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Category: Lamb

Area: Greek

Ingredients:

• 4 large Tomatoes
• Pinch Sugar
• 4 tbs Olive Oil
• 1 chopped Onion
• 2 finely chopped Garlic Clove
• 200g Lamb
• 1 tbs Cinnamon
• 2 tbs chopped Tomato Puree
• 50g Rice
• 100ml Chicken Stock
• 4 tbs Dill
• 2 tbs Chopped Parsley
• 1 tbs Mint

Instructions:

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Slice the tops off the tomatoes and reserve. Scoop out most of the pulp with a teaspoon, being careful not to break the skin. Finely chop the pulp, and keep any juices. Sprinkle the insides of the tomatoes with a little sugar to take away the acidity, then place them on a baking tray.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and garlic, then gently cook for about 10 mins until soft but not coloured. Add the lamb, cinnamon and tomato purée, turn up the heat, then fry until the meat is browned. Add the tomato pulp and juice, the rice and the stock. Season generously. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 mins or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Set aside to cool a little, then stir in the herbs.

Stuff the tomatoes up to the brim, top tomatoes with their lids, drizzle with 2 tbsp more olive oil, sprinkle 3 tbsp water into the tray, then bake for 35 mins. Serve with salad and crusty bread, hot or cold.

Category: Lamb

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp Cumin
• 1 tbs Rapeseed Oil
• 2 finely chopped Red Onions
• 6 Garlic Clove
• 3 finely chopped Green Chilli
• 1 finely chopped Red Pepper
• 1 tsp Nutmeg
• 2 tsp Coriander
• 1kg Lamb Mince
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 3 tbs Coriander
• 340g Plain Flour
• ½ tsp Salt
• 90 ml Milk
• 150g Lard
• Beaten Egg Yolks

Instructions:

Heat a large frying pan and toast the cumin seeds for a few minutes, then set aside. Heat the oil in the same pan and fry the onion, garlic, chilli, pepper and a good pinch of salt for around eight minutes, until there is no moisture left. Remove from the heat, stir in the toasted cumin seeds, ground mace (or nutmeg) and ground coriander. Leave to cool.
In a large bowl mix together the minced lamb, white pepper, fresh coriander, and the cooled spiced onion mixture until combined. Set aside, covered, in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and generously grease a 20cm/8in diameter loose-bottomed or springform round cake tin with lard.
To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
Put the milk, lard and 90ml/3fl oz of water in a saucepan and heat gently. When the lard has melted, increase the heat and bring to the boil.
Pour the boiling liquid into the flour, and use a wooden spoon to combine until cool enough to handle. Bring together into a ball.
Dust a work surface with flour and, working quickly, knead the dough briefly – it will be soft and moist. Set aside a third of the pastry and roll the rest out on a well-floured surface. Line the pie dish with the pastry, pressing it right up the sides until it pokes just over the top of the tin.
Add the filling into the pastry-lined tin bit by bit. As you reach the top, form a slight peak. Roll out the reserved pastry and top the pie with it. Pinch the edges to seal and trim the excess. Poke a hole in the top of the pie and insert a small tube made from aluminium foil to allow steam to escape.
Brush the top of the pie with a little beaten egg yolk, and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes (put a tray on the shelf below to catch any drips). Then reduce the temperature to 160C/325F/Gas 3 and cook for a further 1¼ hours until golden-brown. Leave to cool completely before refrigerating for two hours, or overnight.
Run a knife around the edge of the pie, remove from the tin and serve with chutneys, salads or pickles.

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: Dessert

Area: French

Ingredients:

• 250g Plain chocolate
• 175g Butter
• 2 tablespoons Milk
• 5 Eggs
• 175g Granulated Sugar
• 125g Flour

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Grease and line the base of an 8 in round spring form cake tin with baking parchment
Break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of gently simmering water and stir until it melts. (or melt in the microwave for 2-3 mins stirring occasionally)
Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream together with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, adding a little flour if the mixture begins to curdle. Fold in the remaining flour with the cooled, melted chocolate and milk. Mix until smooth.
Spread the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 50-55 mins or until firm in the centre and a skewer comes out cleanly. Cool for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool completely.

