Blog

  • Chicken Enchilada Casserole

    Chicken Enchilada Casserole

    Category: Chicken

    Area: Mexican

    Ingredients:

    • 14 oz jar Enchilada sauce
    • 3 Cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
    • 6 corn tortillas
    • 2 chicken breasts

    Instructions:

    Cut each chicken breast in about 3 pieces, so that it cooks faster and put it in a small pot. Pour Enchilada sauce over it and cook covered on low to medium heat until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. No water is needed, the chicken will cook in the Enchilada sauce. Make sure you stir occasionally so that it doesn't stick to the bottom.
    Remove chicken from the pot and shred with two forks.
    Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
    Start layering the casserole. Start with about ¼ cup of the leftover Enchilada sauce over the bottom of a baking dish. I used a longer baking dish, so that I can put 2 corn tortillas across. Place 2 tortillas on the bottom, top with ⅓ of the chicken and ⅓ of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with ⅓ of the cheese and repeat starting with 2 more tortillas, then chicken, sauce, cheese. Repeat with last layer with the remaining ingredients, tortillas, chicken, sauce and cheese.
    Bake for 20 to 30 minutes uncovered, until bubbly and cheese has melted and started to brown on top.
    Serve warm.

  • Steak Diane

    Steak Diane

    Category: Beef

    Area: French

    Ingredients:

    • 2 tbs Canola Oil
    • 4 Beef Fillet
    • 1 1/2 cup Beef Stock
    • 2 tbs Butter
    • 2 cloves minced Garlic
    • 1 medium finely diced Challots
    • 4 oz Mushrooms
    • ¼ cup Brandy
    • ¼ cup Heavy Cream
    • 1 tbs Dijon Mustard
    • 1 tbs Worcestershire Sauce
    • Dash Tabasco Sauce
    • 1 tbs minced Parsley
    • 1 tbs minced Chives
    • to taste Salt
    • to taste Pepper

    Instructions:

    Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Season steaks with salt and pepper, and add to skillet; cook, turning once, until browned on both sides and cooked to desired doneness, about 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to a plate, and set aside.
    Return skillet to high heat, and add stock; cook until reduced until to 1⁄2 cup, about 10 minutes. Pour into a bowl, and set aside. Return skillet to heat, and add butter; add garlic and shallots, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until they release any liquid and it evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown, about 2 minutes. Add cognac, and light with a match to flambée; cook until flame dies down. Stir in reserved stock, cream, Dijon, Worcestershire, and hot sauce, and then return steaks to skillet; cook, turning in sauce, until warmed through and sauce is thickened, about 4 minutes. Transfer steak to serving plates and stir parsley and chives into sauce; pour sauce over steaks to serve.

  • Venetian Duck Ragu

    Venetian Duck Ragu

    Category: Pasta

    Area: Italian

    Ingredients:

    • 1 tbls Olive Oil
    • 4 Duck Legs
    • 2 finely chopped Onions
    • 2 cloves minced Garlic
    • 2 tsp ground Cinnamon
    • 2 tsp Plain Flour
    • 250ml Red Wine
    • 800g Chopped Tomatoes
    • 1 Chicken Stock Cube
    • 3 sprigs Rosemary
    • 2 Bay Leaves
    • 1 tsp Sugar
    • 2 tbs Milk
    • 600g Paccheri Pasta
    • Grated Parmesan Cheese

    Instructions:

    Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the duck legs and brown on all sides for about 10 mins. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add the onions to the pan and cook for 5 mins until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further 1 min, then stir in the cinnamon and flour and cook for a further min. Return the duck to the pan, add the wine, tomatoes, stock, herbs, sugar and seasoning. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat, cover with a lid and cook for 2 hrs, stirring every now and then.
    Carefully lift the duck legs out of the sauce and place on a plate – they will be very tender so try not to lose any of the meat. Pull off and discard the fat, then shred the meat with 2 forks and discard the bones. Add the meat back to the sauce with the milk and simmer, uncovered, for a further 10-15 mins while you cook the pasta.
    Cook the pasta following pack instructions, then drain, reserving a cup of the pasta water, and add the pasta to the ragu. Stir to coat all the pasta in the sauce and cook for 1 min more, adding a splash of cooking liquid if it looks dry. Serve with grated Parmesan, if you like.

