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  • Spaghetti Bolognese

    Spaghetti Bolognese

    Category: Beef

    Area: Italian

    Ingredients:

    • 2 onions
    • 1tbsp olive oil
    • 1 clove garlic
    • 500g lean minced beef
    • 90g mushrooms
    • 1tsp dried oregano
    • 400g can tomatoes
    • 300ml hot beef stock
    • 1tbsp tomato puree
    • 1tbsp worcestershire sauce
    • 350g spaghetti
    • Topping parmesan

    Instructions:

    Put the onion and oil in a large pan and fry over a fairly high heat for 3-4 mins. Add the garlic and mince and fry until they both brown. Add the mushrooms and herbs, and cook for another couple of mins.

    Stir in the tomatoes, beef stock, tomato ketchup or purée, Worcestershire sauce and seasoning. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 mins.

    Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling, salted water, according to packet instructions. Drain well, run hot water through it, put it back in the pan and add a dash of olive oil, if you like, then stir in the meat sauce. Serve in hot bowls and hand round Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling on top.

  • Peanut Butter Cookies

    Peanut Butter Cookies

    Category: Dessert

    Area: American

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup Peanut Butter
    • 1/2 cup Sugar
    • 1 Egg

    Instructions:

    Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
    In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, sugar, and egg.
    Scoop out a spoonful of dough and roll it into a ball. Place the cookie balls onto a nonstick baking sheet.
    For extra decoration and to make them cook more evenly, flatten the cookie balls by pressing a fork down on top of them, then press it down again at a 90º angle to make a criss-cross pattern.
    Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are golden brown.
    Remove from baking sheet and cool.
    Enjoy!

  • Spaghetti alla Carbonara

    Spaghetti alla Carbonara

    Category: Pasta

    Area: Italian

    Ingredients:

    • 320g Spaghetti
    • 6 Egg Yolks
    • As required Salt
    • 150g Bacon
    • 50g Pecorino
    • As required Black Pepper

    Instructions:

    STEP 1
    Put a large saucepan of water on to boil.

    STEP 2
    Finely chop the 100g pancetta, having first removed any rind. Finely grate 50g pecorino cheese and 50g parmesan and mix them together.

    STEP 3
    Beat the 3 large eggs in a medium bowl and season with a little freshly grated black pepper. Set everything aside.

    STEP 4
    Add 1 tsp salt to the boiling water, add 350g spaghetti and when the water comes back to the boil, cook at a constant simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until al dente (just cooked).

    STEP 5
    Squash 2 peeled plump garlic cloves with the blade of a knife, just to bruise it.

    STEP 6
    While the spaghetti is cooking, fry the pancetta with the garlic. Drop 50g unsalted butter into a large frying pan or wok and, as soon as the butter has melted, tip in the pancetta and garlic.

    STEP 7
    Leave to cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the pancetta is golden and crisp. The garlic has now imparted its flavour, so take it out with a slotted spoon and discard.

    STEP 8
    Keep the heat under the pancetta on low. When the pasta is ready, lift it from the water with a pasta fork or tongs and put it in the frying pan with the pancetta. Don’t worry if a little water drops in the pan as well (you want this to happen) and don’t throw the pasta water away yet.

    STEP 9
    Mix most of the cheese in with the eggs, keeping a small handful back for sprinkling over later.

    STEP 10
    Take the pan of spaghetti and pancetta off the heat. Now quickly pour in the eggs and cheese. Using the tongs or a long fork, lift up the spaghetti so it mixes easily with the egg mixture, which thickens but doesn’t scramble, and everything is coated.

    STEP 11
    Add extra pasta cooking water to keep it saucy (several tablespoons should do it). You don’t want it wet, just moist. Season with a little salt, if needed.

    STEP 12
    Use a long-pronged fork to twist the pasta on to the serving plate or bowl. Serve immediately with a little sprinkling of the remaining cheese and a grating of black pepper. If the dish does get a little dry before serving, splash in some more hot pasta water and the glossy sauciness will be revived.

  • Braised Beef Chilli

    Braised Beef Chilli

    Category: Beef

    Area: Mexican

    Ingredients:

    • 1kg Beef
    • 3 Onions
    • 4 cloves Garlic
    • Dash Olive oil
    • 300g Chorizo
    • 2 tsp Cumin
    • 2 tsp All spice
    • 1 tsp Cloves
    • 1 large Cinnamon stick
    • 3 Bay Leaves
    • 2 tsp dried Oregano
    • 2 ancho Ancho Chillies
    • 3 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
    • 2 x 400g Plum Tomatoes
    • 2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup
    • 2 tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
    • 2 x 400g tins Borlotti Beans

    Instructions:

    Preheat the oven to 120C/225F/gas mark 1.

