Blog

  • Kidney Bean Curry

    Kidney Bean Curry

    Category: Vegetarian

    Area: Indian

    Ingredients:

    • 1 tbls Vegetable Oil
    • 1 finely chopped Onion
    • 2 cloves chopped Garlic
    • 1 part Ginger
    • 1 Packet Coriander
    • 1 tsp Cumin
    • 1 tsp Paprika
    • 2 tsp Garam Masala
    • 400g Chopped Tomatoes
    • 400g Kidney Beans
    • to serve Basmati Rice

    Instructions:

    Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to colour. Add the garlic, ginger and coriander stalks and cook for a further 2 mins, until fragrant.

    Add the spices to the pan and cook for another 1 min, by which point everything should smell aromatic. Tip in the chopped tomatoes and kidney beans in their water, then bring to the boil.

    Turn down the heat and simmer for 15 mins until the curry is nice and thick. Season to taste, then serve with the basmati rice and the coriander leaves.

  • Poutine

    Poutine

    Category: Miscellaneous

    Area: Canadian

    Ingredients:

    • Dash Vegetable Oil
    • 1 Can Beef Gravy
    • 5 thin cut Potatoes
    • 2 cups Cheese Curds

    Instructions:

    Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep heavy skillet to 365°F (185°C).
    Warm gravy in saucepan or microwave.
    Place the fries into the hot oil, and cook until light brown, about 5 minutes.
    Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
    Place the fries on a serving platter, and sprinkle the cheese over them.
    Ladle gravy over the fries and cheese, and serve immediately.

  • Chicken Couscous

    Chicken Couscous

    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.

  • Smoked Haddock Kedgeree

    Smoked Haddock Kedgeree

    Category: Breakfast

    Area: Indian

    Ingredients:

    • 50g Butter
    • 1 chopped Onion
    • 3 Pods Cardamom
    • 1/4 tsp Turmeric
    • 1 small Cinnamon Stick
    • Sprigs of fresh Bay Leaf
    • 450g Basmati Rice
    • 1 Litre Chicken Stock
    • 750g Smoked Haddock
    • 3 Eggs
    • 3 tblsp chopped Parsley
    • 1 chopped Lemon

    Instructions:

    Melt 50g butter in a large saucepan (about 20cm across), add 1 finely chopped medium onion and cook gently over a medium heat for 5 minutes, until softened but not browned.

    Stir in 3 split cardamom pods, ¼ tsp turmeric, 1 small cinnamon stick and 2 bay leaves, then cook for 1 minute.

    Tip in 450g basmati rice and stir until it is all well coated in the spicy butter.

    Pour in 1 litre chicken or fish stock, add ½ teaspoon salt and bring to the boil, stir once to release any rice from the bottom of the pan. Cover with a close-fitting lid, reduce the heat to low and leave to cook very gently for 12 minutes.

    Meanwhile, bring some water to the boil in a large shallow pan. Add 750g un-dyed smoked haddock fillet and simmer for 4 minutes, until the fish is just cooked. Lift it out onto a plate and leave until cool enough to handle.

    Hard-boil 3 eggs for 8 minutes.

    Flake the fish, discarding any skin and bones. Drain the eggs, cool slightly, then peel and chop.


    Uncover the rice and remove the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods if you wish to. Gently fork in the fish and the chopped eggs, cover again and return to the heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the fish has heated through.

    Gently stir in almost all the 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, and season with a little salt and black pepper to taste. Serve scattered with the remaining parsley and garnished with 1 lemon, cut into wedges.

  • Coddled pork with cider

    Coddled pork with cider

    Category: Pork

    Area: Irish

    Ingredients:

    • Knob Butter
    • 2 Pork Chops
    • 4 Bacon
    • 2 Potatoes
    • 1 Carrots
    • 1/2 Swede
    • 1/2 Cabbage
    • 1 Bay Leaf
    • 100ml Cider
    • 100g Chicken Stock

    Instructions:

    STEP 1
    Heat the butter in a casserole dish until sizzling, then fry the pork for 2-3 mins on each side until browned. Remove from the pan.