  • Feteer Meshaltet

    Feteer Meshaltet

    Category: Side

    Area: Egyptian

    Ingredients:

    • 4 cups Flour
    • 1 1/2 cups Water
    • 1/4 tsp Salt
    • 1 cup Unsalted Butter
    • 1/4 cup Olive Oil

    Instructions:

    Mix the flour and salt then pour one cup of water and start kneading.
    If you feel the dough is still not coming together or too dry, gradually add the remaining water until you get a dough that is very elastic so that when you pull it and it won’t be torn.
    Let the dough rest for just 10 minutes then divide the dough into 6-8 balls depending on the size you want for your feteer.
    Warm up the butter/ghee or oil you are using and pour into a deep bowl.
    Immerse the dough balls into the warm butter. Let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
    Preheat oven to 550F.
    Stretch the first ball with your hands on a clean countertop. Stretch it as thin as you can, the goal here is to see your countertop through the dough.
    Fold the dough over itself to form a square brushing in between folds with the butter mixture.
    Set aside and start making the next ball.
    Stretch the second one thin as we have done for the first ball.
    Place the previous one on the middle seam side down. Fold the outer one over brushing with more butter mixture as you fold. Set aside.
    Keep doing this for the third and fourth balls. Now we have one ready, place on a 10 inch baking/pie dish seam side down and brush the top with more butter.
    Repeat for the remaining 4 balls to make a second one. With your hands lightly press the folded feteer to spread it on the baking dish.
    Place in preheated oven for 10 minutes when the feteer starts puffing turn on the broiler to brown the top.
    When it is done add little butter on top and cover so it won’t get dry.

  • Kentucky Fried Chicken

    Kentucky Fried Chicken

    Category: Chicken

    Area: American

    Ingredients:

    • 1 whole Chicken
    • 2 quarts neutral frying Oil
    • 1 Egg White
    • 1 1/2 cups Flour
    • 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
    • 1 tablespoon Salt
    • 1 tablespoon paprika
    • 2 teaspoons onion salt
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon sage
    • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
    • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
    • 1/2 teaspoon basil
    • 1/2 teaspoon marjoram

    Instructions:

    Preheat fryer to 350°F. Thoroughly mix together all the spice mix ingredients.
    Combine spice mix with flour, brown sugar and salt.
    Dip chicken pieces in egg white to lightly coat them, then transfer to flour mixture. Turn a few times and make sure the flour mix is really stuck to the chicken. Repeat with all the chicken pieces.
    Let chicken pieces rest for 5 minutes so crust has a chance to dry a bit.
    Fry chicken in batches. Breasts and wings should take 12-14 minutes, and legs and thighs will need a few more minutes. Chicken pieces are done when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165°F.
    Let chicken drain on a few paper towels when it comes out of the fryer. Serve hot.

  • Lancashire hotpot

    Lancashire hotpot

    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.

  • Peanut Butter Cheesecake

    Peanut Butter Cheesecake

    Category: Dessert

    Area: American

    Ingredients:

    • 50g Butter
    • 175g Peanut Cookies
    • 5 Gelatine Leafs
    • 500g Ricotta
    • 175g Peanut Butter
    • 175g Golden Syrup
    • 150ml Milk
    • 275ml Double Cream
    • 2 tblsp Light Brown Soft Sugar
    • Crushed Peanut Brittle

    Instructions:

    Oil and line a 20cm round loose- bottomed cake tin with cling film, making it as smooth as possible. Melt the butter in a pan. Crush the biscuits by bashing them in a bag with a rolling pin, then stir them into the butter until very well coated. Press the mixture firmly into the base of the tin and chill.
    Soak the gelatine in water while you make the filling. Tip the ricotta into a bowl, then beat in the peanut butter and syrup. Ricotta has a slightly grainy texture so blitz until smooth with a stick blender for a smoother texture if you prefer.
    Take the soaked gelatine from the water and squeeze dry. Put it into a pan with the milk and heat very gently until the gelatine dissolves. Beat into the peanut mixture, then tip onto the biscuit base. Chill until set.
    To freeze, leave in the tin and as soon as it is solid, cover the surface with cling film, then wrap the tin with cling film and foil.
    To defrost, thaw in the fridge overnight.
    To serve, carefully remove from the tin. Whisk the cream with the sugar until it holds its shape, then spread on top of the cheesecake and scatter with the peanut brittle.