Category: Seafood

Area: Malaysian

Ingredients:

• 50g Peanuts
• 15g Chilli
• 10g Prawns
• 5 tbs Oil
• 750 ml Water
• 1/2 tbs Tamarind Paste
• 250g Potatoes
• 2 Red Onions
• 4 Garlic Clove
• 30g Cabbage
• 30g Chinese Broccoli
• 1 Tofu
• 1 tbs Soy Sauce
• 4 Noodles
• 1 Egg

Instructions:

Heat oil in a pan at medium heat. Then, add peanuts, dried chilies, dried shrimps and dhal. Fry the aromatics until fragrant. Remove from pan and leave aside.

Blend fried ingredients with tamarind paste and water until fine. Then, sauté the blended ingredients in oil heated over low heat. Continue cooking until the oil separates from the paste and turns a darker shade.

Skin and cut potatoes into small chunks and boil them in a pot of water until knife-tender. Once ready, remove them from the pot and leave aside. Discard water.

Slice onion and fried tofu, mince garlic, cut some cabbage and Chinese flowering cabbage (choi sam). Prepare prawn fritters and cut them. Boil noodles to soften them if bought dried. Also mix black soy sauce with water.

To fry one portion of mee goreng mamak, heat oil and add 1/4 of the following ingredients in this order: garlic, onion, paste. Sauté until fragrant. Optionally, add prawns.

Add in 1/4 amount of tofu, boiled potatoes, cabbage, Chinese flowering cabbage and prawn fritters. Sauté for another 30 seconds.

Add noodles to the wok. Add 3 tablespoons of dark soy sauce mixture. Mix evenly for the next 1 minute. Then, move the noodles to the side of the wok. Stir in an egg. Garnish with a slice of lime and slices of green chilies. To cook another plate of noodles, repeat from step 5 onwards.

Category: Dessert

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 300g Strawberries
• 250g Blackberries
• 100g Redcurrants
• 500g Raspberries
• 175g Caster Sugar
• 7 Slices Bread

Instructions:

Bring out the juices: Wash fruit and gently dry on kitchen paper – keep strawberries separate. Put sugar and 3 tbsp water into a large pan. Gently heat until sugar dissolves – stir a few times. Bring to a boil for 1 min, then tip in the fruit (not strawberries). Cook for 3 mins over a low heat, stirring 2-3 times. The fruit will be softened, mostly intact and surrounded by dark red juice. Put a sieve over a bowl and tip in the fruit and juice.
Line the bowl with cling film and prepare the bread: Line the 1.25-litre basin with cling film as this will help you to turn out the pudding. Overlap two pieces of cling film in the middle of the bowl as it’s easier than trying to get one sheet to stick to all of the curves. Let the edges overhang by about 15cm. Cut the crusts off the bread. Cut 4 pieces of bread in half, a little on an angle, to give 2 lopsided rectangles per piece. Cut 2 slices into 4 triangles each and leave the final piece whole.
Build the pud: Dip the whole piece of bread into the juice for a few secs just to coat. Push this into the bottom of the basin. Now dip the wonky rectangular pieces one at a time and press around the basin’s sides so that they fit together neatly, alternately placing wide and narrow ends up. If you can’t quite fit the last piece of bread in it doesn’t matter, just trim into a triangle, dip in juice and slot in. Now spoon in the softened fruit, adding the strawberries here and there as you go.
Let flavours mingle then serve: Dip the bread triangles in juice and place on top – trim off overhang with scissors. Keep leftover juice for later. Bring cling film up and loosely seal. Put a side plate on top and weight down with cans. Chill for 6 hrs or overnight. To serve, open out cling film then put a serving plate upside-down on top and flip over. serve with leftover juice, any extra berries and cream.

