Blog

Category: Beef

Area: Irish

Ingredients:

• 300g soaked overnight in water whole wheat
• 2kg cut into 3cm cubes lamb loin chops
• 120ml olive oil
• 24 Skinned shallots
• 4 large carrots
• 2 turnips
• 1 celeriac
• 350g charlotte potatoes
• 150ml white wine
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 sprigs oregano
• 450ml chicken stock

Instructions:

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Drain and rinse the soaked wheat, put it in a medium pan with lots of water, bring to a boil and simmer for an hour, until cooked. Drain and set aside.

Season the lamb with a teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Put one tablespoon of oil in a large, deep sauté pan for which you have a lid; place on a medium-high heat. Add some of the lamb – don't overcrowd the pan – and sear for four minutes on all sides. Transfer to a bowl, and repeat with the remaining lamb, adding oil as needed.

Lower the heat to medium and add a tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the shallots and fry for four minutes, until caramelised. Tip these into the lamb bowl, and repeat with the remaining vegetables until they are all nice and brown, adding more oil as you need it.

Once all the vegetables are seared and removed from the pan, add the wine along with the sugar, herbs, a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Boil on a high heat for about three minutes.

Tip the lamb, vegetables and whole wheat back into the pot, and add the stock. Cover and boil for five minutes, then transfer to the oven for an hour and a half.

Remove the stew from the oven and check the liquid; if there is a lot, remove the lid and boil for a few minutes.

Category: Beef

Area: Polish

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Flour
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 Yolk Egg
• 1 Egg
• 5 tbs Butter
• 6 tblsp Butter
• 1/3 cup Onion
• 1/2 cup Swede
• 1/2 lb Beef Brisket
• 2 Beaten Eggs
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Pepper

Instructions:

Sift flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.
Use a spoon to push the egg yolk through a fine sieve into the flour.
Add the raw egg and mix well.
Beat in butter 1 tablespoon at a time.
Place dough on a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, then wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate until firm (at least 30 minutes).
In a heavy skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat; saute the onion and rutabaga until the onion is soft and transparent (5 minutes).
Put the onions, rutabaga, and beef through a meat grinder twice if you have one, if not just chop them up as fine as possible.
Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat, and add the meat mixture.
Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until all of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape.
Remove from heat and let cool, then stir in 1 egg, and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a 13×8" rectangle (1/8" thick).
Spoon the filling down the center of the rectangle lengthwise, leaving about an inch of space on each end.
Lightly brush the long sides with cold water, then fold one of the long sides over the filling and the other side over the top of that.
Brush the short ends with cold water and fold them over the top, enclosing the filling.
Place pastry seam side down on a baking sheet and brush the top evenly with the remaining scrambled egg.
Bake in preheated oven until rich golden brown (30 minutes).
Slice pastry diagonally into 1.5" long pieces and serve as an appetizer or with soup.

Category: Miscellaneous

Area: Jamaican

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Kale
• 2 strips Bacon
• 3 cloves Chopped Garlic
• 1 medium Onion
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 1 Sprig Thyme
• 1 Tomato
• 1 Red Pepper
• 4 Banana
• Splash Vegetable Oil

Instructions:

Cut leaves and soft stems from the kale branches, them soak in a bowl of cold water for about 5-10 minutes or until finish with prep.
Proceed to slicing the onions, mincing the garlic and dicing the tomatoes. Set aside
Remove kale from water cut in chunks.
Place bacon on saucepan and cook until crispy. Then add onions, garlic, thyme, stir for about a minute or more
Add tomatoes; scotch bonnet pepper, smoked paprika. Sauté for about 2-3 more minutes.
Finally add vegetable, salt, mix well, and steamed for about 6-8 minutes or until leaves are tender. Add a tiny bit of water as needed. Adjust seasonings and turn off the heat.
Using a sharp knife cut both ends off the plantain. This will make it easy to grab the skin of the plantains. Slit a shallow line down the long seam of the plantain; peel only as deep as the peel. Remove plantain peel by pulling it back.
Slice the plantain into medium size lengthwise slices and set aside.
Coat a large frying pan with cooking oil spray. Spray the tops of the plantains with a generous layer of oil spray and sprinkle with salt, freshly ground pepper.
Let the plantains "fry" on medium heat, shaking the frying pan to redistribute them every few minutes.
As the plantains brown, continue to add more cooking oil spray, salt and pepper (if needed) until they have reached the desired color and texture.
Remove and serve with kale

