Recipes

Chocolate Souffle

Chocolate Souffle

Dessert

Instructions:

Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7 and place a baking tray on the top shelf. For the sauce, heat the cream and sugar until boiling. Remove from the heat, stir in the chocolate and butter until melted, then keep warm. Brush 6 x 150ml ramekins with melted butter, sprinkle with the 2 tbsp caster sugar, then tip out any excess. Melt the chocolate and cream in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, cool, then mix in the egg yolks. Whisk the egg whites until they hold their shape, then add the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, whisking back to the same consistency. Mix a spoonful into the chocolate, then gently fold in the rest. Working quickly, fill the ramekins, wipe the rims clean and run your thumb around the edges. Turn oven down to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6, place the ramekins onto the baking tray, then bake for 8-10 mins until risen with a slight wobble. Don’t open the oven door too early as this may make them collapse. Once the soufflés are ready, dust with icing sugar, scoop a small hole from their tops, then pour in some of the hot chocolate sauce. Replace the lids and serve straight away.

Salted Caramel Cheescake

Salted Caramel Cheescake

Dessert

Instructions:

1) Blitz the biscuits and the pretzels in a food processor and mix the biscuits with the melted butter. Spread on the bottom of an 8″/20cm Deep Springform Tin and press down firmly. Leave to set in the fridge whilst you make the rest! 2) Using an electric mixer, I use my KitchenAid with the whisk attachment, whisk together the cream cheese, vanilla, and icing sugar until smooth and then add the caramel and whisk again until smooth and lump free – this could take a couple of minutes, I whisk it at half speed so not too quick or slow! 3) Pour in the double cream & Salt flakes and continue to whisk for a couple of minutes until its very thick and mousse like (I mix it on a medium speed, level 6/10) – Now this could take up to 5 minutes depending on your mixer, but you seriously have to stick at it – it will hold itself completely when finished mixing (like a meringue does!) If you don’t mix it enough it will not set well enough, but don’t get impatient and whisk it really quick because that’ll make it split! Spread over the biscuit base and leave to set in the fridge overnight. 4) Remove the Cheesecake from the tin carefully and decorate the cheesecake – I drizzled over some of the spare caramel, and then some Toffee Popcorn and more Pretzels!

Roti john

Roti john

Beef

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).

Crispy Sausages and Greens

Crispy Sausages and Greens

Pork

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Remove the stems from one bunch of Tuscan kale and tear the leaves into 1" pieces (mustard greens, collards, spinach, and chard are great, too). Coarsely chop half a head of green cabbage. Combine the greens in a large baking dish and add 4 cloves of thinly sliced garlic. Adding some sliced onions and shiitake mushrooms at this point is optional, but highly recommended (I'll sauté the onions and mushrooms in a cast iron baking dish right on the stove before adding to the greens). Coat the greens with some olive oil and pour ½ cup chicken stock or broth over everything. Cover the dish with foil and bake until the greens are wilted, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and season with salt and pepper. Continue to bake until cabbage is tender, about 20-25 minutes more. Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Prick four sweet Italian sausages with a fork and cook until browned on all sides and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. When the greens are done, slice the sausage and toss into the greens with a splash of your favorite vinegar (I like sherry or red wine).

Honey Balsamic Chicken with Crispy Broccoli & Potatoes

Honey Balsamic Chicken with Crispy Broccoli & Potatoes

Chicken

Instructions:

2 Servings 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Toss on one side of a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. (For 4 servings, spread potatoes out across entire sheet.) Roast on top rack for 5 minutes (we'll add the broccoli then). 2. Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets into bite-size pieces, if necessary. Peel and finely chop garlic. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 TBSP olive oil (2 TBSP for 4 servings) and half the garlic. Microwave until garlic sizzles, 30 seconds. 3. Once potatoes have roasted 5 minutes, remove sheet from oven and add broccoli to empty side; carefully toss with garlic oil, salt, and pepper. (For 4 servings, add broccoli to a second sheet.) Continue roasting until potatoes and broccoli are browned and crispy, 15-20 minutes more. 4. While veggies roast, pat chicken dry with paper towels; season all over with salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 5-6 minutes per side. (If chicken browns too quickly, reduce heat to medium.) Turn off heat; set chicken aside to rest. Wash out pan. 5. Heat pan used for chicken over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of oil and remaining garlic; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in vinegar, honey, stock concentrate, and 1/4 cup water (1/3 cup for 4 servings). Simmer until thick and glossy, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4). Season with salt and pepper. 6. Return chicken to pan and turn to coat in glaze. Divide chicken, broccoli, and potatoes between plates. Spoon any remaining glaze over chicken and serve.

