Blog

Category: Miscellaneous

Area: French

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Onion
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 Carrots
• 2 1/4 cups French Lentils
• 1 teaspoon Thyme
• 3 Bay Leaf
• 1 tablespoon Salt
• 2 sticks Celery

Instructions:

Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add oil. When hot, add chopped vegetables and sauté until softened, 5 to 10 minutes.
Add 6 cups water, lentils, thyme, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a fast simmer.
Simmer lentils until they are tender and have absorbed most of the water, 20 to 25 minutes. If necessary, drain any excess water after lentils have cooked. Serve immediately, or allow them to cool and reheat later.
For a fuller taste, use some chicken stock and reduce the water by the same amount.

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.

Category: Side

Area: Polish

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs Butter
• 1/3 cup Chopped Onion
• 1 1/2 cups Sauerkraut
• 3 tbs Butter
• 1/2 cup Chopped Onion
• 2 cups Potatoes
• 3 Eggs
• 1 pot Sour Cream
• 3 cups Flour
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 tbs Baking Powder

Instructions:

To prepare the sauerkraut filling, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the drained sauerkraut and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then remove to a plate to cool.

For the mashed potato filling, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir into the mashed potatoes, and season with salt and white pepper.

To make the dough, beat together the eggs and sour cream until smooth. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder; stir into the sour cream mixture until dough comes together. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until firm and smooth. Divide the dough in half, then roll out one half to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 3 inch rounds using a biscuit cutter.

Place a small spoonful of the mashed potato filling into the center of each round. Moisten the edges with water, fold over, and press together with a fork to seal. Repeat procedure with the remaining dough and the sauerkraut filling.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add perogies and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until pierogi float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Category: Beef

Area: Jamaican

Ingredients:

• 450g Oxtail
• 1 chopped Onion
• 1 Spring Onions
• 2 cloves minced Garlic
• 1 tsp Ginger
• 1 chopped Scotch Bonnet
• 2 tbs Soy Sauce
• 1 chopped Fresh Thyme
• 2 tbs Vegetable Oil
• 350ml Water
• 200g Broad Beans
• 1 tbs Corn Flour
• 2 tbs Water

Instructions:

Toss the oxtail with the onion, spring onion, garlic, ginger, chilli, soy sauce, thyme, salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the oxtail in the pan until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Place into a pressure cooker, and pour in 375ml water. Cook at pressure for 25 minutes, then remove from heat, and remove the lid according to manufacturer's directions.
Add the broad beans and pimento berries, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Dissolve the cornflour in 2 tablespoons water, and stir into the simmering oxtail. Cook and stir a few minutes until the sauce has thickened, and the broad beans are tender.

Category: Chicken

Area: Portuguese

Ingredients:

• 1.5kg Chicken
• 3 chopped Red Chilli
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 tsp Ginger
• 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• 1 tsp Coriander
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 2 tbs Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 tbs Oil
• 1 sliced Red Onions
• 2 Carrots
• 1 Beetroot
• 4 leaves Cabbage
• 2 tbs Mayonnaise
• 2 tbs Greek Yogurt
• 2 tbs Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds

Instructions:

STEP 1

Whizz together all of the marinade ingredients in a small food processor. Rub the marinade onto the chicken and leave for 1 hour at room temperature.

STEP 2

Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Put the chicken in a roasting tray and cook for 1 hour 20 minutes. Rest under loose foil for 20 minutes. While the chicken is resting, mix together the slaw ingredients and season. Serve the chicken with slaw, fries and condiments.

Category: Pork

Area: Polish

Ingredients:

• 2 sliced Bacon
• 1 lb Kielbasa
• 1 lb Pork
• 1/4 cup Flour
• 3 chopped Garlic
• 1 Diced Onion
• 1 1/2 cup Mushrooms
• 4 cups Cabbage
• 1 Jar Sauerkraut
• 1/4 cup Red Wine
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 tsp Basil
• 1 tsp Marjoram
• 1 tbs Paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon Caraway Seed
• 1 dash Hotsauce
• 5 Cups Beef Stock
• 2 tbs Tomato Puree
• 1 cup Diced Tomatoes
• 1 dash Worcestershire Sauce

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and kielbasa; cook and stir until the bacon has rendered its fat and sausage is lightly browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat and transfer to a large casserole or Dutch oven.

