Blog

  • Wontons

    Wontons

    Category: Pork

    Area: Chinese

    Ingredients:

    • 1lb Pork
    • 3 chopped Garlic Clove
    • 1 tsp Ginger
    • 1 tbs Soy Sauce
    • 1 tsp Sesame Seed Oil
    • 3 finely chopped Carrots
    • 3 finely chopped Celery
    • 6 chopped Spring Onions
    • 1 Packet Wonton Skin
    • Fry Oil
    • Bottle Water

    Instructions:

    Combine pork, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and vegetables in a bowl.
    Separate wonton skins.
    Place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center of the wonton.
    Brush water on 2 borders of the skin, covering 1/4 inch from the edge.
    Fold skin over to form a triangle, sealing edges.
    Pinch the two long outside points together.
    Heat oil to 450 degrees and fry 4 to 5 at a time until golden.
    Drain and serve with sauce.

  • French Onion Soup

    French Onion Soup

    Category: Side

    Area: French

    Ingredients:

    • 50g Butter
    • 1 tbs Olive Oil
    • 1 kg Onion
    • 1 tsp Sugar
    • 4 sliced Garlic Clove
    • 2 tbs Plain Flour
    • 250ml Dry White Wine
    • 1L Beef Stock
    • 4 sliced Bread
    • 140g Gruyère

    Instructions:

    Melt the butter with the oil in a large heavy-based pan. Add the onions and fry with the lid on for 10 mins until soft. Sprinkle in the sugar and cook for 20 mins more, stirring frequently, until caramelised. The onions should be really golden, full of flavour and soft when pinched between your fingers. Take care towards the end to ensure that they don’t burn.
    Add the garlic for the final few mins of the onions’ cooking time, then sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Increase the heat and keep stirring as you gradually add the wine, followed by the hot stock. Cover and simmer for 15-20 mins.
    To serve, turn on the grill, and toast the bread. Ladle the soup into heatproof bowls. Put a slice or two of toast on top of the bowls of soup, and pile on the cheese. Grill until melted. Alternatively, you can complete the toasts under the grill, then serve them on top.

  • Lasagna Sandwiches

    Lasagna Sandwiches

    Category: Pasta

    Area: American

    Ingredients:

    • 1/4 cup Sour Cream
    • 2 tbs Chopped Onion
    • 1/2 tbs Dried Oregano
    • 1/4 tsp Salt
    • 8 slices Bread
    • 8 slices Bacon
    • 8 slices Tomato
    • 4 slices Mozzarella
    • 2 1/2 Tbs Butter

    Instructions:

    1. In a small bowl, combine the first four ingredients; spread on four slices of bread. Layer with bacon, tomato and cheese; top with remaining bread.

    2. In a large skillet or griddle, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Toast sandwiches until lightly browned on both sides and cheese is melted, adding butter if necessary.

    Nutrition Facts
    1 sandwich: 445 calories, 24g fat (12g saturated fat), 66mg cholesterol, 1094mg sodium, 35g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 2g fiber), 21g protein.

  • Chicken Basquaise

    Chicken Basquaise

    Category: Chicken

    Area: French

    Ingredients:

    • 1.5kg Chicken
    • 25g Butter
    • 6 tblsp Olive Oil
    • 2 sliced Red Onions
    • 3 Large Red Pepper
    • 130g Chorizo
    • 8 Sun-Dried Tomatoes
    • 6 cloves sliced Garlic
    • 300g Basmati Rice
    • drizzle Tomato Puree
    • ½ tsp Paprika
    • 4 Bay Leaves
    • Handful Thyme
    • 350ml Chicken Stock
    • 180g Dry White Wine
    • 2 Lemons
    • 100g Black Olives
    • to serve Salt
    • to serve Pepper

    Instructions:

    Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4. Have the chicken joints ready to cook. Heat the butter and 3 tbsp olive oil in a flameproof casserole or large frying pan. Brown the chicken pieces in batches on both sides, seasoning them with salt and pepper as you go. Don't crowd the pan – fry the chicken in small batches, removing the pieces to kitchen paper as they are done.