Beef Sunday Roast

Beef Sunday Roast

Beef

Instructions:

Cook the Broccoli and Carrots in a pan of boiling water until tender. Roast the Beef and Potatoes in the oven for 45mins, the potatoes may need to be checked regularly to not overcook. To make the Yorkshire puddings: Heat oven to 230C/fan 210C/gas 8. Drizzle a little sunflower oil evenly into 2 x 4-hole Yorkshire pudding tins or a 12-hole non-stick muffin tin and place in the oven to heat through To make the batter, tip 140g plain flour into a bowl and beat in four eggs until smooth. Gradually add 200ml milk and carry on beating until the mix is completely lump-free. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the batter into a jug, then remove the hot tins from the oven. Carefully and evenly pour the batter into the holes. Place the tins back in the oven and leave undisturbed for 20-25 mins until the puddings have puffed up and browned. Serve immediately. Plate up and add the Gravy as desired.

Stamppot

Stamppot

Pork

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!

Tunisian Orange Cake

Tunisian Orange Cake

Dessert

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 190 C / Gas 5. Grease a 23cm round springform tin. Cut off the hard bits from the top and bottom of the orange. Slice the orange and remove all seeds. Puree the orange with its peel in a food processor. Add one third of the sugar and the olive oil and continue to mix until well combined. Sieve together flour and baking powder. Beat the eggs and the remaining sugar with an electric hand mixer for at least five minutes until very fluffy. Fold in half of the flour mixture, then the orange and the vanilla, then fold in the remaining flour. Mix well but not for too long. Pour cake mixture into prepared tin and smooth out. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 160 C / Gas 2 and bake again for 30 minutes Bake until the cake is golden brown and a skewer comes out clean. Cool on a wire cake rack.

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Vegan

Instructions:

Simply mix all dry ingredients with wet ingredients and blend altogether. Bake for 45 min on 180 degrees. Decorate with some melted vegan chocolate

Walnut Roll Gužvara

Walnut Roll Gužvara

Dessert

Instructions:

Mix all the ingredients for the dough together and knead well. Cover the dough and put to rise until doubled in size which should take about 2 hours. Knock back the dough and knead lightly. Divide the dough into two equal pieces; roll each piece into an oblong about 12 inches by 8 inches. Mix the filling ingredients together and divide between the dough, spreading over each piece. Roll up the oblongs as tightly as possible to give two 12 inch sausages. Place these side by side, touching each other, on a greased baking sheet. Cover and leave to rise for about 40 minutes. Heat oven to 200ºC (425ºF). Bake for 30-35 minutes until well risen and golden brown. Bread should sound hollow when the base is tapped. Remove from oven and brush the hot bread top with milk. Sift with a generous covering of icing sugar.

Leblebi Soup

Leblebi Soup

Vegetarian

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Drain the soaked chickpeas and add them to the pot together with the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes. In the meantime toast the cumin in a small ungreased frying pan, then grind them in a mortar. Add the garlic and salt and pound to a fine paste. Add the paste and the harissa to the soup and simmer until the chickpeas are tender, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice and serve hot.

Nutty Chicken Curry

Nutty Chicken Curry

Chicken

Instructions:

Finely slice a quarter of the chilli, then put the rest in a food processor with the ginger, garlic, coriander stalks and one-third of the leaves. Whizz to a rough paste with a splash of water if needed. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then quickly brown the chicken chunks for 1 min. Stir in the paste for another min, then add the peanut butter, stock and yogurt. When the sauce is gently bubbling, cook for 10 mins until the chicken is just cooked through and sauce thickened. Stir in most of the remaining coriander, then scatter the rest on top with the chilli, if using. Eat with rice or mashed sweet potato.

Chocolate Caramel Crispy

Chocolate Caramel Crispy

Dessert

Instructions:

Grease and line a 20 x 20cm/8" x 8" baking tin with parchment paper. Put the mars bars and butter in a heat proof bowl and place over a pan of barely simmering water. Mixing with a whisk, melt until the mixture is smooth. Pour over the rice krispies in a mixing bowl and mix until all the ingredients are evenly combined. Press evenly into the prepare baking tin and set aside. Melt the milk chocolate in the microwave or over a pan of barely simmering water. Spread the melted chocolate over the rice krispie mixture and leave to set in a cool place. Once set slice into squares and serve!

Chicken Fajita Mac and Cheese

Chicken Fajita Mac and Cheese

Chicken

Instructions:

Fry your onion, peppers and garlic in olive oil until nicely translucent. Make a well in your veg and add your chicken. Add your seasoning and salt. Allow to colour slightly. Add your cream, stock and macaroni. Cook on low for 20 minutes. Add your cheeses, stir to combine. Top with roasted peppers and parsley.

Strawberries Romanoff

Strawberries Romanoff

Dessert

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, combine hulled and quartered strawberries, 4 Tbsp sugar and 4 Tbsp liqueur, stir to combine then cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours, stirring once or twice. Two photos of cut strawberries in a bowl with one having sugar being added to the bowl Two photos of cut up strawberries for Strawberry Romanoff Just before serving, in a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup cold heavy cream and 1/4 cup powdered sugar, and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Using a spatula, fold in 1/4 cup sour cream just until well blended. To serve, stir strawberries then divide between 6 serving glasses or bowls. You can spoon a little syrup over the berries if you like. You can also use this syrup to soak a cake. Spoon cream over strawberries, dividing evenly. You can also use an ice cream scoop with trigger release for a nice rounded puff of cream. Serve right away or chill and enjoy within 2 hours of assembly.

