Blog

Category: Vegetarian

Area: Tunisian

Ingredients:

• 5 Large Potatoes
• 2 tbs Olive Oil
• 1 Green Pepper
• 5 Onions
• 1 tbs Ras el hanout
• 500g Pumpkin
• 24 Skinned Eggs
• Pinch Salt
• Pinch Pepper

Instructions:

Peel potatoes and cut into 5cm cubes.
Pour 1-2 cm of olive oil into a large pan and heat up very hot. Fry potatoes until golden brown for 20 minutes, turning from time to time. Place on kitchen paper to drain.
Cut the peppers in half and remove seeds. Rub a little olive oil on them and place the cut side down on a baking tray. Place them under the grill. Grill until the skin is dark and bubbly. While the peppers are still hot, put them into a plastic sandwich bag and seal it. Take them out after 15 minutes and remove skins.
In the meantime, heat more olive oil another pan. Peel the onions and cut into thin rings. Fry for 15 minutes until golden brown, turning them often. Add the Ras el hanout at the end.
Cut the pumpkin into 5cm cubes and fry in the same pan you used for the potatoes for 10-15 minutes until it is soft and slightly browned. Place on kitchen paper.
Pour the remaining olive oil out of the pan and put all the cooked vegetables into the pan and mix. Whisk eggs and pour them over the vegetables. Put the lid on the pan so that the eggs cook. Put the contents of the pan onto a large chopping board, add salt and pepper and chopped and mix everything with a big knife.

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: Pork

Area: Dutch

Ingredients:

• 1.5kg Potatoes
• 2 leaves Bay Leaf
• 2 Shallots
• 3 tbs Butter
• 750g Kale
• 2 Sausages
• 500ml Milk
• Grated Nutmeg
• Pinch Salt
• Pinch Pepper

Instructions:

Wash and peel the potatoes and cut into similarly sized pieces for even cooking.

In a large soup pot, boil the potatoes and the bay leaves in salted water for 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.

If you're not using a bag of ready-cut curly kale, wash the bunches thoroughly under cool running water to get rid of all soil—you wouldn't want that gritty texture in your finished dish. Trim any coarse stems and discard any brown leaves. With a sharp knife, cut the curly kale into thin strips.

Peel and chop the shallots.

In a frying pan or skillet, melt 1 tbsp. of butter and saute the shallots for a few minutes before adding the curly kale and 2 tbsp. of water. Season and cook for about 10 minutes, or until tender.

Warm the milk on the stove or in the microwave.

Drain, shake and dry the potatoes with kitchen towels before mashing with a potato masher or ricer. Working quickly, add the warm milk and the remaining butter. Season to taste with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Mix the cooked curly kale through the cooked mashed potato mixture.

Top with slices of the smoked sausage and serve hot with your favorite mustard or gravy.

Serve and enjoy!

Category: Chicken

Area: Egyptian

Ingredients:

• 1 kg Chicken Thighs
• 1 tbs Coriander
• 1 tbs Cumin
• 1 tbs Cardamom
• 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 2 tsp Paprika
• 2 tbs Lemon Juice
• 3 tbs Olive Oil
• 1 cup Greek Yogurt
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 1 tsp Cumin
• Splash Lemon Juice
• Sliced Lettuce
• Sliced Tomato
• 6 Pita Bread

Instructions:

Combine the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag (or bowl).
Add the chicken and use your hands to make sure each piece is coated. If using a ziplock bag, I find it convenient to close the bag then massage the bag to disperse the rub all over each chicken piece.
Marinate overnight or up to 24 hours.
Combine the Yoghurt Sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix. Cover and put in the fridge until required (it will last for 3 days in the fridge).
Heat grill/BBQ (or large heavy based pan on stove) on medium high. You should not need to oil it because the marinade has oil in it and also thigh fillets have fat. But if you are worried then oil your hotplate/grill. (See notes for baking)
Place chicken on the grill and cook the first side for 4 to 5 minutes until nicely charred, then turn and cook the other side for 3 to 4 minutes (the 2nd side takes less time).
Remove chicken from the grill and cover loosely with foil. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
TO SERVE
Slice chicken and pile onto platter alongside flatbreads, Salad and the Yoghurt Sauce.
To make a wrap, get a piece of flatbread and smear with Yoghurt Sauce. Top with a bit of lettuce and tomato and Chicken Shawarma. Roll up and enjoy!