    Take the meat out of the fridge to de-chill. Pulse the onions and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large casserole and sear the meat on all sides until golden.

    Set to one side and add another small slug of oil to brown the chorizo. Remove and add the onion and garlic, spices, herbs and chillies then cook until soft in the chorizo oil. Season with salt and pepper and add the vinegar, tomatoes, ketchup and sugar.

    Put all the meat back into the pot with 400ml water (or red wine if you prefer), bring up to a simmer and cook, covered, in the low oven.

    After 2 hours, check the meat and add the beans. Cook for a further hour and just before serving, pull the meat apart with a pair of forks.

  • Squash linguine

    Squash linguine

    Category: Vegetarian

    Area: Italian

    Ingredients:

    • 350g Butternut Squash
    • 3 parts Garlic
    • 3 tbs Olive Oil
    • 350g Linguine Pasta
    • Small bunch Sage

    Instructions:

    Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the squash and garlic on a baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil. Roast for 35-40 mins until soft. Season.
    Cook the pasta according to pack instructions. Drain, reserving the water. Use a stick blender to whizz the squash with 400ml cooking water. Heat some oil in a frying pan, fry the sage until crisp, then drain on kitchen paper. Tip the pasta and sauce into the pan and warm through. Scatter with sage.

  • Rappie Pie

    Rappie Pie

    Category: Chicken

    Area: Canadian

    Ingredients:

    • 2 tbs Butter
    • 2 chopped Onions
    • 4 qt Chicken Stock
    • 1.5kg Chicken Breast
    • 4kg Potatoes
    • 2 tbs Salt
    • 1tbsp Black Pepper

    Instructions:

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 10x14x2-inch baking pan.
    Heat margarine in a skillet over medium heat; stir in onion. Cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook and stir until onion is very tender and dark brown, about 40 minutes more.
    Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large pot; stir in chicken breasts, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is no longer pink at the center, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove chicken breasts to a plate using a slotted spoon; reserve broth.
    Juice potatoes with an electric juicer; place dry potato flesh into a bowl and discard juice. Stir salt and pepper into potatoes; stir in enough reserved broth to make the mixture the consistency of oatmeal. Set remaining broth aside.
    Spread half of potato mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Lay cooked chicken breast evenly over potatoes; scatter caramelized onion evenly over chicken. Spread remaining potato mixture over onions and chicken to cover.
    Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 1 hour. Reheat chicken broth; pour over individual servings as desired.

  • Ful Medames

    Ful Medames

    Category: Vegetarian

    Area: Egyptian

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups Broad Beans
    • 1/3 cup Parsley
    • Dash Olive Oil
    • 3 Lemons
    • 4 Garlic Clove
    • Sprinking Cumin

    Instructions:

    As the cooking time varies depending on the quality and age of the beans, it is good to cook them in advance and to reheat them when you are ready to serve. Cook the drained beans in a fresh portion of unsalted water in a large saucepan with the lid on until tender, adding water to keep them covered, and salt when the beans have softened. They take 2–2 1/2 hours of gentle simmering. When the beans are soft, let the liquid reduce. It is usual to take out a ladle or two of the beans and to mash them with some of the cooking liquid, then stir this back into the beans. This is to thicken the sauce.
    Serve the beans in soup bowls sprinkled with chopped parsley and accompanied by Arab bread.
    Pass round the dressing ingredients for everyone to help themselves: a bottle of extra-virgin olive oil, the quartered lemons, salt and pepper, a little saucer with the crushed garlic, one with chili-pepper flakes, and one with ground cumin.
    The beans are eaten gently crushed with the fork, so that they absorb the dressing.
    Optional Garnishes
    Peel hard-boiled eggs—1 per person—to cut up in the bowl with the beans.
    Top the beans with a chopped cucumber-and-tomato salad and thinly sliced mild onions or scallions. Otherwise, pass round a good bunch of scallions and quartered tomatoes and cucumbers cut into sticks.
    Serve with tahina cream sauce (page 65) or salad (page 67), with pickles and sliced onions soaked in vinegar for 30 minutes.
    Another way of serving ful medames is smothered in a garlicky tomato sauce (see page 464).
    In Syria and Lebanon, they eat ful medames with yogurt or feta cheese, olives, and small cucumbers.
    Variations
    A traditional way of thickening the sauce is to throw a handful of red lentils (1/4 cup) into the water at the start of the cooking.
    In Iraq, large brown beans are used instead of the small Egyptian ones, in a dish called badkila, which is also sold for breakfast in the street.

