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Category: Dessert

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 175g Butter
• 175g Caster Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 250g Self-raising Flour
• 3 tbs Milk
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• To Glaze Mixed Peel

Instructions:

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease an 18cm/7in round cake tin, line the base with greaseproof paper and grease the paper.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture well between each one and adding a tablespoon of the flour with the last egg to prevent the mixture curdling.
Sift the flour and gently fold in, with enough milk to give a mixture that falls slowly from the spoon. Fold in the lemon zest.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and lightly level the top. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
To serve, decorate the cake with the candied peel.

Category: Dessert

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 100g Butter
• 175g Muscovado Sugar
• 2 large Eggs
• 225g Self-raising Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Bicarbonate Of Soda
• 3 tbs Black Treacle
• 275ml Milk
• to serve Double Cream
• 100g Butter
• 125g Muscovado Sugar
• 1 tbs Black Treacle
• 300ml Double Cream
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Butter a wide shallow 1.7-litre/3-pint ovenproof dish.
Put the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and treacle into a mixing bowl. Beat using an electric handheld whisk for about 30 seconds or until combined. Pour in the milk gradually and whisk again until smooth. Pour into the prepared dish. Bake for 35–40 minutes or until well risen and springy in the centre.
To make the sauce, put all the ingredients into a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. Bring to the boil, stirring for a minute.
To serve, pour half the sauce over the pudding in the baking dish. Serve with the cream or ice cream.

Category: Chicken

Area: Chinese

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs Sake
• 2 tbs Soy Sauce
• 2 tbs Sesame Seed Oil
• 2 tbs Corn Flour
• 2 tbs Water
• 500g Chicken
• 1 tbs Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp Rice Vinegar
• 1 tbs Brown Sugar
• 4 Chopped Spring Onions
• 6 cloves Garlic Clove
• 220g Water Chestnut
• 100g Peanuts

Instructions:

Combine the sake or rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil and cornflour dissolved in water. Divide mixture in half.
In a glass dish or bowl, combine half of the sake mixture with the chicken pieces and toss to coat. Cover dish and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
In a medium frying pan, combine remaining sake mixture, chillies, vinegar and sugar. Mix together and add spring onion, garlic, water chestnuts and peanuts. Heat sauce slowly over medium heat until aromatic.
Meanwhile, remove chicken from marinade and sauté in a large frying pan until juices run clear. When sauce is aromatic, add sautéed chicken and let simmer together until sauce thickens.

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.

Category: Chicken

Area: French

Ingredients:

• 1½ tbsp Olive Oil
• 3 rashers (100g) chopped dry-cured Bacon
• 12 small Shallots
• 2 (460g) Chicken Legs
• 4 (650g) Chicken Thighs
• 2 (280g) Chicken Breasts
• 3 finely chopped Garlic
• 3 tbsp Brandy
• 600ml Red Wine
• 150ml Chicken Stock
• 2 tsp tomato puree
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 2 sprigs Rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• garnish parsley
• 250g chestnut mushroom
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp butter

Instructions:

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan or flameproof dish. Tip in the bacon and fry until crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Add the shallots to the pan and fry, stirring or shaking the pan often, for 5-8 mins until well browned all over. Remove and set aside with the bacon.
Pat the chicken pieces dry with kitchen paper. Pour the remaining oil into the pan, then fry half the chicken pieces, turning regularly, for 5-8 mins until well browned. Remove, then repeat with the remaining chicken. Remove and set aside.
Scatter in the garlic and fry briefly, then, with the heat medium-high, pour in the brandy or Cognac, stirring the bottom of the pan to deglaze. The alcohol should sizzle and start to evaporate so there is not much left.
Return the chicken legs and thighs to the pan along with any juices, then pour in a little of the wine, stirring the bottom of the pan again. Stir in the rest of the wine, the stock and tomato purée, drop in the bouquet garni, season with pepper and a pinch of salt, then return the bacon and shallots to the pan. Cover, lower the heat to a gentle simmer, add the chicken breasts and cook for 50 mins-1hr.
Just before ready to serve, heat the oil for the mushrooms in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the mushrooms and fry over a high heat for a few mins until golden. Remove and keep warm.
Lift the chicken, shallots and bacon from the pan and transfer to a warmed serving dish. Remove the bouquet garni. To make the thickener, mix the flour, olive oil and butter in a small bowl using the back of a teaspoon. Bring the wine mixture to a gentle boil, then gradually drop in small pieces of the thickener, whisking each piece in using a wire whisk. Simmer for 1-2 mins. Scatter the mushrooms over the chicken, then pour over the wine sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Category: Lamb