    Add a little more olive oil to the casserole and fry the onions over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned. Add the rest of the oil, then the peppers and cook for another 5 minutes.

    Add the chorizo, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the rice, stirring to ensure it is well coated in the oil. Stir in the tomato paste, paprika, bay leaves and chopped thyme. Pour in the stock and wine. When the liquid starts to bubble, turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Press the rice down into the liquid if it isn't already submerged and place the chicken on top. Add the lemon wedges and olives around the chicken.

    Cover and cook in the oven for 50 minutes. The rice should be cooked but still have some bite, and the chicken should have juices that run clear when pierced in the thickest part with a knife. If not, cook for another 5 minutes and check again.

  • Budino Di Ricotta

    Budino Di Ricotta

    Category: Dessert

    Area: Italian

    Ingredients:

    • 500g Ricotta
    • 4 large Eggs
    • 3 tbs Flour
    • 250g Sugar
    • 1 tsp Cinnamon
    • Grated Zest of 2 Lemons
    • 5 tbs Dark Rum
    • sprinking Icing Sugar

    Instructions:

    Mash the ricotta and beat well with the egg yolks, stir in the flour, sugar, cinnamon, grated lemon rind and the rum and mix well. You can do this in a food processor. Beat the egg whites until stiff, fold in and pour into a buttered and floured 25cm cake tin. Bake in the oven at 180ºC/160ºC fan/gas 4 for about 40 minutes, or until it is firm.

    Serve hot or cold dusted with icing sugar.

  • Rocky Road Fudge

    Rocky Road Fudge

    Category: Dessert

    Area: American

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups Miniature Marshmallows
    • 3 cups Chocolate Chips
    • ½ cup Peanut Butter
    • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
    • 1 ¼ cups Peanuts

    Instructions:

    Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with wax paper or foil, and coat with non-stick spray.
    Pour ½ cup of the miniature marshmallows into the bottom of the lined baking dish.
    In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and peanut butter. Microwave the chocolate mixture in 20-second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until the chocolate is melted.
    Add the vanilla extract and stir well, until smooth.
    Reserve 2 tablespoons of the chopped almonds or peanuts, and set aside.
    Fold 1 ½ cups of the miniature marshmallows and the remaining chopped nuts into the chocolate mixture.
    Transfer the chocolate mixture into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Immediately top with the reserved chopped nuts and the mallow bits or additional miniature marshmallows, if using.
    Refrigerate for 4 hours, or until set.
    Remove the fudge and wax paper from the pan. Carefully peel all of wax paper from the fudge.
    Cut the fudge into bite-sized pieces and serve.

  • Brown Stew Chicken

    Brown Stew Chicken

    Category: Chicken

    Area: Jamaican

    Ingredients:

    • 1 whole Chicken
    • 1 chopped Tomato
    • 2 chopped Onions
    • 2 chopped Garlic Clove
    • 1 chopped Red Pepper
    • 1 chopped Carrots
    • 1 Lime
    • 2 tsp Thyme
    • 1 tsp Allspice
    • 2 tbs Soy Sauce
    • 2 tsp Cornstarch
    • 2 cups Coconut Milk
    • 1 tbs Vegetable Oil

    Instructions:

    Squeeze lime over chicken and rub well. Drain off excess lime juice.
    Combine tomato, scallion, onion, garlic, pepper, thyme, pimento and soy sauce in a large bowl with the chicken pieces. Cover and marinate at least one hour.
    Heat oil in a dutch pot or large saucepan. Shake off the seasonings as you remove each piece of chicken from the marinade. Reserve the marinade for sauce.
    Lightly brown the chicken a few pieces at a time in very hot oil. Place browned chicken pieces on a plate to rest while you brown the remaining pieces.
    Drain off excess oil and return the chicken to the pan. Pour the marinade over the chicken and add the carrots. Stir and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
    Mix flour and coconut milk and add to stew, stirring constantly. Turn heat down to minimum and cook another 20 minutes or until tender.