  • Portuguese custard tarts

    Portuguese custard tarts

    Category: Dessert

    Area: Portuguese

    Ingredients:

    • 2 tbs Plain Flour
    • 2 tbs Icing Sugar
    • 375g Puff Pastry
    • 250g Caster Sugar
    • 2 strips Lemon Zest
    • 1 Stick Cinnamon
    • 2 Eggs
    • 4 Egg Yolks
    • 50g Corn Flour
    • 500ml Whole Milk
    • Pod of Vanilla
    • To serve Cinnamon

    Instructions:

    STEP 1
    Roll the pastry
    Mix the flour and icing sugar, and use this to dust the work surface. Roll the pastry out to make a 45 x 30cm rectangle. Roll up lengthways to create a long sausage shape.

    STEP 2
    Cutting pastry into rounds
    Cut the pastry into 24 wheels, about 1-2cm thick.

    STEP 3
    Roll out each pastry portion
    Roll each wheel lightly with the rolling pin to fit 2 x 12-hole non-stick fairy cake tins.

    STEP 4
    Press pastry into the tin
    Press the pastry circles into the tins and mould into the tins to make thin cases. Chill until needed.

    STEP 5
    Make the infused syrup
    Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Make a sugar syrup by bringing the sugar, 200ml water, lemon zest and cinnamon stick to the boil. Reduce until syrupy, allow to cool, then remove the cinnamon and lemon. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and cornflour until smooth in another large pan.

    STEP 6
    Making custard
    Heat the milk and vanilla pod seeds in a separate pan until just below the boil. Gradually pour the hot milk over the eggs and cornflour, then cook on a low heat, continually whisking.

    STEP 7
    Add syrup to custard
    Add the cooled sugar syrup to the custard and whisk until thickened slightly.

    STEP 8
    Pour custard into the tins
    Pour the custard through a sieve. Pour into the pastry cases and bake for 15 minutes until the pastry is golden and the custard has darkened.

    STEP 9
    cool and dust with icing sugar
    Cool completely in the tins then sift over icing sugar and ground cinnamon to serve.

  • Spotted Dick

    Spotted Dick

    Category: Dessert

    Area: British

    Ingredients:

    • 250g Self-raising Flour
    • pinch Salt
    • 125g Suet
    • 175g Currants
    • 80g Caster Sugar
    • Zest of 1 Lemon
    • Zest of 1 Orange
    • 150ml Milk
    • to serve Custard

    Instructions:

    Put the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the suet, currants, sugar, lemon and orange zest.
    Pour in 150ml milk and mix to a firm but moist dough, adding the extra milk if necessary.
    Shape into a fat roll about 20cm long. Place on a large rectangle of baking parchment. Wrap loosely to allow for the pudding to rise and tie the ends with string like a Christmas cracker.
    Place a steamer over a large pan of boiling water, add the pudding to the steamer, cover and steam for 1 1/2 hours. Top up the pan with water from time to time.
    Remove from the steamer and allow to cool slightly before unwrapping. Serve sliced with custard.

  • Peanut Butter Cheesecake

    Peanut Butter Cheesecake

    Category: Dessert

    Area: American

    Ingredients:

    • 50g Butter
    • 175g Peanut Cookies
    • 5 Gelatine Leafs
    • 500g Ricotta
    • 175g Peanut Butter
    • 175g Golden Syrup
    • 150ml Milk
    • 275ml Double Cream
    • 2 tblsp Light Brown Soft Sugar
    • Crushed Peanut Brittle

    Instructions:

    Oil and line a 20cm round loose- bottomed cake tin with cling film, making it as smooth as possible. Melt the butter in a pan. Crush the biscuits by bashing them in a bag with a rolling pin, then stir them into the butter until very well coated. Press the mixture firmly into the base of the tin and chill.
    Soak the gelatine in water while you make the filling. Tip the ricotta into a bowl, then beat in the peanut butter and syrup. Ricotta has a slightly grainy texture so blitz until smooth with a stick blender for a smoother texture if you prefer.
    Take the soaked gelatine from the water and squeeze dry. Put it into a pan with the milk and heat very gently until the gelatine dissolves. Beat into the peanut mixture, then tip onto the biscuit base. Chill until set.
    To freeze, leave in the tin and as soon as it is solid, cover the surface with cling film, then wrap the tin with cling film and foil.
    To defrost, thaw in the fridge overnight.
    To serve, carefully remove from the tin. Whisk the cream with the sugar until it holds its shape, then spread on top of the cheesecake and scatter with the peanut brittle.