Area: Tunisian

Ingredients:

• 500g Lamb Mince
• 2 cloves minced Garlic
• 1 Onion
• 300g Spinach
• 3 tbs Tomato Puree
• 1 tbs Cumin
• 1 Litre Chicken Stock
• 3 tsp Harissa Spice
• 400g Chickpeas
• 1/2 Lemon Juice
• 150g Macaroni
• Pinch Salt
• Pinch Pepper

Instructions:

Add the lamb to a casserole and cook over high heat. When browned, remove from the heat and set aside.
Keep a tablespoon of fat in the casserole and discard the rest. Reduce to medium heat then add the garlic, onion and spinach and cook until the onion is translucent and the spinach wilted or about 5 minutes.
Return the lamb to the casserole with the onion-spinach mixture, add the tomato puree, cumin, harissa, chicken, chickpeas, lemon juice, salt and pepper in the pan. Simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes.
Add the pasta and cook for 15 minutes or until pasta is cooked.

Category: Vegetarian

Area: Ukrainian

Ingredients:

• 3 Beetroot
• 4 tbs Olive Oil
• 1 Chicken Stock Cube
• 6 cups Water
• 3 Potatoes
• 1 can Cannellini Beans
• Garnish Dill

Instructions:

Chop the beetroot, add water and stock cube and cook for 15mins. Add the other ingredients and boil until soft. Finally add the beans and cook for 5mins. Serve in the soup pot.

Category: Side

Area: Croatian

Ingredients:

• 1 Packet Filo Pastry
• 150g Minced Beef
• 150g Onion
• 40g Oil
• Dash Salt
• Dash Pepper

Instructions:

Fry the finely chopped onions and minced meat in oil. Add the salt and pepper. Grease a round baking tray and put a layer of pastry in it. Cover with a thin layer of filling and cover this with another layer of filo pastry which must be well coated in oil. Put another layer of filling and cover with pastry. When you have five or six layers, cover with filo pastry, bake at 200ºC/392ºF for half an hour and cut in quarters and serve.

Category: Seafood

Area: Japanese

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Salmon
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 2 tablespoons Sake
• 4 tablespoons Sesame Seed

Instructions:

Mix all the ingredients in the Honey Teriyaki Glaze together. Whisk to blend well. Combine the salmon and the Glaze together.

Heat up a skillet on medium-low heat. Add the oil, Pan-fry the salmon on both sides until it’s completely cooked inside and the glaze thickens.

Garnish with sesame and serve immediately.

Category: Chicken

Area: Greek

Ingredients:

• 225g Quinoa
• 25g Butter
• 1 chopped Red Chilli
• 1 clove finely chopped Garlic
• 400g Chicken Breast
• 2 tbs Olive Oil
• Handful Black Olives
• 1 chopped Red Onions
• 100g Feta
• Chopped Mint
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon

Instructions:

Cook the quinoa following the pack instructions, then rinse in cold water and drain thoroughly.

Meanwhile, mix the butter, chilli and garlic into a paste. Toss the chicken fillets in 2 tsp of the olive oil with some seasoning. Lay in a hot griddle pan and cook for 3-4 mins each side or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate, dot with the spicy butter and set aside to melt.

Next, tip the tomatoes, olives, onion, feta and mint into a bowl. Toss in the cooked quinoa. Stir through the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and season well. Serve with the chicken fillets on top, drizzled with any buttery chicken juices.