Coat the cubes of pork lightly with flour and fry them in the bacon drippings over medium-high heat until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to the casserole. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, fresh mushrooms, cabbage and sauerkraut. Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir until the carrots are soft, about 10 minutes. Do not let the vegetables brown.

Deglaze the pan by pouring in the red wine and stirring to loosen all of the bits of food and flour that are stuck to the bottom. Season with the bay leaf, basil, marjoram, paprika, salt, pepper, caraway seeds and cayenne pepper; cook for 1 minute.

Mix in the dried mushrooms, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, tomato paste and tomatoes. Heat through just until boiling. Pour the vegetables and all of the liquid into the casserole dish with the meat. Cover with a lid.

Bake in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until meat is very tender.

Category: Beef

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs Vegetable Oil
• 500g Minced Beef
• 1 chopped Onion
• 1 tbls Tomato Puree
• 1 ½ tbsp Plain Flour
• 75g Mushrooms
• 250ml Beef Stock
• Dash Worcestershire Sauce
• 400g Shortcrust Pastry
• 1 Egg Yolks

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and fry the beef mince for 4-5 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it browns.
Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the tomato purée and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for a further minute, then add the chopped mushrooms, the stout or beef stock and a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan with a lid and leave to simmer for 20 minutes. Set aside and leave to cool, then turn the meat mixture into a one litre pie dish.
Roll out the pastry on a floured work surface until it is slightly larger than the pie dish. Gently drape the pastry over the dish, pressing firmly onto the edges. Trim, then shape the edges into a fluted shape.
Cut some leaf shapes out of the pastry trimmings and decorate the top of the pie, sticking them to the pastry with the beaten egg yolk.
Make three or four slits in the pastry to allow the steam to escape, then brush the pie with the rest of the beaten egg yolk and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden-brown.
To serve, slice into wedges.

Category: Beef

Area: American

Ingredients:

• 400g Minced Beef
• 2 tbs Olive Oil
• 2 Sesame Seed Burger Buns
• Chopped Onion
• 1/4 Iceberg Lettuce
• 2 sliced Cheese
• 2 large Dill Pickles
• 1 cup Mayonnaise
• 2 tsp White Wine Vinegar
• Pinch Pepper
• 2 tsp Mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp Onion Salt
• 1 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp Paprika

Instructions:

For the Big Mac sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl, season with salt and chill until ready to use.
2. To make the patties, season the mince with salt and pepper and form into 4 balls using about 1/3 cup mince each. Place each onto a square of baking paper and flatten to form into four x 15cm circles. Heat oil in a large frypan over high heat. In 2 batches, cook beef patties for 1-2 minutes each side until lightly charred and cooked through. Remove from heat and keep warm. Repeat with remaining two patties.
3. Carefully slice each burger bun into three acrossways, then lightly toast.
4. To assemble the burgers, spread a little Big Mac sauce over the bottom base. Top with some chopped onion, shredded lettuce, slice of cheese, beef patty and some pickle slices. Top with the middle bun layer, and spread with more Big Mac sauce, onion, lettuce, pickles, beef patty and then finish with more sauce. Top with burger lid to serve.
5. After waiting half an hour for your food to settle, go for a jog.

Category: Side

Area: French

Ingredients:

• 225g Potatoes
• 1 small Fennel
• 1 clove finely chopped Garlic
• 75 ml Milk
• 100ml Double Cream
• For Greasing Butter
• to serve Parmesan Cheese

Instructions:

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put potatoes, fennel, and garlic in a medium non-stick pan. Pour in milk and double cream, season well and simmer gently, covered, for 10 mins, stirring halfway through, until potatoes are just tender.
Divide the mixture between 2 small (about 150ml) buttered ramekins and scatter with Parmesan. Bake for 40 mins until the potatoes are golden and tender when pierced with a knife. Snip the reserved fennel fronds over before serving.

Category: Seafood

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 2 medium Fennel
• 2 tbs chopped Parsley
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 175g Cherry Tomatoes
• 1 tbs Olive Oil
• 350g Salmon
• to serve Black Olives

Instructions:

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Trim the fronds from the fennel and set aside. Cut the fennel bulbs in half, then cut each half into 3 wedges. Cook in boiling salted water for 10 mins, then drain well. Chop the fennel fronds roughly, then mix with the parsley and lemon zest.

Spread the drained fennel over a shallow ovenproof dish, then add the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil, then bake for 10 mins. Nestle the salmon among the veg, sprinkle with lemon juice, then bake 15 mins more until the fish is just cooked. Scatter over the parsley and serve.