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  • Portuguese prego with green piri-piri

    Portuguese prego with green piri-piri

    Category: Beef

    Area: Portuguese

    Ingredients:

    • 1 clove Garlic
    • 2 small Beef Fillet
    • 2 tbs Olive Oil
    • 1 tbs Vinegar
    • Leaves Parsley
    • 2 Ciabatta
    • 2 handfulls Rocket
    • Small bunch Basil Leaves
    • Small bunch Parsley
    • 1 Jalapeno
    • 1 tbs Vinegar
    • 2 chopped Spring Onions
    • 1/2 Garlic
    • 1/2 tsp Caster Sugar

    Instructions:

    STEP 1

    Rub the garlic over the steaks then put in a sandwich bag and tip in the olive oil, sherry vinegar and parsley stalks. Smoosh everything together, then use a rolling pin to bash the steaks a few times. Leave for 1-2 hours.

    STEP 2

    To make the sauce, put all the ingredients into a blender with 1 tbsp water and whizz until as smooth as possible. This will make more than you’ll need for the recipe but will keep for a week in an airtight jar.

    STEP 3

    Heat a griddle or frying pan to high. Brush away the garlic and parsley stalks from the steaks and season well. Sear the steaks for 2 minutes on each side then rest on a plate. Put the ciabatta halves onto the plate, toasted-side down, to soak up any juices.

    STEP 4

    Slice the steaks then stuff into the rolls with the green sauce and rocket.

  • 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.

  • Turkey Meatloaf

    Turkey Meatloaf

    Category: Miscellaneous

    Area: British

    Ingredients:

    • 1 tblsp Olive Oil
    • 1 large Onion
    • 1 clove peeled crushed Garlic
    • 2 tblsp Worcestershire Sauce
    • 3 tsp Tomato Puree
    • 500g Turkey Mince
    • 1 large Eggs
    • 85g Breadcrumbs
    • 2 tblsp Barbeque Sauce
    • 800g Cannellini Beans
    • 2 tblsp Parsley

    Instructions:

    Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion for 8-10 mins until softened. Add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce and 2 tsp tomato purée, and stir until combined. Set aside to cool.

    Put the turkey mince, egg, breadcrumbs and cooled onion mix in a large bowl and season well. Mix everything to combine, then shape into a rectangular loaf and place in a large roasting tin. Spread 2 tbsp barbecue sauce over the meatloaf and bake for 30 mins.

    Meanwhile, drain 1 can of beans only, then pour both cans into a large bowl. Add the remaining barbecue sauce and tomato purée. Season and set aside.

    When the meatloaf has had its initial cooking time, scatter the beans around the outside and bake for 15 mins more until the meatloaf is cooked through and the beans are piping hot. Scatter over the parsley and serve the meatloaf in slices.

  • Spicy North African Potato Salad

    Spicy North African Potato Salad

    Category: Vegetarian

    Area: Moroccan

    Ingredients:

    • 650g/1lb 8 oz Small Potatoes
    • 1 tsp Harissa Spice
    • 2 tsp olive oil
    • juice of half Lemon
    • 4 Spring onions
    • 150g/6oz Rocket
    • 80g/3oz Feta
    • 20 chopped Mint
    • 2 tablespoons Pine nuts
    • Pinch Salt
    • Pinch Pepper

    Instructions:

    Cook potatoes – place potatoes in a pot of cold water, and bring to the boil. Boil 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. You know they are cooked when you can stick a knife in them and the knife goes straight through.
    Combine harissa spice, olive oil, salt and pepper and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk until combined.
    Once potatoes are cooked, drain water and roughly chop potatoes in half.
    Add harissa mix and spring onions/green onions to potatoes and stir.
    In a large salad bowl, lay out arugula/rocket.
    Top with potato mix and toss.
    Add fetta, mint and sprinkle over pine nuts.
    Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

  • Tonkatsu pork

    Tonkatsu pork

    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.

  • Beef Mechado

    Beef Mechado

    Category: Beef

    Area: Filipino

    Ingredients:

    • 3 cloves Garlic
    • 1 sliced Onion
    • 2 Lbs Beef
    • 8 ounces Tomato Puree
    • 1 cup Water
    • 3 tbs Olive Oil
    • 1 Slice Lemon
    • 1 large Potatoes
    • 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
    • 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
    • 2 Bay Leaves
    • To taste Salt

    Instructions:

    0. Make the beef tenderloin marinade by combining soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, olive oil, sugar, salt, and ground black pepper in a large bowl. Mix well.
    1. Add the cubed beef tenderloin to the bowl with the beef tenderloin marinade. Gently toss to coat the beef. Let it stay for 1 hour.
    2. Using a metal or bamboo skewer, assemble the beef kebob by skewering the vegetables and marinated beef tenderloin.
    3. Heat-up the grill and start grilling the beef kebobs for 3 minutes per side. This will give you a medium beef that is juicy and tender on the inside. Add more time if you want your beef well done, but it will be less tender.
    4. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve with Saffron rice.
    5. Share and enjoy!

