hazelnut biscuits.

Category: Beef

Area: Filipino

Ingredients:

• 3 cloves Garlic
• 1 sliced Onion
• 2 Lbs Beef
• 8 ounces Tomato Puree
• 1 cup Water
• 3 tbs Olive Oil
• 1 Slice Lemon
• 1 large Potatoes
• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 2 Bay Leaves
• To taste Salt

Instructions:

0. Make the beef tenderloin marinade by combining soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, olive oil, sugar, salt, and ground black pepper in a large bowl. Mix well.
1. Add the cubed beef tenderloin to the bowl with the beef tenderloin marinade. Gently toss to coat the beef. Let it stay for 1 hour.
2. Using a metal or bamboo skewer, assemble the beef kebob by skewering the vegetables and marinated beef tenderloin.
3. Heat-up the grill and start grilling the beef kebobs for 3 minutes per side. This will give you a medium beef that is juicy and tender on the inside. Add more time if you want your beef well done, but it will be less tender.
4. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve with Saffron rice.
5. Share and enjoy!

Category: Beef

Area: French

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs Canola Oil
• 4 Beef Fillet
• 1 1/2 cup Beef Stock
• 2 tbs Butter
• 2 cloves minced Garlic
• 1 medium finely diced Challots
• 4 oz Mushrooms
• ¼ cup Brandy
• ¼ cup Heavy Cream
• 1 tbs Dijon Mustard
• 1 tbs Worcestershire Sauce
• Dash Tabasco Sauce
• 1 tbs minced Parsley
• 1 tbs minced Chives
• to taste Salt
• to taste Pepper

Instructions:

Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Season steaks with salt and pepper, and add to skillet; cook, turning once, until browned on both sides and cooked to desired doneness, about 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to a plate, and set aside.
Return skillet to high heat, and add stock; cook until reduced until to 1⁄2 cup, about 10 minutes. Pour into a bowl, and set aside. Return skillet to heat, and add butter; add garlic and shallots, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until they release any liquid and it evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown, about 2 minutes. Add cognac, and light with a match to flambée; cook until flame dies down. Stir in reserved stock, cream, Dijon, Worcestershire, and hot sauce, and then return steaks to skillet; cook, turning in sauce, until warmed through and sauce is thickened, about 4 minutes. Transfer steak to serving plates and stir parsley and chives into sauce; pour sauce over steaks to serve.

Category: Dessert

Area: French

Ingredients:

• 8 Pears
• 100g Caster Sugar
• 100g Butter
• 2 Star Anise
• 3 Pods Cardamom
• 1 large Cinnamon
• 2 tbs Brandy
• 500g Puff Pastry

Instructions:

Core the pears, then peel as neatly as possible and halve. If you like, they can be prepared up to a day ahead and kept in the fridge, uncovered, so that they dry out.
Tip the sugar, butter, star anise, cardamom and cinnamon into an ovenproof frying pan, about 20cm wide, and place over a high heat until bubbling. Shake the pan and stir the buttery sauce until it separates and the sugar caramelises to a toffee colour.
Lay the pears in the pan, then cook in the sauce for 10-12 mins, tossing occasionally, until completely caramelised. Don’t worry about them burning – they won’t – but you want to caramelise them as much as possible. Splash in the brandy and let it flambé, then set the pears aside.
Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Roll the pastry out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Using a plate slightly larger than the top of the pan, cut out a circle, then press the edges of the circle of pastry to thin them out.
When the pears have cooled slightly, arrange them in the pan, cut side up, in a floral shape, with the pears around the edge pointing inwards. Rest the cinnamon stick on the top in the centre, with the cardamom pods scattered around.
Drape the pastry over the pears, then tuck the edges down the pan sides and under the fruit (see Gordon’s guide). Pierce the pastry a few times, then bake for 15 mins. If a lot of juice bubbles up the side of the pan, pour it off at this stage (see guide). Reduce oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and bake for 15 mins more until the pastry is golden. Leave the tart to stand for 10 mins, then invert it carefully onto a serving dish.