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Category: Vegetarian

Area: Spanish

Ingredients:

• 1 sliced Onion
• 4 tbsp Olive Oil
• 25g Butter
• 400g Potatoes
• 6 cloves Garlic
• 8 Eggs
• Handful Parsley
• 1 Baguette
• 4 Vine Tomatoes
• drizzle Olive Oil

Instructions:

Put a large non-stick frying pan on a low heat. Cook the onion slowly in the oil and butter until soft but not brown – this should take about 15 mins. Add the potatoes, cover the pan and cook for a further 15-20 mins, stirring occasionally to make sure they fry evenly.
When the potatoes are soft and the onion is shiny, crush 2 garlic cloves and stir in, followed by the beaten eggs.
Put the lid back on the pan and leave the tortilla to cook gently. After 20 mins, the edges and base should be golden, the top set but the middle still a little wobbly. To turn it over, slide it onto a plate and put another plate on top, turn the whole thing over and slide it back into the pan to finish cooking. Once cooked, transfer to a plate and serve the tortilla warm or cold, scattered with the chopped parsley.
To accompany, take slices of warmed baguette, stab all over with a fork and rub with the remaining garlic, pile on grated tomatoes and season with sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil.

Category: Breakfast

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 4 Sausages
• 4 Bacon
• 4 Mushrooms
• 3 Tomatoes
• 2 sliced Black Pudding
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Slice Bread
• 100g Baked Beans

Instructions:

Heat the flat grill plate over a low heat, on top of 2 rings/flames if it fits, and brush sparingly with light olive oil.
Cook the sausages first. Add the sausages to the hot grill plate/the coolest part if there is one and allow to cook slowly for about 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden. After the first 10 minutes, increase the heat to medium before beginning to cook the other ingredients. If you are struggling for space, completely cook the sausages and keep hot on a plate in the oven.
Snip a few small cuts into the fatty edge of the bacon. Place the bacon straight on to the grill plate and fry for 2-4 minutes each side or until your preferred crispiness is reached. Like the sausages, the cooked bacon can be kept hot on a plate in the oven.
For the mushrooms, brush away any dirt using a pastry brush and trim the stalk level with the mushroom top. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over a little olive oil. Place stalk-side up on the grill plate and cook for 1-2 minutes before turning and cooking for a further 3-4 minutes. Avoid moving the mushrooms too much while cooking, as this releases the natural juices, making them soggy.
For the tomatoes, cut the tomatoes across the centre/or in half lengthways if using plum tomatoes , and with a small, sharp knife remove the green 'eye'. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil. Place cut-side down on the grill plate and cook without moving for 2 minutes. Gently turn over and season again. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes until tender but still holding their shape.
For the black pudding, cut the black pudding into 3-4 slices and remove the skin. Place on the grill plate and cook for 1½-2 minutes each side until slightly crispy.
For 'proper' fried bread it's best to cook it in a separate pan. Ideally, use bread that is a couple of days old. Heat a frying pan to a medium heat and cover the base with oil. Add the bread and cook for 2-3 minutes each side until crispy and golden. If the pan becomes too dry, add a little more oil. For a richer flavour, add a knob of butter after you turn the slice.
For the fried eggs, break the egg straight into the pan with the fried bread and leave for 30 seconds. Add a good knob of butter and lightly splash/baste the egg with the butter when melted. Cook to your preferred stage, season and gently remove with a fish slice.
Once all the ingredients are cooked, serve on warm plates and enjoy straight away with a good squeeze of tomato ketchup or brown sauce.

Category: Dessert

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 450ml Vegetable Oil
• 400g Plain Flour
• 2 tsp Bicarbonate Of Soda
• 550ml Sugar
• 5 Eggs
• ½ tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Cinnamon
• 500g grated Carrots
• 150g Walnuts
• 200g Cream Cheese
• 150g Caster Sugar
• 100g Butter

Instructions:

For the carrot cake, preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3. Grease and line a 26cm/10in springform cake tin.
Mix all of the ingredients for the carrot cake, except the carrots and walnuts, together in a bowl until well combined. Stir in the carrots and walnuts.
Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the cake from the tin and set aside to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Meanwhile, for the icing, beat the cream cheese, caster sugar and butter together in a bowl until fluffy. Spread the icing over the top of the cake with a palette knife.