Category: Seafood

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 1kg Potatoes
• Knob Butter
• Dash Milk
• 50g Gruyère
• 75g Butter
• 2 sliced Leek
• 75g Plain Flour
• 150ml White Wine
• 568ml Milk
• 2 tbs chopped Parsley
• 250g Salmon
• 250g Haddock
• 250g Smoked Haddock
• 6 Eggs

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 (180C fan).
Put the potatoes into a saucepan of cold salted water. Bring up to the boil and simmer until completely tender. Drain well and then mash with the butter and milk. Add pepper and taste to check the seasoning. Add salt and more pepper if necessary.
For the fish filling, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the leeks and stir over the heat. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for 10 minutes, or until soft. Measure the flour into a small bowl. Add the wine and whisk together until smooth.
Add the milk to the leeks, bring to the boil and then add the wine mixture. Stir briskly until thickened. Season and add the parsley and fish. Stir over the heat for two minutes, then spoon into an ovenproof casserole. Scatter over the eggs. Allow to cool until firm.
Spoon the mashed potatoes over the fish mixture and mark with a fork. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until lightly golden-brown on top and bubbling around the edges.

Category: Chicken

Area: Indian

Ingredients:

• 2 Juice lemons
• 4 tsp paprika
• 2 finely chopped red onions
• 16 skinnless chicken thighs
• For brushing vegetable oil
• 300ml Greek yogurt
• large piece ginger
• 4 garlic clove
• ¾ tsp garam masala
• ¾ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric

Instructions:

Mix the lemon juice with the paprika and red onions in a large shallow dish. Slash each chicken thigh three times, then turn them in the juice and set aside for 10 mins.
Mix all of the marinade ingredients together and pour over the chicken. Give everything a good mix, then cover and chill for at least 1 hr. This can be done up to a day in advance.
Heat the grill. Lift the chicken pieces onto a rack over a baking tray. Brush over a little oil and grill for 8 mins on each side or until lightly charred and completely cooked through.

Category: Breakfast

Area: Indian

Ingredients:

• 50g Butter
• 1 chopped Onion
• 3 Pods Cardamom
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric
• 1 small Cinnamon Stick
• Sprigs of fresh Bay Leaf
• 450g Basmati Rice
• 1 Litre Chicken Stock
• 750g Smoked Haddock
• 3 Eggs
• 3 tblsp chopped Parsley
• 1 chopped Lemon

Instructions:

Melt 50g butter in a large saucepan (about 20cm across), add 1 finely chopped medium onion and cook gently over a medium heat for 5 minutes, until softened but not browned.

Stir in 3 split cardamom pods, ¼ tsp turmeric, 1 small cinnamon stick and 2 bay leaves, then cook for 1 minute.

Tip in 450g basmati rice and stir until it is all well coated in the spicy butter.

Pour in 1 litre chicken or fish stock, add ½ teaspoon salt and bring to the boil, stir once to release any rice from the bottom of the pan. Cover with a close-fitting lid, reduce the heat to low and leave to cook very gently for 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring some water to the boil in a large shallow pan. Add 750g un-dyed smoked haddock fillet and simmer for 4 minutes, until the fish is just cooked. Lift it out onto a plate and leave until cool enough to handle.

Hard-boil 3 eggs for 8 minutes.

Flake the fish, discarding any skin and bones. Drain the eggs, cool slightly, then peel and chop.


Uncover the rice and remove the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods if you wish to. Gently fork in the fish and the chopped eggs, cover again and return to the heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the fish has heated through.

Gently stir in almost all the 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, and season with a little salt and black pepper to taste. Serve scattered with the remaining parsley and garnished with 1 lemon, cut into wedges.

