Tomato, lentil & lime soup

Ingredients

• 1 onion , roughly chopped
• 1 large carrot , peeled and grated
• olive oil
• a pinch chilli flakes (optional)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 tbsp Puy or red lentils
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 300ml vegetable stock
• 1 lime , juiced and zested
• crusty bread , to serve 

1. Cook the onion and carrot in a little oil until softened then add the chilli flakes (if using) and cumin. Cook for a minute then tip in the lentils, tomato and stock. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the lentils are soft. Blitz briefly with a stick blender so you have a semi-smooth texture then stir in the lime juice and zest.

Asian sweetcorn soup

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 400ml tin coconut milk
• 200g sweetcorn , sliced off the cob
• 16 cherry tomatoes , halved
• 200g raw peeled prawns , from a sustainable source
• 500ml chicken or veg stock
• a small bunch coriander , roughly chopped 

1. Heat the red curry paste in a saucepan until it starts to sizzle in its own oil, stir in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
2. Add the corn and cook for 3 minutes then add the cherry tomatoes and prawns and cook for a minute. Add the stock and stir well then stir in the coriander.

Thai chicken and sweet potato soup

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive or rapeseed oil
• 2 garlic cloves , chopped
• 1 red chilli , deseeded and chopped
• 2cm chunk root ginger , chopped
• 1 stalk lemongrass , bashed
• 1 x 25g pack coriander , leaves and stalks chopped separately
• 2 tbsp red Thai curry paste
• 750ml chicken stock (made with 2 stock cubes)
• 1 small can (160ml) coconut cream
• 500g sweet potatoes , peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 skinless chicken breasts , sliced
• 1 lime , juice only
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp fish sauce
• crusty bread , to serve (optional) 

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic, chilli, ginger, lemongrass, coriander stalks and curry paste and cook for 2 - 3 minutes until the aromas are released.
2. Add the chicken stock, coconut cream and sweet potatoes and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Remove the lemongrass and discard. Carefully transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth. If freezing, for best results freeze at this point, otherwise as an easier option freeze complete recipe.
3. Return to the saucepan, add the chicken and cook gently for 5 - 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir through the lime juice, sugar and fish sauce, scatter with the coriander leaves and serve.

Seared Sugar Snap Peas

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pound sugar snap peas, strings removed
• 3-4 scallions or green onions, sliced on the diagonal
• Salt
• A pinch of sugar
• Zest of a lemon
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
• Black pepper to taste
• Lemon juice to taste

Method

1 Heat a large sauté pan on high heat for 1 minute. Add the olive oil to the hot pan and heat it until it shimmers, about 1-2 minutes. Add the sugar peas and toss to coat with the oil. Sprinkle salt over them and toss again. Allow to cook, undisturbed, for 1 minute.
2 Add the green onions and sprinkle with a pinch of sugar. Toss to combine. Let cook for 1 minute. Toss and cook untouched again, this time leaving everything undisturbed for 2 minutes.
3 Turn off the heat, mix in the lemon zest and mint, then add black pepper and lemon juice to taste. Serve at once.
Yield: Serves 4-6.

Tropical Fruit Salad

Serves: 4
Preparation: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 Cup papaya
2 Large pomegranates
250g Blueberries
2 Large mangoes
1 Orange

• Peel pomegranate and put all the seeds into a large bowl.
• Peel papaya and mangoes.  Chop into bite size chunks and add to the bowl.
• Add blueberries and half of orange chunks.
• Use remaining orange for juice and drizzle over fruit salad.
  

Appetizing to the eye as well as to your taste buds.  So sweet it does not require sugar.