Category: Dessert

Area: Greek

Ingredients:

• 100g Digestive Biscuits
• 85g Almonds
• 85g Butter
• 250ml Greek Yogurt
• 750g Mascarpone
• 2 Eggs
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• Zest of 1 Orange
• 250ml Honey
• To serve Fruit Mix

Instructions:

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Crush the biscuits and most of the almonds inside a plastic food bag using a rolling pin. Mix with the butter, then press into the bottom of a deep, oval, 23cm dish (or something similar in size – a roasting tin, baking dish or cake tin will work). Bake for 10 mins until crisp.

Stir or mash together the yogurt and mascarpone, then whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the lemon and orange zests, then stir in most of the honey, reserving about 3 tbsp. Spread over the biscuit base, cover loosely with foil and cook for 1 hr. Remove the foil and cook for 15 mins more until lightly golden and the top is firm with just the slightest wobble in the middle. Leave to cool. Can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days.

To serve, scatter with almonds, drizzle over the remaining honey, and hand around fresh fruit to go with it.

Category: Dessert

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 200g Butter
• 200g Muscovado Sugar
• 200g Plain Flour
• 4 Beaten Eggs
• 50g Ground Almonds
• 100ml Sherry
• 85g Candied Peel
• 85g Glace Cherry
• 250g Raisins
• 250g Currants
• 100g Pecan Nuts
• Grated zest of 1 Lemon
• 1 ½ tbsp Mixed Spice
• 1 ½ tbsp Rose water
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

Instructions:

Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Line the base and sides of a 20 cm round, 7.5 cm deep cake tin. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer for 1-2 mins until very creamy and pale in colour, scraping down the sides of the bowl half way through. Stir in a spoonful of the flour, then stir in the beaten egg and the rest of the flour alternately, a quarter at a time, beating well each time with a wooden spoon. Stir in the almonds.

Mix in the sherry (the mix will look curdled), then add the peel, cherries, raisins, cherries, nuts, lemon zest, spice, rosewater and vanilla. Beat together to mix, then stir in the baking powder.

Spoon mixture into the tin and smooth the top, making a slight dip in the centre. Bake for 30 mins, then lower temperature to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2 and bake a further 2-2¼ hrs, until a skewer insterted in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin, then take out of the tin and peel off the lining paper. When completely cold, wrap well in cling film and foil to store until ready to decorate. The cake will keep for several months.

Category: Seafood

Area: Tunisian

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs Olive Oil
• 8 Spring Onions
• 200g Spinach
• 4 Filo Pastry
• 1 can Tuna
• 2 Eggs
• Dash Hotsauce
• 4 Chopped Tomatoes
• 1/4 Cucumber
• 1 tbs Lemon Juice
• 4 tbs Apricot Jam

Instructions:

Heat 2 tsp of the oil in a large saucepan and cook the spring onions over a low heat for 3 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add the spinach, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for a further 2–3 minutes or until tender and wilted, stirring once or twice. Tip the mixture into a sieve or colander and leave to drain and cool.
Using a saucer as a guide, cut out 24 rounds about 12.5 cm (5 in) in diameter from the filo pastry, cutting 6 rounds from each sheet. Stack the filo rounds in a pile, then cover with cling film to prevent them from drying out.
When the spinach mixture is cool, squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible, then transfer to a bowl. Add the tuna, eggs, hot pepper sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F, gas mark 6). Take one filo round and very lightly brush with some of the remaining oil. Top with a second round and brush with a little oil, then place a third round on top and brush with oil.
Place a heaped tbsp of the filling in the middle of the round, then fold the pastry over to make a half-moon shape. Fold in the edges, twisting them to seal, and place on a non-stick baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling to make 8 briks in all.
Lightly brush the briks with the remaining oil. Bake for 12–15 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden brown.
Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes and cucumber in a bowl and sprinkle with the lemon juice and seasoning to taste. Serve the briks hot with this salad and the chutney.

