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Category: Chicken

Area: Egyptian

Ingredients:

• 1 kg Chicken Thighs
• 1 tbs Coriander
• 1 tbs Cumin
• 1 tbs Cardamom
• 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 2 tsp Paprika
• 2 tbs Lemon Juice
• 3 tbs Olive Oil
• 1 cup Greek Yogurt
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 1 tsp Cumin
• Splash Lemon Juice
• Sliced Lettuce
• Sliced Tomato
• 6 Pita Bread

Instructions:

Combine the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag (or bowl).
Add the chicken and use your hands to make sure each piece is coated. If using a ziplock bag, I find it convenient to close the bag then massage the bag to disperse the rub all over each chicken piece.
Marinate overnight or up to 24 hours.
Combine the Yoghurt Sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix. Cover and put in the fridge until required (it will last for 3 days in the fridge).
Heat grill/BBQ (or large heavy based pan on stove) on medium high. You should not need to oil it because the marinade has oil in it and also thigh fillets have fat. But if you are worried then oil your hotplate/grill. (See notes for baking)
Place chicken on the grill and cook the first side for 4 to 5 minutes until nicely charred, then turn and cook the other side for 3 to 4 minutes (the 2nd side takes less time).
Remove chicken from the grill and cover loosely with foil. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
TO SERVE
Slice chicken and pile onto platter alongside flatbreads, Salad and the Yoghurt Sauce.
To make a wrap, get a piece of flatbread and smear with Yoghurt Sauce. Top with a bit of lettuce and tomato and Chicken Shawarma. Roll up and enjoy!

Category: Beef

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 1kg Beef
• 2 tbs Plain Flour
• 2 tbs Rapeseed Oil
• 200ml Red Wine
• 400ml Beef Stock
• 1 finely sliced Onion
• 2 chopped Carrots
• 3 sprigs Thyme
• 2 tbs Mustard
• 2 free-range Egg Yolks
• 400g Puff Pastry
• 300g Green Beans
• 25g Butter
• pinch Salt
• pinch Pepper

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
Toss the beef and flour together in a bowl with some salt and black pepper.
Heat a large casserole until hot, add half of the rapeseed oil and enough of the beef to just cover the bottom of the casserole.
Fry until browned on each side, then remove and set aside. Repeat with the remaining oil and beef.
Return the beef to the pan, add the wine and cook until the volume of liquid has reduced by half, then add the stock, onion, carrots, thyme and mustard, and season well with salt and pepper.
Cover with a lid and place in the oven for two hours.
Remove from the oven, check the seasoning and set aside to cool. Remove the thyme.
When the beef is cool and you're ready to assemble the pie, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Transfer the beef to a pie dish, brush the rim with the beaten egg yolks and lay the pastry over the top. Brush the top of the pastry with more beaten egg.
Trim the pastry so there is just enough excess to crimp the edges, then place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden-brown and cooked through.
For the green beans, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the beans and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until just tender.
Drain and toss with the butter, then season with black pepper.
To serve, place a large spoonful of pie onto each plate with some green beans alongside.

Category: Chicken

Area: Moroccan

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 chopped Onion
• 200g Chicken Breast
• pinch Ginger
• 2 tblsp Harissa Spice
• 10 Dried Apricots
• 220g Chickpeas
• 200g Couscous
• 200ml Chicken Stock
• Handful Coriander

Instructions:

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion for 1-2 mins just until softened. Add the chicken and fry for 7-10 mins until cooked through and the onions have turned golden. Grate over the ginger, stir through the harissa to coat everything and cook for 1 min more.

Tip in the apricots, chickpeas and couscous, then pour over the stock and stir once. Cover with a lid or tightly cover the pan with foil and leave for about 5 mins until the couscous has soaked up all the stock and is soft. Fluff up the couscous with a fork and scatter over the coriander to serve. Serve with extra harissa, if you like.