Strawberry and Apricot Salad

Serves 4
Time: about 10 minutes plus 1 hour chilling in the fridge
Cost: about 50-60p each

250g fresh strawberries with the stalks removed
1 tsp caster sugar
1 x 400g apricot halves in fruit juice (not syrup)
1 orange
4-6 fresh mint leaves (optional but good)

Slice the strawberries into a glass bowl and sprinkle over the sugar, stir and leave for 5 minutes. Drain the apricots, reserving the juice for another use (like a smoothie). Halve the apricot halves and add them to the bowl. Squeeze the orange juice and strain over the fruit and gently mix together. Chill for an hour if possible.Tear or shred the mint leaves and scatter them over the salad. Serve on its own or with pouring cream

Mango Madness Salad

Ingredients:

5 mango, peeled and diced 6 fresh strawberries, sliced 1/2 cup blackberries

1/4 cup chopped cilantro 1/2 lime, juiced

Directions: 1. Combine mangos, strawberries, and blackberries in a bowl. Toss with cilantro and lime. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Magic Sauce

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 medium cloves of garlic, smashed into a paste
1 well-crumbled bay leaf
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon + fine grain sea salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Gently warm the olive oil over medium-low heat in a skillet or pan, until it is just hot. When hot remove from heat.
While the oil is heating, lightly pound the rosemary, thyme, and oregano in a mortar and pestle.
Stir the paprika, garlic, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, and salt into the oil. Then add the bruised herbs and lemon juice.
You can use this now, but know - the oil just gets better as it ages over a few days. Keep it in a refrigerator for up to a week/ten days-ish. It thickens up when cold, so if you need it in a liquid state, place it in the sun or in a warm place for a few minutes.
Makes ~2/3 cup.

Prep time: 5 min - Cook time: 5 min

Linguine with Garlicky Bread Crumbs

Ingredients

• 1 slice day-old hearty white bread (such as Pepperidge Farm), torn
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 ounces uncooked linguine

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 250°.
Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 2/3 cup. Place breadcrumbs on a baking sheet. Bake at 250° for 30 minutes or until dry.
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Return pan to heat. Stir in breadcrumbs, and cook 6 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Place pasta in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, breadcrumbs, parsley, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper; toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.

The Perfect Tomato Salad

serves 4 as a side dish

3 tablespoons best-quality olive oil
1/4 cup best-quality balsamic vinegar
1 pint grape tomatoes, rinsed and halved length-wise (cherry tomatoes are a fine alternative)
1/4 loosely packed basil leaves, sliced thin, as in a chiffonade
coarse salt
freshly ground pepper
Heat the olive oil and a little less than half the vinegar over a low flame until bubbling and just beginning to reduce, about 2 minutes. Toss the tomatoes with the hot liquid, sliced basil and salt and pepper to taste. Go easy on the salt, you'll add more just before serving. Cover and allow to sit out before serving, up to 4 hours. Just before serving, reduce the remaining vinegar in the same manner as before: over a low flame, watching it bubble until it begins to reduce in volume. Toss the tomatoes in their own juices, then drizzle the newly reduced vinegar over the mixture and toss lightly. Add a final sprinkling of coarse salt, to taste.

Slow-Cooked Broccoli with Crunchy Lemon Breadcrumbs

serves 4 to 6 as a side dish 1 1/2 pounds broccoli
3 to 4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt
Red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups fresh, roughly textured breadcrumbs (made from stale bread)
Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)
1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
Break down your broccoli as follows: Cut the thick stems from the florets, peel and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Break the florets into pieces. If the garlic cloves are small (the size of an almond) leave them whole. Cut larger cloves into halves or quarters.
Pour the olive oil into a large pot (4 quarts or so) that has a tight-fitting lid. Add the broccoli, starting with the stems and followed by the florets, and garlic and a pinch of salt. Add about 2 or 3 tablespoons of water and put on the lid. Place over a medium low flame and cook until you can hear the liquids starting to simmer (about 10 minutes.) It's OK to peek in the pot to see how things are going. Turn the flame down as low as possible and continue cooking until the broccoli is limp and completely soft, about another hour. Turn off the heat but keep the lid on.
In a large frying pan, heat up the oil and butter and add the breadcrumbs (and optional red pepper flakes) and sauté until the crumbs begin to brown. Add a small pinch of the salt and turn off the heat. Using a microplane or a fine grater, carefully grate just the peel from the lemon and toss in with the crumbs.
To serve: Remove the broccoli from the pan with a tongs until the only thing left in the pot are the cooking liquid and the garlic cloves (which will be quite soft.) Smash the cloves against the sides of the pot and mix them into the liquid and pour it over the broccoli. Sprinkle on the breadcrumbs, grind some fresh pepper over everything and serve.