  • Parkin Cake

    Parkin Cake

    Category: Dessert

    Area: British

    Ingredients:

    • 200g Butter
    • 1 large Egg
    • 4 tbs Milk
    • 200g Golden Syrup
    • 85g Black Treacle
    • 85g Brown Sugar
    • 100g Oatmeal
    • 250g Self-raising Flour
    • 1 tbs Ground Ginger

    Instructions:

    Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease a deep 22cm/9in square cake tin and line with baking parchment. Beat the egg and milk together with a fork.

    Gently melt the syrup, treacle, sugar and butter together in a large pan until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat. Mix together the oatmeal, flour and ginger and stir into the syrup mixture, followed by the egg and milk.

    Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 50 mins – 1 hr until the cake feels firm and a little crusty on top. Cool in the tin then wrap in more parchment and foil and keep for 3-5 days before eating if you can – it’ll become softer and stickier the longer you leave it, up to 2 weeks.

  • Kung Po Prawns

    Kung Po Prawns

    Category: Seafood

    Area: Chinese

    Ingredients:

    • 400g Prawns
    • 2 tbs Soy Sauce
    • 1 tsp Tomato Puree
    • 1 tsp Corn Flour
    • 1 tsp Caster Sugar
    • 1 tsp Sunflower Oil
    • 85g Peanuts
    • 3 Large Chilli
    • 1 tbs Brown Sugar
    • 6 cloves Garlic Clove
    • 450g Water Chestnut
    • to taste Ginger

    Instructions:

    Mix the cornflour and 1 tbsp soy sauce, toss in the prawns and set aside for 10 mins. Stir the vinegar, remaining soy sauce, tomato purée, sugar and 2 tbsp water together to make a sauce.

    When you’re ready to cook, heat a large frying pan or wok until very hot, then add 1 tbsp oil. Fry the prawns until they are golden in places and have opened out– then tip them out of the pan.

    Heat the remaining oil and add the peanuts, chillies and water chestnuts. Stir-fry for 2 mins or until the peanuts start to colour, then add the ginger and garlic and fry for 1 more min. Tip in the prawns and sauce and simmer for 2 mins until thickened slightly. Serve with rice.

  • Beef and Mustard Pie

    Beef and Mustard Pie

    Category: Beef

    Area: British

    Ingredients:

    • 1kg Beef
    • 2 tbs Plain Flour
    • 2 tbs Rapeseed Oil
    • 200ml Red Wine
    • 400ml Beef Stock
    • 1 finely sliced Onion
    • 2 chopped Carrots
    • 3 sprigs Thyme
    • 2 tbs Mustard
    • 2 free-range Egg Yolks
    • 400g Puff Pastry
    • 300g Green Beans
    • 25g Butter
    • pinch Salt
    • pinch Pepper

    Instructions:

    Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
    Toss the beef and flour together in a bowl with some salt and black pepper.
    Heat a large casserole until hot, add half of the rapeseed oil and enough of the beef to just cover the bottom of the casserole.
    Fry until browned on each side, then remove and set aside. Repeat with the remaining oil and beef.
    Return the beef to the pan, add the wine and cook until the volume of liquid has reduced by half, then add the stock, onion, carrots, thyme and mustard, and season well with salt and pepper.
    Cover with a lid and place in the oven for two hours.
    Remove from the oven, check the seasoning and set aside to cool. Remove the thyme.
    When the beef is cool and you're ready to assemble the pie, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
    Transfer the beef to a pie dish, brush the rim with the beaten egg yolks and lay the pastry over the top. Brush the top of the pastry with more beaten egg.
    Trim the pastry so there is just enough excess to crimp the edges, then place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden-brown and cooked through.
    For the green beans, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the beans and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until just tender.
    Drain and toss with the butter, then season with black pepper.
    To serve, place a large spoonful of pie onto each plate with some green beans alongside.