Blog

  • Toad In The Hole

    Toad In The Hole

    Category: Pork

    Area: British

    Ingredients:

    • 8 sausages
    • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
    • 100g plain flour
    • 2 medium eggs
    • 1 tbsp grated horseradish
    • 225ml milk
    • 200g cherry tomatoes

    Instructions:

    Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. fry sausages in a non-stick pan until browned.
    Drizzle vegetable oil in a 30cm x 25cm x 6cm deep roasting tray and heat in the oven for 5 minutes.
    Put the plain flour in a bowl, crack in the medium free-range eggs, then stir in the grated horseradish. Gradually beat in the semi-skimmed milk. Season.
    Put the sausages into the hot roasting tray and pour over the batter. Top with cherry tomatoes on the vine and cook for 30 minutes until puffed and golden.

  • Honey Balsamic Chicken with Crispy Broccoli & Potatoes

    Honey Balsamic Chicken with Crispy Broccoli & Potatoes

    Category: Chicken

    Area: American

    Ingredients:

    • 5 Potatoes
    • 1 Broccoli
    • 2 cloves Garlic
    • 2 Chicken Breast
    • Balsamic Vinegar
    • Honey
    • Chicken Stock
    • 1 tbsp Butter
    • 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
    • 1 tbsp Olive Oil

    Instructions:

    2 Servings

    1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Toss on one side of a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. (For 4 servings, spread potatoes out across entire sheet.) Roast on top rack for 5 minutes (we'll add the broccoli then).

    2. Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets into bite-size pieces, if necessary. Peel and finely chop garlic. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 TBSP olive oil (2 TBSP for 4 servings) and half the garlic. Microwave until garlic sizzles, 30 seconds.

    3. Once potatoes have roasted 5 minutes, remove sheet from oven and add broccoli to empty side; carefully toss with garlic oil, salt, and pepper. (For 4 servings, add broccoli to a second sheet.) Continue roasting until potatoes and broccoli are browned and crispy, 15-20 minutes more.

    4. While veggies roast, pat chicken dry with paper towels; season all over with salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 5-6 minutes per side. (If chicken browns too quickly, reduce heat to medium.) Turn off heat; set chicken aside to rest. Wash out pan.

    5. Heat pan used for chicken over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of oil and remaining garlic; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in vinegar, honey, stock concentrate, and 1/4 cup water (1/3 cup for 4 servings). Simmer until thick and glossy, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4). Season with salt and pepper.

    6. Return chicken to pan and turn to coat in glaze. Divide chicken, broccoli, and potatoes between plates. Spoon any remaining glaze over chicken and serve.

  • 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.

  • Vegetarian Casserole

    Vegetarian Casserole

    Category: Vegetarian

    Area: British

    Ingredients:

    • 1 Rapeseed Oil
    • 1 Onion
    • 3 cloves Garlic
    • 1 tsp Paprika
    • ½ tsp Cumin
    • 1 tblsp Thyme
    • 3 Medium Carrots
    • 2 small stalks Celery
    • 1 Red Pepper
    • 1 Yellow Pepper
    • 2 x 400g tins Tomato
    • 250ml Vegetable Stock Cube
    • 2 sliced Courgettes
    • 2 sprigs Thyme
    • 250g Lentils

    Instructions:

    Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan. Add the onions and cook gently for 5 – 10 mins until softened.
    Add the garlic, spices, dried thyme, carrots, celery and peppers and cook for 5 minutes.
    Add the tomatoes, stock, courgettes and fresh thyme and cook for 20 – 25 minutes.
    Take out the thyme sprigs. Stir in the lentils and bring back to a simmer. Serve with wild and white basmati rice, mash or quinoa.

  • Croatian Bean Stew

    Croatian Bean Stew

    Category: Beef

    Area: Croatian

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cans Cannellini Beans
    • 3 tbs Vegetable Oil
    • 2 cups Tomatoes
    • 5 Challots
    • 2 cloves Garlic
    • Pinch Parsley
    • 1/2 kg chopped Chorizo

    Instructions:

    Heat the oil in a pan. Add the chopped vegetables and sauté until tender. Take a pot, empty the beans together with the vegetables into it, put the sausages inside and cook for further 20 minutes on a low heat. Or, put it in an oven and bake it at a temperature of 180ºC/350ºF for 30 minutes. This dish is even better reheated the next day.

  • Three-cheese souffles

    Three-cheese souffles

    Category: Miscellaneous

    Area: French

    Ingredients:

    • 50g Butter
    • 25g Parmesan
    • 300ml Milk
    • 2 Bay Leaves
    • 5 tbs Plain Flour
    • ½ tsp English Mustard
    • Pod of Cayenne Pepper
    • 140g Gruyère
    • 3 Eggs
    • 8 slices Goats Cheese
    • 150ml Double Cream
    • to serve Spinach

    Instructions:

    Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6 and butter 4 small (about 200ml) ramekins. Sprinkle the Parmesan into the ramekins, turning until all sides are covered. Place the milk and bay leaves in a large saucepan over a gentle heat and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for 15 mins.
    Discard the bay leaves, add the butter and flour, and return to a low heat. Very gently simmer, stirring continuously with a balloon whisk, for about 6 mins until you get a smooth, thick white sauce. Make sure that you get right into the corners of the pan to stop the sauce from catching or becoming lumpy.
    Once thickened, transfer the sauce to a large bowl and stir in the mustard powder, cayenne pepper, Gruyère and egg yolks until fully combined.
    In a spotlessly clean bowl and with a clean whisk, beat the egg whites just until peaks begin to form.
    Carefully fold the egg whites into the cheese sauce in three stages making sure you fold, rather than stir, to keep the egg whites light and airy. Fill the prepared ramekins with the soufflé mix.
    Top each soufflé with a slice of goat’s cheese, then place on a baking tray. Bake for 20-25 mins or until springy and well risen but cooked through.
    Leave to cool, then run a knife around the edge of each dish and remove the soufflés. If preparing in advance, place soufflés upside down (for neat presentation), on a tray. Cover tray in cling film. Chill for a few days or freeze for up to 1 month.
    When ready to re-bake, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Place the upside-down soufflés in a shallow baking dish, top with the remaining goat’s cheese slices and pour over the cream (this stops them from drying out when baked for the second time). Cook for 8-10 mins until golden. Serve immediately alongside some simply dressed salad.