Category: Pork

Area: Japanese

Ingredients:

• 4 Pork Chops
• 100g Flour
• 2 Beaten Eggs
• 100g Breadcrumbs
• Fry Vegetable Oil
• 2 tbs Tomato Ketchup
• 2 tbs Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tbs Oyster Sauce
• 2 tblsp Caster Sugar

Instructions:

STEP 1
Remove the large piece of fat on the edge of each pork loin, then bash each of the loins between two pieces of baking parchment until around 1cm in thickness – you can do this using a meat tenderiser or a rolling pin. Once bashed, use your hands to reshape the meat to its original shape and thickness – this step will ensure the meat is as succulent as possible.

STEP 2
Put the flour, eggs and panko breadcrumbs into three separate wide-rimmed bowls. Season the meat, then dip first in the flour, followed by the eggs, then the breadcrumbs.

STEP 3
In a large frying or sauté pan, add enough oil to come 2cm up the side of the pan. Heat the oil to 180C – if you don’t have a thermometer, drop a bit of panko into the oil and if it sinks a little then starts to fry, the oil is ready. Add two pork chops and cook for 1 min 30 secs on each side, then remove and leave to rest on a wire rack for 5 mins. Repeat with the remaining pork chops.

STEP 4
While the pork is resting, make the sauce by whisking the ingredients together, adding a splash of water if it’s particularly thick. Slice the tonkatsu and serve drizzled with the sauce.

Category: Chicken

Area: Japanese

Ingredients:

• 4 pounded to 1cm thickness chicken breast
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 1 beaten egg
• 100g fine breadcrumbs
• 230ml frying vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 2 sliced onions
• 5 chopped cloves garlic
• 2 sliced carrot
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 4 teaspoons curry powder
• 600ml chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 4 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon garam masala

Instructions:

Prep:15min › Cook:30min › Ready in:45min

For the curry sauce: Heat oil in medium non-stick saucepan, add onion and garlic and cook until softened. Stir in carrots and cook over low heat for 10 to 12 minutes.
Add flour and curry powder; cook for 1 minute. Gradually stir in stock until combined; add honey, soy sauce and bay leaf. Slowly bring to the boil.
Turn down heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until sauce thickens but is still of pouring consistency. Stir in garam masala. Pour the curry sauce through a sieve; return to saucepan and keep on low heat until ready to serve.
For the chicken: Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place flour, egg and breadcrumbs in separate bowls and arrange in a row. Coat the chicken breasts in flour, then dip them into the egg, then coat in breadcrumbs, making sure you cover both sides.
Heat oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat. Place chicken into hot oil and cook until golden brown, about 3 or 4 minutes each side. Once cooked, place on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
Pour curry sauce over chicken, serve with white rice and enjoy!

Category: Chicken

Area: American

Ingredients:

• 1 Chicken Breast
• 1/4 cup Pickle Juice
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 cup Milk
• 1/2 cup Flour
• 1 tbs Icing Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp Celery Salt
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 cup Olive Oil
• 1 Sesame Seed Burger Buns

Instructions:

Wrap the chicken loosely between plastic wrap and pound gently with the flat side of a meat tenderizer until about 1/2 inch thick all around.
Cut into two pieces, as even as possible.
Marinate in the pickle juice for 30 minutes to one hour (add a teaspoon of Tabasco sauce now for a spicy sandwich).
Beat the egg with the milk in a bowl.
Combine the flour, sugar, and spices in another bowl.
Dip the chicken pieces each into the egg on both sides, then coat in flour on both sides.
Heat the oil in a skillet (1/2 inch deep) to about 345-350.
Fry each cutlet for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through.
Blot on paper and serve on toasted buns with pickle slices.