Stovetop Eggplant With Harissa, Chickpeas, and Cumin Yogurt

Stovetop Eggplant With Harissa, Chickpeas, and Cumin Yogurt

Vegetarian

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add the eggplants and lower the heat to medium. Season with salt and pepper as you rotate the eggplants, browning them on all sides. Continue to cook, turning regularly, until a fork inserted into the eggplant meets no resistance (you may have to stand them up on their fat end to finish cooking the thickest parts), about 20 minutes, lowering the heat and sprinkling water into the pan as necessary if the eggplants threaten to burn or smoke excessively. 2. Mix the harissa, chickpeas and tomatoes together, then add to the eggplants. Cook until the tomatoes have blistered and broken down, about 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper and add water as necessary to thin to a saucy consistency. Meanwhile, combine the yogurt and cumin in a serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper. 3. Top the eggplant mixture with the parsley, drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil, and serve with the yogurt on the side.

Apple & Blackberry Crumble

Apple & Blackberry Crumble

Dessert

Instructions:

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Tip the flour and sugar into a large bowl. Add the butter, then rub into the flour using your fingertips to make a light breadcrumb texture. Do not overwork it or the crumble will become heavy. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over a baking sheet and bake for 15 mins or until lightly coloured. Meanwhile, for the compote, peel, core and cut the apples into 2cm dice. Put the butter and sugar in a medium saucepan and melt together over a medium heat. Cook for 3 mins until the mixture turns to a light caramel. Stir in the apples and cook for 3 mins. Add the blackberries and cinnamon, and cook for 3 mins more. Cover, remove from the heat, then leave for 2-3 mins to continue cooking in the warmth of the pan. To serve, spoon the warm fruit into an ovenproof gratin dish, top with the crumble mix, then reheat in the oven for 5-10 mins. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Fettucine alfredo

Fettucine alfredo

Pasta

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan, stir the clotted cream, butter and cornflour over a low-ish heat and bring to a low simmer. Turn off the heat and keep warm. Meanwhile, put the cheese and nutmeg in a small bowl and add a good grinding of black pepper, then stir everything together (don’t add any salt at this stage). Put the pasta in another pan with 2 tsp salt, pour over some boiling water and cook following pack instructions (usually 3-4 mins). When cooked, scoop some of the cooking water into a heatproof jug or mug and drain the pasta, but not too thoroughly. Add the pasta to the pan with the clotted cream mixture, then sprinkle over the cheese and gently fold everything together over a low heat using a rubber spatula. When combined, splash in 3 tbsp of the cooking water. At first, the pasta will look wet and sloppy: keep stirring until the water is absorbed and the sauce is glossy. Check the seasoning before transferring to heated bowls. Sprinkle over some chives or parsley, then serve immediately.

Split Pea Soup

Split Pea Soup

Side

Instructions:

Put the gammon in a very large pan with 2 litres water and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and drain off the water – this helps to get rid of some of the saltiness. Recover with 2 litres cold water and bring to the boil again. Put everything but the frozen peas into the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1½-2½ hrs, topping up the water as and when you need to, to a similar level it started at. As the ham cooks and softens, you can halve it if you want, so it is all submerged under the liquid. When the ham is tender enough to pull into shreds, it is ready. Lift out the ham, peel off and discard the skin. While it is still hot (wear a clean pair of rubber gloves), shred the meat. Remove bay from the soup and stir in the frozen peas. Simmer for 1 min, then blend until smooth. Add a splash of water if too thick, and return to the pan to heat through if it has cooled, or if you are making ahead. When you are ready to serve, mix the hot soup with most of the ham – gently reheat if made ahead. Serve in bowls with the remaining ham scattered on top, and eat with crusty bread and butter.

Crispy Sausages and Greens

Crispy Sausages and Greens

Pork

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Remove the stems from one bunch of Tuscan kale and tear the leaves into 1" pieces (mustard greens, collards, spinach, and chard are great, too). Coarsely chop half a head of green cabbage. Combine the greens in a large baking dish and add 4 cloves of thinly sliced garlic. Adding some sliced onions and shiitake mushrooms at this point is optional, but highly recommended (I'll sauté the onions and mushrooms in a cast iron baking dish right on the stove before adding to the greens). Coat the greens with some olive oil and pour ½ cup chicken stock or broth over everything. Cover the dish with foil and bake until the greens are wilted, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and season with salt and pepper. Continue to bake until cabbage is tender, about 20-25 minutes more. Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Prick four sweet Italian sausages with a fork and cook until browned on all sides and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. When the greens are done, slice the sausage and toss into the greens with a splash of your favorite vinegar (I like sherry or red wine).