  • Shrimp Chow Fun

    Shrimp Chow Fun

    Category: Seafood

    Area: Chinese

    Ingredients:

    • 1/2 bag Rice Stick Noodles
    • 8 oz Prawns
    • 1/2 Egg
    • pinch Pepper
    • 2 tsp Sesame Seed Oil
    • 2 tbs Cornstarch
    • 4 tbs Oil
    • 1 tsp Minced Garlic
    • 1 tsp Ginger
    • 1/2 cup Onion
    • 1 cup Bean Sprouts
    • 1/2 cup Spring Onions
    • 1 tbs Cooking wine
    • 1 tbs Oyster Sauce
    • 1/2 tbs Sugar
    • 1/2 tbs Vinegar
    • 1 tbs Soy Sauce

    Instructions:

    STEP 1 – SOAK THE RICE NOODLES
    Soak the rice noodles overnight untill they are soft
    STEP 2 – BOIL THE RICE NOODLES
    Boil the noodles for 10-15 minutes and then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process of the noodles.
    STEP 3 -MARINATING THE SHRIMP
    In a bowl add the shrimp, egg, 1 pinch of white pepper, 1 Teaspoon of sesame seed oil, 1 Tablespoon corn starch and 1 tablespoon of oil
    Mix together well
    STEP 4 – STIR FRY
    In a wok add 2 Tablespoons of oil, shrimp and stir fry them until it is golden brown
    Set the shrimp aside
    Add 1 Tablespoon of oil to the work and then add minced garlic, ginger and all of the vegetables.
    Add the noodles to the wok
    Next add sherry cooking wine, oyster sauce, sugar, vinegar, sesame seed oil, 1 pinch white pepper, and soy sauce
    Add back in the shrimp
    To thicken the sauce, whisk together 1 Tablespoon of corn starch and 2 Tablespoon of water in a bowl and slowly add to your stir-fry until it's the right thickness.

  • Chick-Fil-A Sandwich

    Chick-Fil-A Sandwich

    Category: Chicken

    Area: American

    Ingredients:

    • 1 Chicken Breast
    • 1/4 cup Pickle Juice
    • 1 Egg
    • 1/4 cup Milk
    • 1/2 cup Flour
    • 1 tbs Icing Sugar
    • 1/2 tsp Paprika
    • 1/2 tsp Salt
    • 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
    • 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
    • 1/4 tsp Celery Salt
    • 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
    • 1 cup Olive Oil
    • 1 Sesame Seed Burger Buns

    Instructions:

    Wrap the chicken loosely between plastic wrap and pound gently with the flat side of a meat tenderizer until about 1/2 inch thick all around.
    Cut into two pieces, as even as possible.
    Marinate in the pickle juice for 30 minutes to one hour (add a teaspoon of Tabasco sauce now for a spicy sandwich).
    Beat the egg with the milk in a bowl.
    Combine the flour, sugar, and spices in another bowl.
    Dip the chicken pieces each into the egg on both sides, then coat in flour on both sides.
    Heat the oil in a skillet (1/2 inch deep) to about 345-350.
    Fry each cutlet for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through.
    Blot on paper and serve on toasted buns with pickle slices.

  • Chicken Parmentier

    Chicken Parmentier

    Category: Chicken

    Area: French

    Ingredients:

    • 1.5kg Potatoes
    • 30g Butter
    • 5 tblsp Double Cream
    • 2 Egg Yolks
    • 30g Butter
    • 7 Shallots
    • 3 chopped Carrots
    • 2 sticks Celery
    • 1 finely chopped Garlic Clove
    • 4 tbsp White Wine
    • 1 tbls Tomato Puree
    • 400g Tinned Tomatos
    • 350ml Chicken Stock
    • 600g Chicken
    • 16 Black Olives
    • 2 tbs Parsley
    • 50g Gruyere cheese

    Instructions:

    For the topping, boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and push through a potato ricer, or mash thoroughly. Stir in the butter, cream and egg yolks. Season and set aside.
    For the filling, melt the butter in a large pan. Add the shallots, carrots and celery and gently fry until soft, then add the garlic. Pour in the wine and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes and stock and cook for 10–15 minutes, until thickened. Add the shredded chicken, olives and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
    Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
    Put the filling in a 20x30cm/8x12in ovenproof dish and top with the mashed potato. Grate over the Gruyère. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until piping hot and the potato is golden-brown.

  • Vegetarian Chilli

    Vegetarian Chilli

    Category: Vegetarian

    Area: British

    Ingredients:

    • 400g Roasted Vegetables
    • 1 can Kidney Beans
    • 1 can Chopped Tomatoes
    • 1 Packet Mixed Grain

    Instructions:

    Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Cook the vegetables in a casserole dish for 15 mins. Tip in the beans and tomatoes, season, and cook for another 10-15 mins until piping hot. Heat the pouch in the microwave on High for 1 min and serve with the chilli.