Category: Uncategorized

  • 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.

  • Pumpkin Pie

    Pumpkin Pie

    Category: Dessert

    Area: American

    Ingredients:

    • 750g Pumpkin
    • 350g Shortcrust Pastry
    • Dusting Plain Flour
    • 140g Caster Sugar
    • ½ tsp Salt
    • ½ tsp Nutmeg
    • 1 tsp Cinnamon
    • 2 Beaten Eggs
    • 25g Butter
    • 175g Milk
    • 1 tblsp Icing Sugar

    Instructions:

    Place the pumpkin in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15 mins or until tender. Drain pumpkin; let cool.
    Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use it to line a 22cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Chill for 15 mins. Line the pastry with baking parchment and baking beans, then bake for 15 mins. Remove the beans and paper, and cook for a further 10 mins until the base is pale golden and biscuity. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
    Increase oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Push the cooled pumpkin through a sieve into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, salt, nutmeg and half the cinnamon. Mix in the beaten eggs, melted butter and milk, then add to the pumpkin purée and stir to combine. Pour into the tart shell and cook for 10 mins, then reduce the temperature to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Continue to bake for 35-40 mins until the filling has just set.
    Leave to cool, then remove the pie from the tin. Mix the remaining cinnamon with the icing sugar and dust over the pie. Serve chilled.

  • Szechuan Beef

    Szechuan Beef

    Category: Beef

    Area: Chinese

    Ingredients:

    • 1/2 lb Beef
    • 1/2 tsp Salt
    • 1 tsp Sesame Seed Oil
    • 1 pinch Pepper
    • 1 Egg White
    • 3 tbs Starch
    • 4 tbs Oil
    • 1 tsp Ginger
    • 1 tsp Garlic
    • 3/4 cup Onion
    • 1/2 cup Carrots
    • 3/4 cup Green Pepper
    • 1 cup Celery
    • 1 cup Mushrooms
    • 1 tbs Cooking wine
    • 1 cup Water
    • 1 tbs Oyster Sauce
    • 1/2 tsp Hotsauce
    • 1 tsp Sugar
    • 1 tbs Soy Sauce

    Instructions:

    STEP 1 – MARINATING THE BEEF
    In a bowl, add the beef, salt, sesame seed oil, white pepper, egg white, 2 Tablespoon of corn starch and 1 Tablespoon of oil.
    STEP 2 – STIR FRY
    First Cook the beef by adding 2 Tablespoon of oil until the beef is golden brown.
    Set the beef aside
    In a wok add 1 Tablespoon of oil, minced ginger, minced garlic and stir-fry for few seconds.
    Next add all of the vegetables and then add sherry cooking wine and 1 cup of water.
    To make the sauce add oyster sauce, hot pepper sauce, and sugar.
    add the cooked beef and 1 spoon of soy sauce
    To thicken the sauce, whisk together 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 Tablespoon of water in a bowl and slowly add to your stir-fry until it's the right thickness.

  • Treacle Tart

    Treacle Tart

    Category: Dessert

    Area: British

    Ingredients:

    • 250g Plain Flour
    • 135g Butter
    • 400g Golden Syrup
    • 150g Breadcrumbs
    • Zest of 2 Lemons
    • 1 beaten Eggs

    Instructions:

    First make the short crust pastry: measure the flour into a large bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs (alternatively, this can be done in a food processor). Add about three tablespoons of cold water and mix to a firm dough, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
    Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and put a heavy baking tray in the oven to heat up. Grease a deep 18cm/7in loose-bottomed fluted flan tin with butter.
    Remove about 150g/5½oz of pastry from the main ball and set aside for the lattice top.
    Roll the rest of the pastry out thinly on a lightly floured work surface and line the prepared flan tin with the pastry.
    Prick the base with a fork, to stop the base rising up during baking.
    Place the reserved pastry for the lattice top on cling film and roll out thinly. Egg wash the pastry and set aside to chill in the fridge (the cling film makes it easier to move about). Do not cut into strips at this stage. Do not egg wash the strips once they are on the tart as it will drip into the treacle mixture.
    To make the filling, heat the syrup gently in a large pan but do not boil.
    Once melted, add the breadcrumbs, lemon juice and zest to the syrup. (You can add less lemon if you would prefer less citrus taste.) If the mixture looks runny, add a few more breadcrumbs.
    Pour the syrup mixture into the lined tin and level the surface.
    Remove the reserved pastry from the fridge and cut into long strips, 1cm/½in wide. Make sure they are all longer than the edges of the tart tin.
    Egg wash the edge of the pastry in the tin, and start to make the woven laying lattice pattern over the mixture, leave the strips hanging over the edge of the tin.
    Once the lattice is in place, use the tin edge to cut off the strips by pressing down with your hands, creating a neat finish.
    Bake on the pre-heated baking tray in the hot oven for about 10 minutes until the pastry has started to colour, and then reduce the oven temperature to 180C/350F/Gas 4. If at this stage the lattice seems to be getting too dark brown, cover the tart with tin foil.
    Bake for a further 25-30 minutes until the pastry is golden-brown and the filling set.
    Remove the tart from the oven and leave to firm up in the tin. Serve warm or cold.

  • Beef stroganoff

    Beef stroganoff

    Category: Beef

    Area: Russian

    Ingredients:

    • 1 tbls Olive Oil
    • 1 Onions
    • 1 clove Garlic
    • 1 tbsp Butter
    • 250g Mushrooms
    • 500g Beef Fillet
    • 1tbsp Plain Flour
    • 150g Creme Fraiche
    • 1 tbsp English Mustard
    • 100ml Beef Stock
    • Topping Parsley

    Instructions:

    Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan then add the sliced onion and cook on a medium heat until completely softened, so around 15 mins, adding a little splash of water if they start to stick at all. Crush in the garlic and cook for a 2-3 mins further, then add the butter. Once the butter is foaming a little, add the mushrooms and cook for around 5 mins until completely softened. Season everything well, then tip onto a plate.
    Tip the flour into a bowl with a big pinch of salt and pepper, then toss the steak in the seasoned flour. Add the steak pieces to the pan, splashing in a little oil if the pan looks particularly dry, and fry for 3-4 mins, until well coloured. Tip the onions and mushrooms back into the pan. Whisk the crème fraîche, mustard and beef stock together, then pour into the pan. Cook over a medium heat for around 5 mins. Scatter with parsley, then serve with pappardelle or rice.

  • Oxtail with broad beans

    Oxtail with broad beans

    Category: Beef

    Area: Jamaican

    Ingredients:

    • 450g Oxtail
    • 1 chopped Onion
    • 1 Spring Onions
    • 2 cloves minced Garlic
    • 1 tsp Ginger
    • 1 chopped Scotch Bonnet
    • 2 tbs Soy Sauce
    • 1 chopped Fresh Thyme
    • 2 tbs Vegetable Oil
    • 350ml Water
    • 200g Broad Beans
    • 1 tbs Corn Flour
    • 2 tbs Water

    Instructions:

    Toss the oxtail with the onion, spring onion, garlic, ginger, chilli, soy sauce, thyme, salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the oxtail in the pan until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Place into a pressure cooker, and pour in 375ml water. Cook at pressure for 25 minutes, then remove from heat, and remove the lid according to manufacturer's directions.
    Add the broad beans and pimento berries, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Dissolve the cornflour in 2 tablespoons water, and stir into the simmering oxtail. Cook and stir a few minutes until the sauce has thickened, and the broad beans are tender.

  • Chicken Marengo

    Chicken Marengo

    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.

