Categories
Italian Main course Pasta Ravioli fillings Starters Vegetarian

Ravioli with walnut sauce

First make the walnut sauce: The walnuts need to be shelled which is quite painstaking but necessary to remove the bitter flavour. There are two ways to shell them: 1. Cover them with boiling water, leave to stand for 3 minutes and drain. Rub in a clean tea towel which will remove some of the […]

Categories
Asian recipes Chicken Starters

Tangy Thai chicken

Mix everything together (except the oil and soy) in a bowl. Cover and chill for half an hour in the fridge. To cook, heat a wok or large frying pan until almost smoking. Add the oil and then the chicken mixture. Stir fry on a high heat for about 5 minutes or until the chicken […]

Categories
Asian recipes Chicken Starters

Thai chicken patties

Cut the chicken into chunks and pulse in food processor to break down.  Finely chop the chilli, lemongrass, ginger and garlic. Add to the chicken along with the fish sauce, lime zest and coriander and pulse again. Season if required. Once happy with mixture, shape into small patties. This is easier if you wet your […]

Categories
Chicken Italian Main course Pasta Starters

Tortellini in Brodo

Make pasta: Sift flour and salt into food processor, slowly pour in the egg and yolks , followed by the olive oil. As soon as the mixture comes together into a dough, switch off the machine. Put the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10-15 mins, until smooth. Wrap in cling […]

Categories
Italian Main course Pasta Ravioli fillings Starters Vegetarian

Butternut squash ravioli with sage butter

Place the squash in a roasting tray, skin side down. Drizzle over the olive oil and sprinkle on the fennel, chilli, oregano, salt and pepper. Rub this mixture into the squash. Roast in a hot oven (abot 200C) for 20-30 minutes or until the squash is cooked (see Cook’s tip). Once cooked, scrape the flesh […]

Categories
Chicken Italian Starters Xmas recipes

Chicken and pancetta terrine

In vase you need more meat on Christmas this is perfect, this pancetta and chicken terrine is actually quite light and a greater starter or mid course if you don;t have enough food going on already

Categories
Asian recipes Fish Pork Starters

Fried Vietnamese pancake

Ingredients: 100g Rice Flour 2 Eggs 175ml Coconut milk 1/2 tsp Turmeric 1/2 tsp Sugar Salt 2 tbsp Fish sauce 1 tsp Palm sugar 200g Pork fillet 8 Large prawns Black Pepper Handful of beansprouts 4 Spring onions Method: Make a batter by beating the eggs in a bowl and adding in the rice flour, […]

Categories
Asian recipes Fish Starters

Fried Vietnamese spring rolls

Ingredients: Filling: 60g Rice noodles (thin ones) 1 Cup of raw prawns, peeled, de-veined and roughly chopped 1 Small red onion, very finely chopped 2 Spring onions, finely chopped 1 Large cloveof garlic, finely chopped 1 Carrot, peeled and grated Small handful sugar snap peas, sliced Small handful of beansprouts A few sprigs of fresh […]

Categories
British Salads Starters Vegetarian

Winter salad

Ingredients: 2 Bulbs raw fennel, quartered 1 Orange, segmented 1 Apple, sliced Rocket or other bitter salad leaves Black olives Extra virgin olive oil (Sicilian is particularly good) Method: Place fennel in cold water for 10-15 minutes. Rinse, drain and slice thinly.  Mix with the orange and apple. Add salad leaves and olives. Drizzle with […]

Categories
Indian Starters Vegetarian

Vegetable samosas

Ingredients: 2 Medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 1 Onion, finely chopped A little groundnut oil Half a cup frozen peas Quarter cup of currants or sultanas 2 tbsp Chopped coriander 2 tbsp Lemon juice 1 tbsp Soy sauce 1 tsp Ground cumin Pinch of hot chilli powder (or half tsp chopped fresh chilli) […]

Categories
Asian recipes Chicken Pork Starters

Vietnamese chicken balls

Ingredients: 500g Chicken mince (make your own by chopping thigh meat in a food processor) 3 Cloves garlic, crushed 3 Shallots, finely chopped 1 Stalk lemongrass, finely chopped Few leaves of fresh mint and some fresh coriander, chopped 1 tbsp Fish sauce Salt and pepper Vegetable oil A large bunch of mint, leaves picked 2-3 […]

Categories
British Soups Starters Vegetarian

Spiced Tomato Soup

Ingredients: 1 Onion, chopped 1 tsp Paprika 2 Whole cloves 2 Bay leaves About 5 gratings of nutmeg 2 Tins tomatoes 1 litre Vegetable stock Juice of half a lemon Pinch of sugar A dash of port (optional) 2 Tomatoes, finely chopped Method: Soften the onion in some olive oil and butter and then add […]

Categories
Asian recipes Chicken Soups Starters

Spicy chicken, lentil and coconut soup

Ingredients: 1/2 tsp each Fennel, cumin and coriander seeds 3 tbsp Oil 1 Leek, thinly sliced 2 Carrots, grated 2 Red onions, thinly sliced 2 Bay leaves 6 Cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 Red or green chilli, sliced 1 tbsp Chopped ginger 1 x 400g Can coconut milk 200g Red lentils 2 Chicken breast fillets, […]

Categories
Asian recipes Pork Starters

Spicy Thai pork

Ingredients: 250g Pork mince Pinch of salt 1 Clove of garlic, crushed 3 tablespoons Chicken stock Pinch of white sugar 3 tbsp Lime juice Pinch of chilli powder (or chilli flakes) 1 tbsp Fish sauce 1 sml Red onion Handful of mint and coriander leaves To serve: Steamed rice or baby gem lettuce leaves Method: […]

Categories
British Desserts Starters Vegetarian

Stilton Pate with celery and walnut salad

Ingredients: 200g Stilton, at room temp, crumbled 100g Full-fat soft cheese 1 tbsp Port Pinch of nutmeg 100g Walnut pieces 150g Back grapes, halved 4 Celery sticks, thinly sliced 2 tbsp Olive oil Juice of 1/2 lemon 4 tbsp Snipped chives Method: With a fork, blend the cheeses with the port and nutmeg and black […]