Empanadas with Corn Filling ("Humitas")

Makes 12 small or 8 large empanadas
For the dough:
3 cups flour
1 1/2 sticks butter, chilled and cut into cubes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
8 tablespoons cold water
For the filling:
4 cups fresh corn (approximately 1 bag of frozen corn is fine)
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon mustard
3 tablespoons milk
1 small squeeze of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
For assembly:
1 large egg, whisked
Sea salt or Maldon salt to taste (for garnish)
In a food processor, pulse to combine the flour, butter and salt. Whisk together the egg and the water and add in individual tablespoons until dough just comes together. Press into two discs and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for about 30 minutes to an hour in the fridge.
In a large skillet on medium heat, cook the corn and green onions in olive oil for about 3 minutes. Add garlic, mustard, milk, lemon juice, paprika, salt and sugar, and cook for 5 minutes more until the corn is soft and spices have melded. In a food processor, pulse about 3 or 4 times, until the mixture is homogenous but leaving a few corn kernels whole.
Remove dough from fridge, and roll out on a floured surface as thin as you can, about 1/4 inch or so. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut round circles using the back of a small saucer (I used a 3-inch for small empanadas and a 6-inch for larger empanadas).
Transfer rounds to a parchment–lined baking sheet. Place 1-2 tablespoons of filling into the center of each round, folding in half and crimping with a fork to enclose the pastry. Brush the tops with egg and dust with a little sea salt or Maldon salt, if you have it. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until empanadas are golden brown.
Serve immediately with white wine or lemonade.

Roasted Balsamic Vegetable Pasta with Mint & Yogurt

Serves 2 to 3 as a main dish
1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/2-inch cubes
1 small onion, cut into wedges
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 pound bowtie or other pasta
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup mint, chopped
Roasted red pepper flakes to taste
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt, or more to taste
Preheat oven to 450° F. Line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper (you can also use foil, but be sure to spray foil with cooking spray before adding vegetables). Arrange cauliflower florets, eggplant cubes, onion slices, and tomato halves (cut side facing up) on baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, stir and shake up the vegetable pieces, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are browned and softened.
While vegetables are roasting, cook the pasta in salted water. Mix the balsamic, olive oil, mint, and red pepper flakes (if desired) with a fork until blended.
Combine roasted vegetables with pasta and toss with balsamic dressing. While hot, add yogurt and toss to coat evenly.
Notes:
• Make sure to leave enough space between the vegetables when roasting so they brown and caramelize rather than steaming
• Cut vegetables in slightly larger than bize-sized pieces -- they will shrink when cooking. Keep the sizes fairly uniform to make sure everything cooks in the same amount of time.
• Depending on the size of your oven, you might need to roast the vegetables in batches.

Egyptian Tomato Soup

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (4 ounce) jar diced pimientos
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice; or 1 pound fresh tomatoes
1 (14.5 ounce) can low sodium chicken broth, or 2 cups homemade chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 limes cut into wedges
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a large stockpot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic, cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the pimientos and tomatoes, cover and cook gently for 10 minutes. Add the stock, chili powder and paprika and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Using an immersion blender (or transfer to a food processor or blender), puree until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh lime squeezed on top.

Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef

Makes enough meat to stuff 30 tacos
4 chipotle peppers (from a can) plus all the adobo sauce it sits in
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 red onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 head garlic, peeled and cloves smashed
5 dry bay leaves
2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Juice of 4 limes
1/2 cup cider vinegar
5 to 7 pounds beef brisket
4 to 6 cups beef or chicken stock


Stir together chipotle peppers and sauce, cilantro, red onion, garlic, clove, salt, lime juice, and cider vinegar in the insert of a slow cooker (if you have a food processor, pulse till combined first before adding). Place the brisket on top of this mixture. (I like to cut my brisket in two pieces so it fits better in the slow cooker.) Add stock to cover the meat and place bay leaves on top. Use tongs to move the meat around gently to combine everything and put the lid on.
Cook on HIGH for 4 hours. Once finished, turn crock pot to WARM and let sit for 6 to 8 hours.
I like to make mine before bed and then let it sit on WARM overnight. This allows the meat to cook fully and then come to a point where it can be shredded easily and will essentially fall apart when pulled with a fork. If you don't have overnight to accomplish this, another hour of cooking on HIGH will get the job done. The meat will not be as tender, but will still be tasty.
Remove meat from slow cooker and place on rimmed baking sheet. Use two forks to pull the meat apart. Discard the fat, if desired. If you plan on frying it again before use, the small fat bits are extra tasty and should be kept! Place shredded beef in large bowl and ladle cooking liquid over the top a few scoops at a time. You want the meat to hold the liquid but not swim in it.
To keep it warm for guests you can return it to your slow cooker after you have removed the remaining liquid. That liquid is extra tasty and can be frozen into ice cube-sized portions to be used in other dishes later, if you so desire. Serve with fresh tortillas, onion, cilantro, and salsa.
Note: This recipe makes roughly 30 tacos, give or take. You can make two recipes back to back in your slow cooker for the initial 4 hour cooking time (or two slow cookers at the same time) and then add the meat to the same slow cooker to sit overnight since the meat will have reduced in size. This will allow 60 tacos of meat to be finished up at the same time.

Minestrone soup

Ingredients

• 3 large carrots , roughly chopped
• 1 large onion , roughly chopped
• 4 celery sticks, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves , crushed
• 2 large potatoes , cut into small dice
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2l vegetable stock
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 400g can butter or cannellini beans
• 140g spaghetti , snapped into short lengths
• 1⁄2 head Savoy cabbage , shredded
• crusty bread , to serve

1. In a food processor, whizz the carrots, onion and celery into small pieces. Heat the oil in a pan, add the processed vegetables, garlic and potatoes, then cook over a high heat for 5 mins until softened.
2. Stir in the tomato purée, stock and tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 mins.
3. Tip in the beans and pasta, then cook for a further 10 mins, adding the cabbage for the final 2 mins. Season to taste and serve with crusty bread.

Tilapia in thai sauce

Ingredients

• 4 tilapia fillets
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 4 spring onions , sliced
• 2 garlic cloves , crushed
• small piece fresh ginger , finely chopped
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• juice 1 lime , plus 1 lime chopped into wedges, to serve
• 1 red chilli , deseeded and sliced
• handful Thai basil leaves or coriander leaves

Coat the fish fillets in the cornflour, then set aside. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan, sizzle the fillets for 2-3 mins on each side until crisp, then remove and keep warm. In the same pan, briefly fry the spring onion, garlic and ginger, then add the soy sauce, brown sugar and lime juice and simmer until slightly syrupy. Spoon the sauce over the fish, scatter with chilli, Thai basil or coriander, then serve with the lime wedges.

Chilli prawn noodles

Ingredients

• oil , for frying
• 1 red chilli , chopped
• 1 orange or red pepper , deseeded and sliced
• 150g sugar snap peas , sliced lengthways
• 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 3 tbsp ketchap manis or soy sauce with a pinch of sugar
• 2 x 150g straight-to-wok medium noodle , pouches
• small bunch chives and coriander
• 300g raw peeled prawns

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or frying pan and cook the prawns for 1 minute. Remove.
2. Tip in the chilli and pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the spring onion and sugar snap peas and cook for 1 minute, then add the sweet chilli sauce, ketchap manis, noodles and about 100ml water.
3. Simmer for 2 minutes until the sauce is syrupy, then stir in the prawns.
4. Snip the chives and coriander over.