  • Sushi

    Sushi

    Category: Seafood

    Area: Japanese

    Ingredients:

    • 300ml Sushi Rice
    • 100ml Rice wine
    • 2 tbs Caster Sugar
    • 3 tbs Mayonnaise
    • 1 tbs Rice wine
    • 1 tbs Soy Sauce
    • 1 Cucumber

    Instructions:

    STEP 1
    TO MAKE SUSHI ROLLS: Pat out some rice. Lay a nori sheet on the mat, shiny-side down. Dip your hands in the vinegared water, then pat handfuls of rice on top in a 1cm thick layer, leaving the furthest edge from you clear.

    STEP 2
    Spread over some Japanese mayonnaise. Use a spoon to spread out a thin layer of mayonnaise down the middle of the rice.

    STEP 3
    Add the filling. Get your child to top the mayonnaise with a line of their favourite fillings – here we’ve used tuna and cucumber.

    STEP 4
    Roll it up. Lift the edge of the mat over the rice, applying a little pressure to keep everything in a tight roll.

    STEP 5
    Stick down the sides like a stamp. When you get to the edge without any rice, brush with a little water and continue to roll into a tight roll.

    STEP 6
    Wrap in cling film. Remove the mat and roll tightly in cling film before a grown-up cuts the sushi into thick slices, then unravel the cling film.

    STEP 7
    TO MAKE PRESSED SUSHI: Layer over some smoked salmon. Line a loaf tin with cling film, then place a thin layer of smoked salmon inside on top of the cling film.

    STEP 8
    Cover with rice and press down. Press about 3cm of rice over the fish, fold the cling film over and press down as much as you can, using another tin if you have one.

    STEP 9
    Tip it out like a sandcastle. Turn block of sushi onto a chopping board. Get a grown-up to cut into fingers, then remove the cling film.

    STEP 10
    TO MAKE SUSHI BALLS: Choose your topping. Get a small square of cling film and place a topping, like half a prawn or a small piece of smoked salmon, on it. Use damp hands to roll walnut-sized balls of rice and place on the topping.

    STEP 11
    Make into tight balls. Bring the corners of the cling film together and tighten into balls by twisting it up, then unwrap and serve.

  • Oxtail with broad beans

    Oxtail with broad beans

    Category: Beef

    Area: Jamaican

    Ingredients:

    • 450g Oxtail
    • 1 chopped Onion
    • 1 Spring Onions
    • 2 cloves minced Garlic
    • 1 tsp Ginger
    • 1 chopped Scotch Bonnet
    • 2 tbs Soy Sauce
    • 1 chopped Fresh Thyme
    • 2 tbs Vegetable Oil
    • 350ml Water
    • 200g Broad Beans
    • 1 tbs Corn Flour
    • 2 tbs Water

    Instructions:

    Toss the oxtail with the onion, spring onion, garlic, ginger, chilli, soy sauce, thyme, salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the oxtail in the pan until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Place into a pressure cooker, and pour in 375ml water. Cook at pressure for 25 minutes, then remove from heat, and remove the lid according to manufacturer's directions.
    Add the broad beans and pimento berries, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Dissolve the cornflour in 2 tablespoons water, and stir into the simmering oxtail. Cook and stir a few minutes until the sauce has thickened, and the broad beans are tender.

  • Pancakes

    Pancakes

    Category: Dessert

    Area: American

    Ingredients:

    • 100g Flour
    • 2 large Eggs
    • 300ml Milk
    • 1 tbls Sunflower Oil
    • to serve Sugar
    • to serve Raspberries
    • to serve Blueberries

    Instructions:

    Put the flour, eggs, milk, 1 tbsp oil and a pinch of salt into a bowl or large jug, then whisk to a smooth batter. Set aside for 30 mins to rest if you have time, or start cooking straight away.
    Set a medium frying pan or crêpe pan over a medium heat and carefully wipe it with some oiled kitchen paper. When hot, cook your pancakes for 1 min on each side until golden, keeping them warm in a low oven as you go.
    Serve with lemon wedges and sugar, or your favourite filling. Once cold, you can layer the pancakes between baking parchment, then wrap in cling film and freeze for up to 2 months.