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  • General Tsos Chicken

    General Tsos Chicken

    Category: Chicken

    Area: Chinese

    Ingredients:

    • 1 1/2 Chicken Breast
    • 3/4 cup Plain Flour
    • 1 Egg
    • 2 tbs Starch
    • 1 tbs Baking Powder
    • 1 tsp Salt
    • 1/2 tsp Onion Salt
    • 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
    • 3/4 cup Water
    • 1/2 cup Chicken Stock
    • 1/4 cup Duck Sauce
    • 3 tbs Soy Sauce
    • 2 tbs Honey
    • 1 tbs Rice Vinegar
    • 2 tbs Sesame Seed Oil
    • 1/2 tbs Gochujang
    • 2 tbs Starch
    • 1 clove Garlic
    • 2 chopped Spring Onions
    • 1 tsp Ginger

    Instructions:

    DIRECTIONS:
    STEP 1 – SAUCE
    In a bowl, add 2 Cups of water, 2 Tablespoon soy sauce, 2 Tablespoon white vinegar, sherry cooking wine, 1/4 Teaspoon white pepper, minced ginger, minced garlic, hot pepper, ketchup, hoisin sauce, and sugar.
    Mix together well and set aside.
    STEP 2 – MARINATING THE CHICKEN
    In a bowl, add the chicken, 1 pinch of salt, 1 pinch of white pepper, 2 egg whites, and 3 Tablespoon of corn starch
    STEP 3 – DEEP FRY THE CHICKEN
    Deep fry the chicken at 350 degrees for 3-4 minutes or until it is golden brown and loosen up the chicken so that they don't stick together.
    Set the chicken aside.
    STEP 4 – STIR FRY
    Add the sauce to the wok and then the broccoli and wait until it is boiling.
    To thicken the sauce, whisk together 2 Tablespoon of cornstarch and 4 Tablespoon of water in a bowl and slowly add to your stir-fry until it's the right thickness.
    Next add in the chicken and stir-fry for a minute and serve on a plate

  • Pilchard puttanesca

    Pilchard puttanesca

    Category: Pasta

    Area: Italian

    Ingredients:

    • 300g Spaghetti
    • 1 tbls Olive Oil
    • 1 finely chopped Onion
    • 2 cloves minced Garlic
    • 1 Red Chilli
    • 1 tbls Tomato Puree
    • 425g Pilchards
    • 70g Black Olives
    • Shaved Parmesan

    Instructions:

    Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the onion, garlic and chilli for 3-4 mins to soften. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 min, then add the pilchards with their sauce. Cook, breaking up the fish with a wooden spoon, then add the olives and continue to cook for a few more mins.

    Drain the pasta and add to the pan with 2-3 tbsp of the cooking water. Toss everything together well, then divide between plates and serve, scattered with Parmesan.

  • Sledz w Oleju (Polish Herrings)

    Sledz w Oleju (Polish Herrings)

    Category: Seafood

    Area: Polish

    Ingredients:

    • 8 Herring
    • 1 sliced Onion
    • 1/2 cup Olive Oil
    • 1 tsp Allspice
    • 1 tsp Pepper
    • 1 Bay Leaf

    Instructions:

    Soak herring in cold water for at least 1 hour. If very salty, repeat, changing the water each time.

    Drain thoroughly and slice herring into bite-size pieces.

    Place in a jar large enough to accommodate the pieces and cover with oil, allspice, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Close the jar.

    Refrigerate for 2 to 3 days before eating. This will keep refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

    Serve with finely chopped onion or onion slices, lemon, and parsley or dill.

  • Beef Asado

    Beef Asado

    Category: Beef

    Area: Filipino

    Ingredients:

    • 1.5kg Beef
    • 1 Beef Stock Concentrate
    • 8 ounces Tomato Puree
    • 3 cups Water
    • 6 tablespoons Soy Sauce
    • 1 tbs White Wine Vinegar
    • 2 tbs Pepper
    • 4 Bay Leaf
    • 1/2 Lemon
    • 2 tbs Tomato Sauce
    • 3 tbs Butter
    • 1/2 cup Olive Oil
    • 1 chopped Onion
    • 4 cloves Garlic

    Instructions:

    0. Combine beef, crushed peppercorn, soy sauce, vinegar, dried bay leaves, lemon, and tomato sauce. Mix well. Marinate beef for at least 30 minutes.
    1. Put the marinated beef in a cooking pot along with remaining marinade. Add water. Let boil.
    2. Add Knorr Beef Cube. Stir. Cover the pot and cook for 40 minutes in low heat.
    3. Turn the beef over. Add tomato paste. Continue cooking until beef tenderizes. Set aside.
    4. Heat oil in a pan. Fry the potato until it browns. Turn over and continue frying the opposite side. Remove from the pan and place on a clean plate. Do the same with the carrots.
    5. Save 3 tablespoons of cooking oil from the pan where the potato was fried. Saute onion and garlic until onion softens.
    6. Pour-in the sauce from the beef stew. Let boil. Add the beef. Cook for 2 minutes.
    7. Add butter and let it melt. Continue cooking until the sauce reduces to half.

  • Tuna Nicoise

    Tuna Nicoise

    Category: Seafood

    Area: French

    Ingredients:

    • 450g Potatoes
    • 2 tblsp Olive Oil
    • 4 Eggs
    • 1 tbls Red Wine Vinegar
    • 2 tblsp Capers
    • 50g Sunflower Oil
    • ½ Red Onions
    • 100g Spinach
    • 400g Tuna

    Instructions:

    Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Toss the potatoes with 2 tsp oil and some seasoning. Tip onto a large baking tray, then roast for 20 mins, stirring halfway, until crisp, golden and cooked through.
    Meanwhile, put eggs in a small pan of water, bring to the boil, then simmer for 8-10 mins, depending on how you like them cooked. Plunge into a bowl of cold water to cool for a few mins. Peel away the shells, then cut into halves.
    In a large salad bowl, whisk together the remaining oil, red wine vinegar, capers and chopped tomatoes. Season, tip in the onion, spinach, tuna and potatoes, then gently toss together. Top with the eggs, then serve straight away.

  • Cajun spiced fish tacos

    Cajun spiced fish tacos

    Category: Seafood

    Area: Mexican

    Ingredients:

    • 2 tbsp cajun
    • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
    • 4 fillets white fish
    • 1 tsp vegetable oil
    • 8 flour tortilla
    • 1 sliced avocado
    • 2 shredded little gem lettuce
    • 4 shredded Spring Onions
    • 1 x 300ml salsa
    • 1 pot sour cream
    • 1 lemon
    • 1 clove finely chopped garlic

    Instructions:

    Cooking in a cajun spice and cayenne pepper marinade makes this fish super succulent and flavoursome. Top with a zesty dressing and serve in a tortilla for a quick, fuss-free main that's delightfully summery.

    On a large plate, mix the cajun spice and cayenne pepper with a little seasoning and use to coat the fish all over.

    Heat a little oil in a frying pan, add in the fish and cook over a medium heat until golden. Reduce the heat and continue frying until the fish is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Cook in batches if you don’t have enough room in the pan.

    Meanwhile, prepare the dressing by combining all the ingredients with a little seasoning.
    Soften the tortillas by heating in the microwave for 5-10 seconds. Pile high with the avocado, lettuce and spring onion, add a spoonful of salsa, top with large flakes of fish and drizzle over the dressing.

  • McSinghs Scotch pie

    McSinghs Scotch pie

    Category: Lamb

    Area: British

    Ingredients:

    • 2 tsp Cumin
    • 1 tbs Rapeseed Oil
    • 2 finely chopped Red Onions
    • 6 Garlic Clove
    • 3 finely chopped Green Chilli
    • 1 finely chopped Red Pepper
    • 1 tsp Nutmeg
    • 2 tsp Coriander
    • 1kg Lamb Mince
    • 1 tsp Pepper
    • 3 tbs Coriander
    • 340g Plain Flour
    • ½ tsp Salt
    • 90 ml Milk
    • 150g Lard
    • Beaten Egg Yolks

    Instructions:

    Heat a large frying pan and toast the cumin seeds for a few minutes, then set aside. Heat the oil in the same pan and fry the onion, garlic, chilli, pepper and a good pinch of salt for around eight minutes, until there is no moisture left. Remove from the heat, stir in the toasted cumin seeds, ground mace (or nutmeg) and ground coriander. Leave to cool.
    In a large bowl mix together the minced lamb, white pepper, fresh coriander, and the cooled spiced onion mixture until combined. Set aside, covered, in the fridge.
    Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and generously grease a 20cm/8in diameter loose-bottomed or springform round cake tin with lard.
    To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
    Put the milk, lard and 90ml/3fl oz of water in a saucepan and heat gently. When the lard has melted, increase the heat and bring to the boil.
    Pour the boiling liquid into the flour, and use a wooden spoon to combine until cool enough to handle. Bring together into a ball.
    Dust a work surface with flour and, working quickly, knead the dough briefly – it will be soft and moist. Set aside a third of the pastry and roll the rest out on a well-floured surface. Line the pie dish with the pastry, pressing it right up the sides until it pokes just over the top of the tin.
    Add the filling into the pastry-lined tin bit by bit. As you reach the top, form a slight peak. Roll out the reserved pastry and top the pie with it. Pinch the edges to seal and trim the excess. Poke a hole in the top of the pie and insert a small tube made from aluminium foil to allow steam to escape.
    Brush the top of the pie with a little beaten egg yolk, and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes (put a tray on the shelf below to catch any drips). Then reduce the temperature to 160C/325F/Gas 3 and cook for a further 1¼ hours until golden-brown. Leave to cool completely before refrigerating for two hours, or overnight.
    Run a knife around the edge of the pie, remove from the tin and serve with chutneys, salads or pickles.

  • Croatian lamb peka

    Croatian lamb peka

    Category: Beef

    Area: Croatian

    Ingredients:

    • 600g Potatoes
    • 1 chopped Courgettes
    • 1 chopped Carrots
    • 1 chopped Green Pepper
    • 1 small Aubergine
    • 1 Large Chopped Onion
    • 800g Lamb Shoulder
    • 1 tbs Garlic Sauce
    • 1 tbs Tomato Puree
    • 80 ml Olive Oil
    • Sprinking Thyme
    • 250ml White Wine
    • Pinch Pepper

    Instructions:

    Preheat oven to 200°C fan / 220°C / 425°F / Gas mark 7
    If you have not bought diced lamb, cut your lamb shoulder or leg into large chunks and place to one side.
    Chunks of chopped lamb of a red chopping board
    Make oil marinade –
    Mix 80ml of olive oil in a bowl with garlic puree, sundried tomato puree ,black pepper and salt.
    olive oil, gia sundried tomato puree and gia garlic puree and black pepper mixed together in a silver bowl to make Croatian peka
    Add potatoes and vegetables into a large lidded casserole dish.
    Chopped up vegetables which consist of chopped up red onion, courgette, potatoes red peppers in a cast iron pan
    Place diced lamb on top of the vegetables, pour the marinade and wine over the top.
    Chunks of lamb covered in in a sundried tomato oil sauce which is on top of chopped red onion, aubergine, courgette and potatoes in a cast iron pan
    Add the rosemary, thyme and sage, trying to keep the herbs on top.
    So you can easily remove the herb stalks once cooked.
    Chunks of lamb coated in a sundried tomato oil sauce and covered with thyme, rosemary and sage which is on top of chopped red onion, aubergine, courgette and potatoes in a cast iron pan
    Place lid on the casserole dish and cook for 1hr 30 minute
    If you do not have a lid cover very well with kitchen foil
    Cast iron dish with lid on in the oven
    Take the lid off, remove any thick herb stems. Stir in 2 tbsp of olive oil.
    Cook for a further 20-30 mins.
    Cooked Croatian Lamb Peka in a cast iron pan in the oven
    Serve with fresh homemade bread to dip into the juices.

  • 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.

  • Fruit and Cream Cheese Breakfast Pastries

    Fruit and Cream Cheese Breakfast Pastries

    Category: Breakfast

    Area: American

    Ingredients:

    • 1 1/4 oz Cream Cheese
    • 1 1/4 cup Sugar
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    • Flour
    • 2 Puff Pastry
    • Strawberries
    • Raspberries
    • Blackberries

    Instructions:

    Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC), and prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until fully combined. Lightly flour the surface and roll out puff pastry on top to flatten. Cut each sheet of puff pastry into 9 equal squares. On the top right and bottom left of the pastry, cut an L shape approximately ½ inch (1 cm) from the edge.
    NOTE: This L shape should reach all the way down and across the square, however both L shapes should not meet at the ends. Your pastry should look like a picture frame with two corners still intact.
    Take the upper right corner and fold down towards the inner bottom corner. You will now have a diamond shape.
    Place 1 to 2 teaspoons of the cream cheese filling in the middle, then place berries on top.
    Repeat with the remaining pastry squares and place them onto the parchment covered baking sheet.
    Bake for 15-20 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and puffed.
    Enjoy!