Falafel

Ingredients:

• 2 x 400g tin of chick peas
• 2 x small onions
• 2 x clove garlic
• 2 x eggs
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp coriander
• 2 tsp paprika
• Large bunch of fresh parsley
• 1tbsp lemon
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pepper

Finely chop onions and garlic and cook on low heat in oil until soft not brown,
Wash and drain chick peas and place in food processor with onions, garlic and all other ingredients. (if you don’t have a food processor mashing in a bowl will work but will take time).
To cook heat a fair amount of oil on a medium heat, shape mix into small patties and place in oil (makes about 16).
Cook for three minutes each side avoiding touching them while they are cooking and turning very carefully or they will break apart. Ideally would deep fat fry for a couple of minutes instead if you have a deep fat fryer.

Uzbek Palov Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs fresh lamb (better if you have some meat on the bone for the taste)
• 2 medium onions
• 5 medium carrots
• 3,5 cups of rice
• 1 bulb of garlic washed (optional) if the skin is to think remove the top layer only*
• 1 cup of canola oil
• 3 tsp of salt
• 1,5 tsp of ground cumin (or 1 tsp of ground cumin & 1/2 tsp of whole cumin)
• pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 8 cups of previously boiled water



Directions: Clean, wash and julienne carrots like in the below pictures
Cut the onion in half circles measuring 1/4 of an inch. Keep the meat in bigger chunks.
Heat the medium cast iron pan or a regular non stick pan. Add the oil and heat it on high heat until you see a slight smoke
Using a skimmer carefully and slowly lower the meat in to the oil. You should immediately see the boiling sensation around the meat. Keep on each side for 30 seconds and keep frying until desired color is reached. Remember you are frying the meat on a high heat. Once the meat has a slight brown crust put the onions on top. Add pinch of the cumin half of the salt and the black pepper. Mix everything well and keep mixing to prevent the ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Since you are cooking on high heat these steps are going to happen quickly. Stay on top of everything.
Color of the onions is the essential element do determine the color of the Palov. If you are aiming for a lighter color Palov, there is no need to much caramelize the onions.
Once the onions reach the desired color, put ready carrots in the pan. Add remaining salt and cumin. Stir everything well and fry until carrots are relatively soft. Keep stirring every 30 seconds to prevent the carrots sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once the carrots are ready turn the heat down to medium (5 in electric stove tops) and pour previously prepared 8 cups of boiled water.
Water will start simmering but not boiling. Add the garlic bulb, push it deeper in to the bullion and let everything simmer on medium heat for 1 hour. Meanwhile, depending on the type of the rice you are using, wash it thoroughly. Sometimes it takes multiple washes to get the starch out of the rice.
When the time is up, remove the garlic bulb and evenly distribute the rice with the skimmer. If the water is not enough, add some more water. If using the Basmati rice, keep the water level 1 inch above the rice, for any other time keep it 1/2 inch above the rice level. From this point, until Palov is ready, there is no mixing the ingredients together. You need to keep everything layered until Palov is ready.
Drop the garlic bulb back in the pan. Remember – your heat is on medium. Be attentive, water may evaporate faster than you expect.
Once the rice starts absorbing the water, take out the garlic bulb. Using the skimmer, flip the top layer of the rice to keep it evenly moist (this is the original way of letting the rice absorb the water. If you want to speed up this process close the lid of the pot for about 8 minutes and in medium-high heat let it stand for 10 minutes or until the rice absorbs the water. Check every 2 minutes, because you do not want the bottom of the Palov burnt).
Check the sides of the pan to make sure there is no water remaining. Turn the heat down to medium-low and quickly make a dome from the rice. Put the garlic bulb on top of the rice and push it in.
Cover the rice with a plate suitable for high temperatures. Put the lid on the pan and TURN THE HEAT DOWN TO LOWEST. In electric stoves it is 1. In Gas stoves it is barely visible flame. Let Palov rest for 20 minutes (Basmati 30 minutes).
Once the time is up, remove the lid and the plate. Remove the garlic bulb, extract the meat and mix the rest of the ingredients using the skimmer
Cut up the meat into a small cubes and serve it on top of the Palov.