Category: Miscellaneous

Area: French

Ingredients:

• 3 Eggs
• 2 knobs Butter
• 1 tsp Parmesan
• 3 chopped Tarragon Leaves
• 1 tbs chopped Parsley
• 1 tbs chopped Chives
• 4 tbs Gruyère

Instructions:

Get everything ready. Warm a 20cm (measured across the top) non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them with a fork so they break up and mix, but not as completely as you would for scrambled egg. With the heat on medium-hot, drop one knob of butter into the pan. It should bubble and sizzle, but not brown. Season the eggs with the Parmesan and a little salt and pepper, and pour into the pan.
Let the eggs bubble slightly for a couple of seconds, then take a wooden fork or spatula and gently draw the mixture in from the sides of the pan a few times, so it gathers in folds in the centre. Leave for a few seconds, then stir again to lightly combine uncooked egg with cooked. Leave briefly again, and when partly cooked, stir a bit faster, stopping while there’s some barely cooked egg left. With the pan flat on the heat, shake it back and forth a few times to settle the mixture. It should slide easily in the pan and look soft and moist on top. A quick burst of heat will brown the underside.
Grip the handle underneath. Tilt the pan down away from you and let the omelette fall to the edge. Fold the side nearest to you over by a third with your fork, and keep it rolling over, so the omelette tips onto a plate – or fold it in half, if that’s easier. For a neat finish, cover the omelette with a piece of kitchen paper and plump it up a bit with your fingers. Rub the other knob of butter over to glaze. Serve immediately.

Category: Lamb

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 500g Lamb Shoulder
• 1 tbls Flour
• Dash Vegetable Oil
• 1 sliced Onion
• 2 sliced Carrots
• 350ml/12fl Vegetable Stock
• 500g Potatoes
• 450g Shortcrust Pastry
• To Glaze Eggs

Instructions:

Dust the meat with flour to lightly coat.
Heat enough vegetable oil in a large saucepan to fill the base, and fry the onion and meat until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the carrots, stock and more seasoning to taste.
Bring to the boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for at least an hour or until the meat is tender. Take your time cooking the meat, the longer you leave it to cook, the better the flavour will be.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Add the drained potato cubes to the lamb.
Turn the mixture into a pie dish or casserole and cover with the shortcrust pastry. Make three slits in the top of the pastry to release any steam while cooking.
Brush with beaten egg and bake for about 40 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.
Serve.

Category: Vegetarian

Area: Italian

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 chopped Onion
• 1 chopped Carrots
• 1 stalk chopped Celery
• 1 tablespoon minced Garlic
• 2 cups Cannellini Beans
• 1 Canned tomatoes
• 4 cups Water
• 1 fresh sprig Rosemary
• 1 fresh sprig Thyme
• 1 pound chopped Kale
• 4 thick slices Wholegrain Bread
• 1 thinly sliced Red Onions
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions:

Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large pot over medium heat. When it’s hot, add onion, carrot, celery and garlic; sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, 5 to 10 minutes.
Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Drain the beans; if they’re canned, rinse them as well. Add them to the pot along with tomatoes and their juices and stock, rosemary and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat so the soup bubbles steadily; cover and cook, stirring once or twice to break up the tomatoes, until the flavors meld, 15 to 20 minutes.
Fish out and discard rosemary and thyme stems, if you like, and stir in kale. Taste and adjust seasoning. Lay bread slices on top of the stew so they cover the top and overlap as little as possible. Scatter red onion slices over the top, drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with Parmesan.
Put the pot in the oven and bake until the bread, onions and cheese are browned and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. (If your pot fits under the broiler, you can also brown the top there.) Divide the soup and bread among 4 bowls and serve.

Category: Lamb

Area: Greek

Ingredients:

• 25g Bulgur Wheat
• 500g Lamb Mince
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Coriander
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 clove finely chopped Garlic
• For frying Olive Oil
• 4 Bun
• Grated Cucumber
• 200g Greek Yogurt
• 2 tbs Mint

Instructions:

Tip the bulghar into a pan, cover with water and boil for 10 mins. Drain really well in a sieve, pressing out any excess water.

To make the tzatziki, squeeze and discard the juice from the cucumber, then mix into the yogurt with the chopped mint and a little salt.

Work the bulghar into the lamb with the spices, garlic (if using) and seasoning, then shape into 4 burgers. Brush with a little oil and fry or barbecue for about 5 mins each side until cooked all the way through. Serve in the buns (toasted if you like) with the tzatziki, tomatoes, onion and a few mint leaves.