Category: Seafood

Area: Tunisian

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs Olive Oil
• 8 Spring Onions
• 200g Spinach
• 4 Filo Pastry
• 1 can Tuna
• 2 Eggs
• Dash Hotsauce
• 4 Chopped Tomatoes
• 1/4 Cucumber
• 1 tbs Lemon Juice
• 4 tbs Apricot Jam

Instructions:

Heat 2 tsp of the oil in a large saucepan and cook the spring onions over a low heat for 3 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add the spinach, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for a further 2–3 minutes or until tender and wilted, stirring once or twice. Tip the mixture into a sieve or colander and leave to drain and cool.
Using a saucer as a guide, cut out 24 rounds about 12.5 cm (5 in) in diameter from the filo pastry, cutting 6 rounds from each sheet. Stack the filo rounds in a pile, then cover with cling film to prevent them from drying out.
When the spinach mixture is cool, squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible, then transfer to a bowl. Add the tuna, eggs, hot pepper sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F, gas mark 6). Take one filo round and very lightly brush with some of the remaining oil. Top with a second round and brush with a little oil, then place a third round on top and brush with oil.
Place a heaped tbsp of the filling in the middle of the round, then fold the pastry over to make a half-moon shape. Fold in the edges, twisting them to seal, and place on a non-stick baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling to make 8 briks in all.
Lightly brush the briks with the remaining oil. Bake for 12–15 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden brown.
Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes and cucumber in a bowl and sprinkle with the lemon juice and seasoning to taste. Serve the briks hot with this salad and the chutney.

Category: Beef

Area: Russian

Ingredients:

• 1 tbls Olive Oil
• 1 Onions
• 1 clove Garlic
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 250g Mushrooms
• 500g Beef Fillet
• 1tbsp Plain Flour
• 150g Creme Fraiche
• 1 tbsp English Mustard
• 100ml Beef Stock
• Topping Parsley

Instructions:

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan then add the sliced onion and cook on a medium heat until completely softened, so around 15 mins, adding a little splash of water if they start to stick at all. Crush in the garlic and cook for a 2-3 mins further, then add the butter. Once the butter is foaming a little, add the mushrooms and cook for around 5 mins until completely softened. Season everything well, then tip onto a plate.
Tip the flour into a bowl with a big pinch of salt and pepper, then toss the steak in the seasoned flour. Add the steak pieces to the pan, splashing in a little oil if the pan looks particularly dry, and fry for 3-4 mins, until well coloured. Tip the onions and mushrooms back into the pan. Whisk the crème fraîche, mustard and beef stock together, then pour into the pan. Cook over a medium heat for around 5 mins. Scatter with parsley, then serve with pappardelle or rice.

Category: Vegetarian

Area: Spanish

Ingredients:

• 1 sliced Onion
• 4 tbsp Olive Oil
• 25g Butter
• 400g Potatoes
• 6 cloves Garlic
• 8 Eggs
• Handful Parsley
• 1 Baguette
• 4 Vine Tomatoes
• drizzle Olive Oil

Instructions:

Put a large non-stick frying pan on a low heat. Cook the onion slowly in the oil and butter until soft but not brown – this should take about 15 mins. Add the potatoes, cover the pan and cook for a further 15-20 mins, stirring occasionally to make sure they fry evenly.
When the potatoes are soft and the onion is shiny, crush 2 garlic cloves and stir in, followed by the beaten eggs.
Put the lid back on the pan and leave the tortilla to cook gently. After 20 mins, the edges and base should be golden, the top set but the middle still a little wobbly. To turn it over, slide it onto a plate and put another plate on top, turn the whole thing over and slide it back into the pan to finish cooking. Once cooked, transfer to a plate and serve the tortilla warm or cold, scattered with the chopped parsley.
To accompany, take slices of warmed baguette, stab all over with a fork and rub with the remaining garlic, pile on grated tomatoes and season with sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil.