  • Beef and Oyster pie

    Beef and Oyster pie

    Category: Beef

    Area: British

    Ingredients:

    • 900g Beef
    • 3 tbs Olive Oil
    • 3 Shallots
    • 2 cloves minced Garlic
    • 125g Bacon
    • 1 tbs chopped Thyme
    • 2 Bay Leaf
    • 330ml Stout
    • 400ml Beef Stock
    • 2 tbs Corn Flour
    • 8 Oysters
    • 400g Plain Flour
    • pinch Salt
    • 250g Butter
    • To Glaze Eggs

    Instructions:

    Season the beef cubes with salt and black pepper. Heat a tablespoon of oil in the frying pan and fry the meat over a high heat. Do this in three batches so that you don’t overcrowd the pan, transferring the meat to a large flameproof casserole dish once it is browned all over. Add extra oil if the pan seems dry.
    In the same pan, add another tablespoon of oil and cook the shallots for 4-5 minutes, then add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Add the bacon and fry until slightly browned. Transfer the onion and bacon mixture to the casserole dish and add the herbs.
    Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
    Pour the stout into the frying pan and bring to the boil, stirring to lift any stuck-on browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour the stout over the beef in the casserole dish and add the stock. Cover the casserole and place it in the oven for 1½-2 hours, or until the beef is tender and the sauce is reduced.
    Skim off any surface fat, taste and add salt and pepper if necessary, then stir in the cornflour paste. Put the casserole dish on the hob – don’t forget that it will be hot – and simmer for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until thickened. Leave to cool.
    Increase the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. To make the pastry, put the flour and salt in a very large bowl. Grate the butter and stir it into the flour in three batches. Gradually add 325ml/11fl oz cold water – you may not need it all – and stir with a round-bladed knife until the mixture just comes together. Knead the pastry lightly into a ball on a lightly floured surface and set aside 250g/9oz for the pie lid.
    Roll the rest of the pastry out until about 2cm/¾in larger than the dish you’re using. Line the dish with the pastry then pile in the filling, tucking the oysters in as well. Brush the edge of the pastry with beaten egg.
    Roll the remaining pastry until slightly larger than your dish and gently lift over the filling, pressing the edges firmly to seal, then trim with a sharp knife. Brush with beaten egg to glaze. Put the dish on a baking tray and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden-brown and the filling is bubbling.

  • Carrot Cake

    Carrot Cake

    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.

  • 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.

  • Sweet and Sour Pork

    Sweet and Sour Pork

    Category: Pork

    Area: Chinese

    Ingredients:

    • 200g Pork
    • 1 Egg
    • Dash Water
    • 1/2 tsp Salt
    • 1 tsp Sugar
    • 10g Soy Sauce
    • 10g Starch
    • 30g Tomato Puree
    • 10g Vinegar
    • Dash Coriander

    Instructions:

    Preparation
    1. Crack the egg into a bowl. Separate the egg white and yolk.

    Sweet and Sour Pork
    2. Slice the pork tenderloin into strips.

    3. Prepare the marinade using a pinch of salt, one teaspoon of starch, two teaspoons of light soy sauce, and an egg white.

    4. Marinade the pork strips for about 20 minutes.

    5. Put the remaining starch in a bowl. Add some water and vinegar to make a starchy sauce.

    Sweet and Sour Pork
    Cooking Instructions
    1. Pour the cooking oil into a wok and heat to 190°C (375°F). Add the marinated pork strips and fry them until they turn brown. Remove the cooked pork from the wok and place on a plate.

    2. Leave some oil in the wok. Put the tomato sauce and white sugar into the wok, and heat until the oil and sauce are fully combined.

    3. Add some water to the wok and thoroughly heat the sweet and sour sauce before adding the pork strips to it.

    4. Pour in the starchy sauce. Stir-fry all the ingredients until the pork and sauce are thoroughly mixed together.

    5. Serve on a plate and add some coriander for decoration.