Category: Pork

Area: Canadian

Ingredients:

• 1 medium Potatoes
• 1 tsp Sunflower Oil
• 500g Minced Pork
• 1 finely chopped Onion
• 1 finely chopped Garlic Clove
• ¼ tsp Cinnamon
• ¼ tsp Allspice
• ¼ tsp Nutmeg
• 100ml Vegetable Stock
• 400g Shortcrust Pastry
• To Glaze Egg

Instructions:

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Boil the potato until tender, drain and mash, then leave to cool. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the mince and onion and quickly fry until browned. Add the garlic, spices, stock, plenty of pepper and a little salt and mix well. Remove from the heat, stir into the potato and leave to cool.
Roll out half the pastry and line the base of a 20-23cm pie plate or flan tin. Fill with the pork mixture and brush the edges of the pastry with water. Roll out the remaining dough and cover the pie. Press the edges of the pastry to seal, trimming off the excess. Prick the top of the pastry case to allow steam to escape and glaze the top with the beaten egg.
Bake for 30 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden. Serve cut into wedges with a crisp green salad. Leftovers are good cold for lunch the next day, served with a selection of pickles.

Category: Dessert

Area: American

Ingredients:

• 300g Plain Flour
• 75g Butter
• 100g Cream Cheese
• 1 tbls Icing Sugar
• 150g Butter
• 200ml Maple Syrup
• 250g Light Brown Soft Sugar
• 100g Dark Brown Soft Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 400g Pecan Nuts
• 200g Dark Chocolate Chips

Instructions:

First, make the pastry. Tip the ingredients into a food processor with 1 /4 tsp salt. Blend until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Drizzle 2-3 tsp cold water into the funnel while the blade is running – the mixture should start to clump together. Tip onto a work surface and bring together, kneading briefly into a ball. Pat into a disc, wrap in cling film, and chill for at least 20 mins. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and leave at room temperature for 5 mins to soften. Flour the work surface, then unwrap the pastry and roll to a circle the thickness of a £1 coin. Use the pastry to line a deep, 23cm round fluted tin – mine was about 3cm deep. Press the pastry into the corners and up the sides, making sure there are no gaps. Leave 1cm pastry overhanging (save some of the pastry scraps for later). Line with baking parchment (scrunch it up first to make it more pliable) and fill with baking beans. Blind-bake for 15-20 mins until the sides are set, then remove the parchment and beans and return to the oven for 5 mins until golden brown. Trim the pastry so it’s flush with the top of the tin – a small serrated knife is best for this. If there are any cracks, patch them up with the pastry scraps.

Meanwhile, weigh the butter, syrup and sugars into a pan, and add 1 /4 tsp salt. Heat until the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 mins. Reduce oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.

Beat the eggs in a bowl. Add the syrup mixture, vanilla and pecans, and mix until well combined. Pour half the mixture into the tart case, scatter over half the chocolate chips, then cover with the remaining filling and chocolate chips. Bake on the middle shelf for 50-55 mins until set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, then chill for at least 2 hrs before serving.

Category: Seafood

Area: Malaysian

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 finely sliced Red Chilli
• 2 ½ tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 400ml can coconut milk
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 100g rice noodles
• 2 juice of 1, the other halved lime
• 150g king prawns
• ½ small pack coriander

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and add the chilli. Cook for 1 min, then add the curry paste, stir and cook for 1 min more. Dissolve the stock cube in a large jug in 700ml boiling water, then pour into the pan and stir to combine. Tip in the coconut milk and bring to the boil.
Add the fish sauce and a little seasoning. Toss in the noodles and cook for a further 3-4 mins until softening. Squeeze in the lime juice, add the prawns and cook through until warm, about 2-3 mins. Scatter over some of the coriander.
Serve in bowls with the remaining coriander and lime wedges on top for squeezing over.

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.