Category: Vegan

Area: Italian

Ingredients:

• 1 cups green red lentils
• 1 Carrots
• 1 onion
• 1 small zucchini
• sprinking coriander
• 150g spinach
• 10 lasagne sheets
• 35g vegan butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 300ml soya milk
• 1.5 teaspoons mustard
• 1 teaspoon vinegar

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.
2) Boil vegetables for 5-7 minutes, until soft. Add lentils and bring to a gentle simmer, adding a stock cube if desired. Continue cooking and stirring until the lentils are soft, which should take about 20 minutes.
3) Blanch spinach leaves for a few minutes in a pan, before removing and setting aside.
4) Top up the pan with water and cook the lasagne sheets. When cooked, drain and set aside.
5) To make the sauce, melt the butter and add the flour, then gradually add the soya milk along with the mustard and the vinegar. Cook and stir until smooth and then assemble the lasagne as desired in a baking dish.
6) Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes.

Category: Beef

Area: Dutch

Ingredients:

• 100g Butter
• 150g Flour
• 700ml Beef Stock
• 30g Onion
• 1 tbs Parsley
• 400g Beef
• Pinch Salt
• Pinch Pepper
• Pinch Nutmeg
• 50g Flour
• 2 Beaten Eggs
• 50g Breadcrumbs

Instructions:

Melt the butter in a skillet or pan. When melted, add the flour little by little and stir into a thick paste. Slowly stir in the stock, making sure the roux absorbs the liquid. Simmer for a couple of minutes on a low heat while you stir in the onion, parsley and the shredded meat. The mixture should thicken and turn into a heavy, thick sauce.

Pour the mixture into a shallow container, cover and refrigerate for several hours, or until the sauce has solidified.

Take a heaping tablespoon of the cold, thick sauce and quickly roll it into a small ball. Roll lightly through the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs. Make sure that the egg covers the whole surface of the bitterbal. When done, refrigerate the snacks while the oil in your fryer heats up to 190C (375F). Fry four bitterballen at a time, until golden.

Serve on a plate with a nice grainy or spicy mustard.

Category: Dessert

Area: Malaysian

Ingredients:

• 400g Rice
• 150ml Coconut Milk
• 100ml Water
• 1 tsp Salt
• 5 tbs Corn Flour
• 3 tbs Flour
• 3 Eggs
• 200ml Coconut Cream
• 140g Sugar

Instructions:

Soak glutinous rice with water for at least 1 ½ hours prior to using. Drain.
Prepare a 9-inch round or square cake pan and spray with cooking spray or line with plastic wrap.
Mix coconut milk, water, salt and the rice. Pour it into cake pan, topped with the pandan knots.
Steam for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, fluff up the rice and remove pandan knots. Then, using a greased spatula, flatten the steamed rice. Make sure there are no holes/air bubbles and gaps in the rice, especially the sides.
Steam for another 10 minutes.

Combine pandan juice, coconut milk, all purpose flour, cornflour, and sugar. Mix well.
Add eggs and whisk well then strain into a medium sized metal bowl or pot.
Place pandan mixture over simmering water (double boiler or bain-marie)
Stir continuously and cook till custard starts to thicken. (15 minutes)
Pour pandan custard into glutinous rice layer, give it a little tap (for air bubbles) and continue to steam for 30 minutes.
Remove kuih seri muka from the steamer and allow to cool completely before cutting into rectangles or diamond shapes.