  • Traditional Croatian Goulash

    Traditional Croatian Goulash

    Category: Beef

    Area: Croatian

    Ingredients:

    • 500g Beef
    • 2 chopped Onions
    • 2 chopped Carrots
    • 2 cloves Garlic
    • 2 Bay Leaf
    • 200ml Red Wine
    • 2 Litres Water
    • 3 tbs Mustard
    • 1tbsp Salt
    • 1/2 tsp Pepper
    • 1/2 tsp Paprika
    • 2 tbs Vegetable Oil

    Instructions:

    Clean the meat from the veins if there are some and cut it into smaller pieces, 3 × 3 cm. Marinate the meat in the mustard and spices and let it sit in the refrigerator for one hour
    Heat one tablespoon of pork fat or vegetable oil in a pot and fry the meat on all sides until it gets browned. Once the meat is cooked, transfer it to a plate and add another tablespoon of fat to the pot
    Cut the onions very fine, peel the carrots and shred it using a grater. Cook the onions and carrots over low heat for 15 minutes. You can salt the vegetables a little to make them soften faster
    Once the vegetables have browned and become slightly mushy, add the meat and bay leaves and garlic. Pour over with wine and simmer for 10-15 minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate. Now is the right time to add 2/3 the amount of liquid
    Cover the pot and cook over low heat for an hour, stirring occasionally. After the first hour, pour over the rest of the water or stock and cook for another 30-45 minutes
    Allow the stew to cool slightly and serve it with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and few slices of fresh hot pepper if you like to spice it up a bit
    Slice ​​some fresh bread, season the salad and simply enjoying these wonderful flavors

  • Chicken Alfredo Primavera

    Chicken Alfredo Primavera

    Category: Chicken

    Area: Italian

    Ingredients:

    • 2 tablespoons Butter
    • 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
    • 5 boneless Chicken
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
    • 1 cut into 1/2-inch cubes Squash
    • 1 Head chopped Broccoli
    • 8-ounce sliced mushrooms
    • 1 red Pepper
    • 1 chopped onion
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • 1/2 cup white wine
    • 1/2 cup milk
    • 1/2 cup heavy cream
    • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
    • 16 ounces bowtie pasta
    • pinch Salt
    • pinch Pepper
    • chopped Parsley

    Instructions:

    Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of each chicken breast with seasoned salt and a pinch of pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the boiling water with a few generous pinches of kosher salt. Add the pasta and give it a stir. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 12 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining the pasta. Remove the chicken from the pan and transfer it to a cutting board; allow it to rest. Turn the heat down to medium and dd the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and olive oil to the same pan you used to cook the chicken. Add the veggies (minus the garlic) and red pepper flakes to the pan and stir to coat with the oil and butter (refrain from seasoning with salt until the veggies are finished browning). Cook, stirring often, until the veggies are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and a generous pinch of salt and pepper to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Continue to cook until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in the milk, heavy cream, and reserved pasta water. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and allow to simmer and reduce for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the Parmesan cheese and cooked pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley, if desired.

  • Fettucine alfredo

    Fettucine alfredo

    Category: Pasta

    Area: Italian

    Ingredients:

    • 227g Clotted Cream
    • 25g Butter
    • 1 tsp Corn Flour
    • 100g Parmesan Cheese
    • Grated Nutmeg
    • 250g Fettuccine
    • Chopped Parsley

    Instructions:

    In a medium saucepan, stir the clotted cream, butter and cornflour over a low-ish heat and bring to a low simmer. Turn off the heat and keep warm.
    Meanwhile, put the cheese and nutmeg in a small bowl and add a good grinding of black pepper, then stir everything together (don’t add any salt at this stage).
    Put the pasta in another pan with 2 tsp salt, pour over some boiling water and cook following pack instructions (usually 3-4 mins). When cooked, scoop some of the cooking water into a heatproof jug or mug and drain the pasta, but not too thoroughly.
    Add the pasta to the pan with the clotted cream mixture, then sprinkle over the cheese and gently fold everything together over a low heat using a rubber spatula. When combined, splash in 3 tbsp of the cooking water. At first, the pasta will look wet and sloppy: keep stirring until the water is absorbed and the sauce is glossy. Check the seasoning before transferring to heated bowls. Sprinkle over some chives or parsley, then serve immediately.