    STEP 2
    Tip the bacon, carrot, potatoes and swede into the pan, then gently fry until slightly coloured. Stir in the cabbage, sit the chops back on top, add the bay leaf, then pour over the cider and stock. Cover the pan, then leave everything to gently simmer for 20 mins until the pork is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

    STEP 3
    Serve at the table spooned straight from the dish.

  • Callaloo Jamaican Style

    Callaloo Jamaican Style

    Category: Miscellaneous

    Area: Jamaican

    Ingredients:

    • 1 bunch Kale
    • 2 strips Bacon
    • 3 cloves Chopped Garlic
    • 1 medium Onion
    • 1/2 tsp Paprika
    • 1 Sprig Thyme
    • 1 Tomato
    • 1 Red Pepper
    • 4 Banana
    • Splash Vegetable Oil

    Instructions:

    Cut leaves and soft stems from the kale branches, them soak in a bowl of cold water for about 5-10 minutes or until finish with prep.
    Proceed to slicing the onions, mincing the garlic and dicing the tomatoes. Set aside
    Remove kale from water cut in chunks.
    Place bacon on saucepan and cook until crispy. Then add onions, garlic, thyme, stir for about a minute or more
    Add tomatoes; scotch bonnet pepper, smoked paprika. Sauté for about 2-3 more minutes.
    Finally add vegetable, salt, mix well, and steamed for about 6-8 minutes or until leaves are tender. Add a tiny bit of water as needed. Adjust seasonings and turn off the heat.
    Using a sharp knife cut both ends off the plantain. This will make it easy to grab the skin of the plantains. Slit a shallow line down the long seam of the plantain; peel only as deep as the peel. Remove plantain peel by pulling it back.
    Slice the plantain into medium size lengthwise slices and set aside.
    Coat a large frying pan with cooking oil spray. Spray the tops of the plantains with a generous layer of oil spray and sprinkle with salt, freshly ground pepper.
    Let the plantains "fry" on medium heat, shaking the frying pan to redistribute them every few minutes.
    As the plantains brown, continue to add more cooking oil spray, salt and pepper (if needed) until they have reached the desired color and texture.
    Remove and serve with kale

  • Teriyaki Chicken Casserole

    Teriyaki Chicken Casserole

    Category: Chicken

    Area: Japanese

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup soy sauce
    • 1/2 cup water
    • 1/4 cup brown sugar
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
    • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
    • 4 Tablespoons cornstarch
    • 2 chicken breasts
    • 1 (12 oz.) stir-fry vegetables
    • 3 cups brown rice

    Instructions:

    Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
    Combine soy sauce, ½ cup water, brown sugar, ginger and garlic in a small saucepan and cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove lid and cook for one minute once boiling.
    Meanwhile, stir together the corn starch and 2 tablespoons of water in a separate dish until smooth. Once sauce is boiling, add mixture to the saucepan and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce starts to thicken then remove from heat.
    Place the chicken breasts in the prepared pan. Pour one cup of the sauce over top of chicken. Place chicken in oven and bake 35 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and shred chicken in the dish using two forks.
    *Meanwhile, steam or cook the vegetables according to package directions.
    Add the cooked vegetables and rice to the casserole dish with the chicken. Add most of the remaining sauce, reserving a bit to drizzle over the top when serving. Gently toss everything together in the casserole dish until combined. Return to oven and cook 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle each serving with remaining sauce. Enjoy!

  • Pear Tarte Tatin

    Pear Tarte Tatin

    Category: Dessert

    Area: French

    Ingredients:

    • 8 Pears
    • 100g Caster Sugar
    • 100g Butter
    • 2 Star Anise
    • 3 Pods Cardamom
    • 1 large Cinnamon
    • 2 tbs Brandy
    • 500g Puff Pastry

    Instructions:

    Core the pears, then peel as neatly as possible and halve. If you like, they can be prepared up to a day ahead and kept in the fridge, uncovered, so that they dry out.
    Tip the sugar, butter, star anise, cardamom and cinnamon into an ovenproof frying pan, about 20cm wide, and place over a high heat until bubbling. Shake the pan and stir the buttery sauce until it separates and the sugar caramelises to a toffee colour.
    Lay the pears in the pan, then cook in the sauce for 10-12 mins, tossing occasionally, until completely caramelised. Don’t worry about them burning – they won’t – but you want to caramelise them as much as possible. Splash in the brandy and let it flambé, then set the pears aside.
    Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Roll the pastry out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Using a plate slightly larger than the top of the pan, cut out a circle, then press the edges of the circle of pastry to thin them out.
    When the pears have cooled slightly, arrange them in the pan, cut side up, in a floral shape, with the pears around the edge pointing inwards. Rest the cinnamon stick on the top in the centre, with the cardamom pods scattered around.
    Drape the pastry over the pears, then tuck the edges down the pan sides and under the fruit (see Gordon’s guide). Pierce the pastry a few times, then bake for 15 mins. If a lot of juice bubbles up the side of the pan, pour it off at this stage (see guide). Reduce oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and bake for 15 mins more until the pastry is golden. Leave the tart to stand for 10 mins, then invert it carefully onto a serving dish.

  • Dal fry

    Dal fry

    Category: Vegetarian

    Area: Indian

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup Toor dal
    • 2-1/2 cups Water
    • 1 tsp Salt
    • 1/4 tsp Turmeric
    • 3 tbs Ghee
    • 1 cup Chopped tomatoes
    • 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
    • 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
    • 2 Bay Leaf
    • 1 tbs chopped Green Chili
    • 2 tsp shredded Ginger
    • 2 tbs Cilantro
    • 1/2 tsp Red Pepper
    • 1/2 tsp Salt
    • 1 tsp Sugar
    • 1/4 tsp Garam Masala

    Instructions:

    Wash and soak toor dal in approx. 3 cups of water, for at least one hours. Dal will be double in volume after soaking. Drain the water.
    Cook dal with 2-1/2 cups water and add salt, turmeric, on medium high heat, until soft in texture (approximately 30 mins) it should be like thick soup.
    In a frying pan, heat the ghee. Add cumin seeds, and mustard seeds. After the seeds crack, add bay leaves, green chili, ginger and chili powder. Stir for a few seconds.
    Add tomatoes, salt and sugar stir and cook until tomatoes are tender and mushy.
    Add cilantro and garam masala cook for about one minute.
    Pour the seasoning over dal mix it well and cook for another minute.
    Serve with Naan.

  • Bigos (Hunters Stew)

    Bigos (Hunters Stew)

    Category: Pork

    Area: Polish

    Ingredients:

    • 2 sliced Bacon
    • 1 lb Kielbasa
    • 1 lb Pork
    • 1/4 cup Flour
    • 3 chopped Garlic
    • 1 Diced Onion
    • 1 1/2 cup Mushrooms
    • 4 cups Cabbage
    • 1 Jar Sauerkraut
    • 1/4 cup Red Wine
    • 1 Bay Leaf
    • 1 tsp Basil
    • 1 tsp Marjoram
    • 1 tbs Paprika
    • 1/8 teaspoon Caraway Seed
    • 1 dash Hotsauce
    • 5 Cups Beef Stock
    • 2 tbs Tomato Puree
    • 1 cup Diced Tomatoes
    • 1 dash Worcestershire Sauce

    Instructions:

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

    Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and kielbasa; cook and stir until the bacon has rendered its fat and sausage is lightly browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat and transfer to a large casserole or Dutch oven.

    Coat the cubes of pork lightly with flour and fry them in the bacon drippings over medium-high heat until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to the casserole. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, fresh mushrooms, cabbage and sauerkraut. Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir until the carrots are soft, about 10 minutes. Do not let the vegetables brown.

    Deglaze the pan by pouring in the red wine and stirring to loosen all of the bits of food and flour that are stuck to the bottom. Season with the bay leaf, basil, marjoram, paprika, salt, pepper, caraway seeds and cayenne pepper; cook for 1 minute.

    Mix in the dried mushrooms, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, tomato paste and tomatoes. Heat through just until boiling. Pour the vegetables and all of the liquid into the casserole dish with the meat. Cover with a lid.

    Bake in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until meat is very tender.