Category: Lamb

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 100g Butter
• 900g Lamb
• 3 Lamb Kidney
• 2 medium Onions
• 4 sliced Carrots
• 25g Plain Flour
• 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 500ml Chicken Stock
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 900g Potatoes

Instructions:

Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Heat some dripping or butter in a large shallow casserole dish, brown the lamb in batches, lift to a plate, then repeat with the kidneys.
Fry the onions and carrots in the pan with a little more dripping until golden. Sprinkle over the flour, allow to cook for a couple of mins, shake over the Worcestershire sauce, pour in the stock, then bring to the boil. Stir in the meat and bay leaves, then turn off the heat. Arrange the sliced potatoes on top of the meat, then drizzle with a little more dripping. Cover, then place in the oven for about 1½ hrs until the potatoes are cooked.
Remove the lid, brush the potatoes with a little more dripping, then turn the oven up to brown the potatoes, or finish under the grill for 5-8 mins until brown.

Category: Breakfast

Area: Kenyan

Ingredients:

• 750g Self-raising Flour
• 6 tablespoons Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 cup Milk

Instructions:

This is one recipe a lot of people have requested and I have tried to make it as simple as possible and I hope it will work for you. Make sure you use the right flour which is basically one with raising agents. Adjust the amount of sugar to your taste and try using different flavours to have variety whenever you have them.
You can use Coconut milk instead of regular milk, you can also add desiccated coconut to the dry flour or other spices like powdered cloves or cinnamon.
For “healthy looking” mandazis do not roll the dough too thin before frying and use the procedure I have indicated above.

1. Mix the flour,cinnamon and sugar in a suitable bowl.
2. In a separate bowl whisk the egg into the milk
3. Make a well at the centre of the flour and add the milk and egg mixture and slowly mix to form a dough.
4. Knead the dough for 3-4 minutes or until it stops sticking to the sides of the bowl and you have a smooth surface.
5. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
6. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 1cm thick piece.
7. Using a sharp small knife, cut the dough into the desired size setting aside ready for deep frying.
8. Heat your oil in a suitable pot and gently dip the mandazi pieces to cook until light brown on the first side then turn to cook on the second side.
9. Serve them warm or cold

Category: Beef

Area: Chinese

Ingredients:

• 450g Tofu
• 100g Minced Beef
• 1/2 tbs Sesame Seed Oil
• 1 1/2 tsp Doubanjiang
• 1/2 tsp Fermented Black Beans
• 1 tbs Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Sichuan pepper
• 1 tbs Soy Sauce
• 400ml Water
• 2 tbs Olive Oil
• 2 chopped Scallions
• 4 Spring Onions
• 2 cloves chopped Garlic
• 4 sliced Ginger
• 2 1/2 tbs Water
• 1 tbs Cornstarch

Instructions:

Add a small pinch of salt and sesame oil to minced beef. Mix well and set aside.
Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 and ½ tablespoons of water in a small bowl to make water starch.
Cut tofu into square cubes (around 2cms). Bring a large amount of water to a boil and then add a pinch of salt. Slide the tofu in and cook for 1 minute. Move out and drain.
Get a wok and heat up around 2 tablespoons of oil, fry the minced meat until crispy. Transfer out beef out and leave the oil in.
Fry doubanjiang for 1 minute over slow fire and then add garlic, scallion white, ginger and fermented black beans to cook for 30 seconds until aroma. Then mix pepper flakes in.
Add water to the seasonings and bring to boil over high fire. Gently slide the tofu cubes. Add light soy sauce and beef.Slow the heat after boiling and then simmer for 6-8 minutes. Then add chopped garlic greens.
Stir the water starch and then pour half of the mixture to the simmering pot. Wait for around 30 seconds and then pour the other half. You can slightly taste the tofu and add pinch of salt if not salty enough. By the way, if you feel it is too spicy, add some sugar can milder the taste. But be carefully as the broth is very hot at this point.
Transfer out when almost all the seasonings stick to tofu cubes. Sprinkle Szechuan peppercorn powder (to taste)and chopped garlic greens if using.
Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Category: Beef

Area: Malaysian

Ingredients:

• 1/4 lb Minced Beef
• 1 Onion
• 3 Eggs
• 1 tbs Chilli
• 1/2 Baguette
• To taste Salt
• To taste Pepper
• Top Mayonnaise

Instructions:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
Heat a pan or griddle with a little vegetable oil.
Pour the mixture onto the pan and place a piece of open-faced baguette on top.
Press on the bread with a spatula and grill for 2 minutes.
Turn the bread over to make it a little crispy.
Remove from pan and cut the bread into small portions.
Add mayonnaise and/or Sambal before cutting the sandwich (optional).