Blog

  • Tourtiere

    Tourtiere

    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.

  • Choc Chip Pecan Pie

    Choc Chip Pecan Pie

    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.

  • Laksa King Prawn Noodles

    Laksa King Prawn Noodles

    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.

  • 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.

  • Beef Sunday Roast

    Beef Sunday Roast

    Category: Beef

    Area: British

    Ingredients:

    • 8 slices Beef
    • 12 florets Broccoli
    • 1 Packet Potatoes
    • 1 Packet Carrots
    • 140g plain flour
    • 4 Eggs
    • 200ml milk
    • drizzle (for cooking) sunflower oil

    Instructions:

    Cook the Broccoli and Carrots in a pan of boiling water until tender.

    Roast the Beef and Potatoes in the oven for 45mins, the potatoes may need to be checked regularly to not overcook.

    To make the Yorkshire puddings:
    Heat oven to 230C/fan 210C/gas 8. Drizzle a little sunflower oil evenly into 2 x 4-hole Yorkshire pudding tins or a 12-hole non-stick muffin tin and place in the oven to heat through
    To make the batter, tip 140g plain flour into a bowl and beat in four eggs until smooth. Gradually add 200ml milk and carry on beating until the mix is completely lump-free. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the batter into a jug, then remove the hot tins from the oven. Carefully and evenly pour the batter into the holes. Place the tins back in the oven and leave undisturbed for 20-25 mins until the puddings have puffed up and browned. Serve immediately.

    Plate up and add the Gravy as desired.

  • Canadian Butter Tarts

    Canadian Butter Tarts

    Category: Dessert

    Area: Canadian

    Ingredients:

    • 375g Shortcrust Pastry
    • 2 large Eggs
    • 175g Muscovado Sugar
    • 100g Raisins
    • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
    • 50g Butter
    • 4 tsp Single Cream
    • 50g Walnuts

    Instructions:

    Preheat the oven to fan 170C/ conventional 190C/gas 5. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface so it’s slightly thinner than straight from the pack. Then cut out 18-20 rounds with a 7.5cm fluted cutter, re-rolling the trimmings. Use the rounds to line two deep 12-hole tart tins (not muffin tins). If you only have a regular-sized, 12-hole tart tin you will be able to make a few more slightly shallower tarts.
    Beat the eggs in a large bowl and combine with the rest of the ingredients except the walnuts. Tip this mixture into a pan and stir continuously for 3-4 minutes until the butter melts, and the mixture bubbles and starts to thicken. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Don’t overcook, and be sure to stir all the time as the mixture can easily burn. Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts.
    Spoon the filling into the unbaked tart shells so it’s level with the pastry. Bake for 15-18 minutes until set and pale golden. Leave in the tin to cool for a few minutes before lifting out on to a wire rack. Serve warm or cold.

  • Egg Drop Soup

    Egg Drop Soup

    Category: Vegetarian

    Area: Chinese

    Ingredients:

    • 3 cups Chicken Stock
    • 1/4 tsp Salt
    • 1/4 tsp Sugar
    • pinch Pepper
    • 1 tsp Sesame Seed Oil
    • 1/3 cup Peas
    • 1/3 cup Mushrooms
    • 1 tbs Cornstarch
    • 2 tbs Water
    • 1/4 cup Spring Onions

    Instructions:

    In a wok add chicken broth and wait for it to boil.
    Next add salt, sugar, white pepper, sesame seed oil.
    When the chicken broth is boiling add the vegetables to the wok.
    To thicken the sauce, whisk together 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 Tablespoon of water in a bowl and slowly add to your soup until it's the right thickness.
    Next add 1 egg slightly beaten with a knife or fork and add it to the soup slowly and stir for 8 seconds
    Serve the soup in a bowl and add the green onions on top.

  • Chinon Apple Tarts

    Chinon Apple Tarts

    Category: Dessert

    Area: French

    Ingredients:

    • 320g Puff Pastry
    • 4 tbs Dark Brown Soft Sugar
    • 3 Braeburn Apples
    • 4 tbs Red Wine Jelly
    • 100ml Creme Fraiche
    • 1 tbs Icing Sugar
    • 3 Cardamom

    Instructions:

    To make the red wine jelly, put the red wine, jam sugar, star anise, clove, cinnamon stick, allspice, split vanilla pod and seeds in a medium saucepan. Stir together, then heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Turn up the heat and boil for 20 mins until reduced and syrupy. Strain into a small, sterilised jam jar and leave to cool completely. Will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month.

    Take the pastry out of the fridge and leave at room temperature for 10 mins, then unroll. Heat the grill to high and heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cut out 2 x 13cm circles of pastry, using a plate as a guide, and place on a non-stick baking sheet. Sprinkle each circle with 1 tbsp sugar and grill for 5 mins to caramelise, watching carefully so that the sugar doesn’t burn. Remove from the grill. Can be done a few hours ahead, and left, covered, out of the fridge.

    Peel, quarter and core the apples, cut into 2mm-thin slices and arrange on top of the pastry. Sprinkle over the remaining sugar and pop in the oven for 20-25 mins until the pastry is cooked through and golden, and the apples are softened. Remove and allow to cool slightly. Warm 3 tbsp of the red wine jelly in a small pan over a low heat with 1 tsp water to make it a little more runny, then brush over the top of the tarts.

    Tip the crème fraîche into a bowl, sift over the icing sugar and cardamom, and mix together. Carefully lift the warm tarts onto serving plates and serve with the cardamom crème fraîche.

  • Garides Saganaki

    Garides Saganaki

    Category: Seafood

    Area: Greek

    Ingredients:

    • 500g Raw king prawns
    • 3 tablespoons Olive oil
    • 1 Chopped onion
    • pinch Freshly chopped parsley
    • 250ml White wine
    • 1 (400g) tin Chopped tomatoes
    • 1/2 teaspoon Minced garlic
    • 1 (200g) pack Cubed Feta cheese

    Instructions:

    Place the prawns in a pot and add enough water to cover. Boil for 5 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid, and set aside.
    Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan. Add the onion; cook and stir until soft. Mix in the parsley, wine, tomatoes, garlic and remaining olive oil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened.
    While the sauce is simmering, the prawns should become cool enough to handle. First remove the legs by pinching them, and then pull off the shells, leaving the head and tail on.
    When the sauce has thickened, stir in the prawns. Bring to a simmer again if the sauce has cooled with the prawns, and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the feta and remove from the heat. Let stand until the cheese starts to melt. Serve warm with slices of crusty bread.
    Though completely untraditional, you can add a few tablespoons of stock or passata to this recipe to make a delicious pasta sauce. Toss with pasta after adding the feta, and serve.

  • Chivito uruguayo

    Chivito uruguayo

    Category: Beef

    Area: Uruguayan

    Ingredients:

    • 2 Beef Brisket
    • 2 Bread
    • 1 Lettuce
    • 1 Tomato
    • 100g Ham
    • 100g Mozzarella
    • 100g Bacon
    • 1 Egg
    • 1 Onion
    • 1 Pepper

    Instructions:

    Crush the meat so that it is finite and we put it on a griddle to brown. Put the eggs, bacon and ham to fry.
    Cut the bread in half, put the beef brisket, the fried eggs, the bacon, the ham, the mozzarella, the tomato and the lettuce. Cover with the other half of the bread and serve.