Category: Side

Area: Canadian

Ingredients:

• 1kg Ham
• 200g (soaked overnight) Peas
• 2 chopped Onions
• 2 chopped Carrots
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 chopped Celery
• 300g Frozen Peas
• to serve Bread

Instructions:

Put the gammon in a very large pan with 2 litres water and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and drain off the water – this helps to get rid of some of the saltiness. Recover with 2 litres cold water and bring to the boil again. Put everything but the frozen peas into the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1½-2½ hrs, topping up the water as and when you need to, to a similar level it started at. As the ham cooks and softens, you can halve it if you want, so it is all submerged under the liquid. When the ham is tender enough to pull into shreds, it is ready.
Lift out the ham, peel off and discard the skin. While it is still hot (wear a clean pair of rubber gloves), shred the meat. Remove bay from the soup and stir in the frozen peas. Simmer for 1 min, then blend until smooth. Add a splash of water if too thick, and return to the pan to heat through if it has cooled, or if you are making ahead.
When you are ready to serve, mix the hot soup with most of the ham – gently reheat if made ahead. Serve in bowls with the remaining ham scattered on top, and eat with crusty bread and butter.

Category: Vegetarian

Area: Russian

Ingredients:

• 4 Potatoes
• 3 Carrots
• 1 tbs Salt
• 1/2 tbs White Wine Vinegar
• 4 Eggs
• 7 oz Sausages
• 4 oz Dill
• 1 can Peas
• 4 Onions
• 1 cup Mayonnaise

Instructions:

Cut the potatoes and carrots into small uniform cubes.
Place them in a large pot and fill with water.
Add salt and vinegar. Bring it to a boil over medium high heat, and then reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook until the potatoes are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let it cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, cut the sausage and pickles into small cubes, and chop the green onions.
Cut the hard-boiled eggs into small cubes as well.
If using fresh dill, chop them as well.
In a large bowl, combine potatoes, carrots, sausage, pickles, peas and green onions.
Add mayo and dill and mix until well combined.
Salt and pepper to taste. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Category: Chicken

Area: Chinese

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Chicken Breast
• 3/4 cup Plain Flour
• 1 Egg
• 2 tbs Starch
• 1 tbs Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Onion Salt
• 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
• 3/4 cup Water
• 1/2 cup Chicken Stock
• 1/4 cup Duck Sauce
• 3 tbs Soy Sauce
• 2 tbs Honey
• 1 tbs Rice Vinegar
• 2 tbs Sesame Seed Oil
• 1/2 tbs Gochujang
• 2 tbs Starch
• 1 clove Garlic
• 2 chopped Spring Onions
• 1 tsp Ginger

Instructions:

DIRECTIONS:
STEP 1 – SAUCE
In a bowl, add 2 Cups of water, 2 Tablespoon soy sauce, 2 Tablespoon white vinegar, sherry cooking wine, 1/4 Teaspoon white pepper, minced ginger, minced garlic, hot pepper, ketchup, hoisin sauce, and sugar.
Mix together well and set aside.
STEP 2 – MARINATING THE CHICKEN
In a bowl, add the chicken, 1 pinch of salt, 1 pinch of white pepper, 2 egg whites, and 3 Tablespoon of corn starch
STEP 3 – DEEP FRY THE CHICKEN
Deep fry the chicken at 350 degrees for 3-4 minutes or until it is golden brown and loosen up the chicken so that they don't stick together.
Set the chicken aside.
STEP 4 – STIR FRY
Add the sauce to the wok and then the broccoli and wait until it is boiling.
To thicken the sauce, whisk together 2 Tablespoon of cornstarch and 4 Tablespoon of water in a bowl and slowly add to your stir-fry until it's the right thickness.
Next add in the chicken and stir-fry for a minute and serve on a plate

Category: Pasta

Area: Italian

Ingredients:

• 300g Spaghetti
• 1 tbls Olive Oil
• 1 finely chopped Onion
• 2 cloves minced Garlic
• 1 Red Chilli
• 1 tbls Tomato Puree
• 425g Pilchards
• 70g Black Olives
• Shaved Parmesan

Instructions:

Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the onion, garlic and chilli for 3-4 mins to soften. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 min, then add the pilchards with their sauce. Cook, breaking up the fish with a wooden spoon, then add the olives and continue to cook for a few more mins.

Drain the pasta and add to the pan with 2-3 tbsp of the cooking water. Toss everything together well, then divide between plates and serve, scattered with Parmesan.