Category: Recipes

Chilled cucumber soup ingredients
1 onion, diced
50g/2oz butter
550g/1lb 4oz cucumber, diced
1.8 litres/3pt vegetable stock
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
juice of 1⁄2 lemon
600ml/1pt single cream
salt and freshly ground
black pepper

How to make Chilled cucumber soup
• In a heavy saucepan, gently sweat
the onion in the butter until soft and
translucent, but not coloured. Add
the cucumber and continue to cook
gently for a further 5 minutes.
• Pour in the stock and bring to the
boil. Reduce the heat, season with
salt and pepper, and simmer for
5 minutes. Add the parsley and
lemon juice, and continue to cook
for a further 5 minutes.
• Blend or process the soup to a
purée. Allow to cool, then transfer
to the refrigerator to chill.
• When ready to serve, whisk in the
single cream. Serve chilled.

Thai beef curry ingredients
1 tablespoon tamarind pulp
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
700g/1 1⁄2 lb stewing beef (cubed)
500ml/18fl oz coconut milk
4 cardamom pods, bruised
500ml/18fl oz coconut cream
2 tablespoons curry paste
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
8 pickling onions
8 baby potatoes
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
75g/3oz unsalted peanuts, roasted and ground

How to make Thai beef curry
• Put the tamarind pulp and 125ml/4fl oz boiling water in a bowl, and
set aside to cool. Mash the pulp with your fingertips to dissolve it, then
strain and reserve the liquid, discarding the pulp.

• Heat a non-stick wok over a high heat, add the oil and swirl to coat.
Add the beef in batches, and stir-fry over a high heat for 5 minutes for
each batch or until browned all over. Reduce the heat, add the coconut
milk and cardamom pods, and simmer for 1 hour or until the beef is
tender. Remove the beef from the wok, then strain the cooking liquid into a bowl and keep to one side.
• Heat the coconut cream in the wok, and stir in the curry paste. Cook for 10 minutes or until the oil starts to separate from the cream. Add the fish sauce, onions, potatoes, beef mixture, sugar, peanuts, tamarind water and the reserved cooking liquid. Simmer for 25–30 minutes until the meat is tender. Serve hot.

Chicken soup ingredients
1 roast chicken carcass with meat left on
225g/8oz chicken wings
1 onion, diced
1 leek, diced
2 parsnip, diced
6 whole black peppercorns

How to make Chicken soup
• Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/
Gas mark 2. Put in a large heavy
saucepan with the chicken wings.
• Add the onion, leek and parsnip,
and bring to the boil. While the
water is heating, add the whole
peppercorns.
• Once the stock has boiled, transfer
to an ovenproof dish and cook in
the oven for 2 hours. Skim off any
scum from the surface using a
slotted spoon, and strain the stock
you have created. Discard
everything except for the chicken.
• When cool enough to handle, take
out the carcass and shred the
chicken before returning it to the
stock. Serve hot.

Almond Soup Ingredients
225g/8oz blanched almonds, minced
3 egg yolks, hard-boiled
1.2 litres/2pt chicken stock
25g/1oz butter, softened
25g/1oz plain flour
125ml/4fl oz single cream
salt and freshly ground
black pepper

How to make Almond Soup
• Using a mortar and pestle, reduce
the almonds to a paste with the
egg yolks and 1 tablespoon of the
stock. Set aside.
• Make a beurre manié by working
the butter and flour together into a
smooth paste using a fork. Bring
the remaining stock to a simmer in
a heavy saucepan. Add the beurre
manié in small knobs, whisking
vigorously after each addition until
completely dissolved. Whisk in the
almond paste until smooth, then
cook gently for 30 minutes.
• Strain the soup through a sieve into
a clean pan. Add the cream, and
season with salt and pepper.
Reheat gently and serve.

Beef fajitas ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, cut into strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Mexican chilli powder
450g/1lb minced beef
75g/3oz ready-prepared salsa
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
2 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 courgette, thinly sliced
4 x 25cm/10in flour tortillas
salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to make Beef fajitas
• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
• In a non-stick frying pan, heat the oil over a medium-high heat. Cook the
onion, garlic, chilli powder and seasoning, stirring, for 5 minutes or until
the onion is softened.
• Add the beef and salsa, and cook, breaking up the beef with the back
of a spoon, for about 3 minutes until the beef is no longer pink. Add the
peppers and courgette, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until the
liquid has evaporated.
• Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in foil and heat in the oven for 5 minutes
or until warmed through.
• Divide the beef mixture among the tortillas, and roll up. Serve the fajitas
immediately while still piping hot.

Chicken peperonata ingredients
8 skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons wholemeal flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 large red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 large green pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 large yellow pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
400g/14oz canned chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh
oregano, plus extra to garnish
salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to make Chicken peperonata
• Toss the chicken in the flour, then shake off any excess.
• Heat the oil in a wide frying pan, and sauté the chicken quickly until
sealed and lightly browned, then remove from the pan.
• Add the onion to the pan and gently sauté until soft. Add the garlic,
peppers, tomatoes and the 1 tablespoon chopped oregano, then bring
to the boil, stirring.
• Arrange the chicken over the vegetables, season well with salt and
pepper, then cover the pan tightly and simmer for 20–25 minutes until
the chicken is tender and the juices run clear. Check the seasoning,
adjusting if necessary.
• Garnish the chicken with the extra oregano, and serve hot.

Crispy shredded beef Ingredients
2 eggs
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons plain flour
350g/12oz beef rump steak, cut
into thin strips
vegetable oil for deep-frying
2 carrots, finely shredded
2 spring onions, thinly shredded
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
3 small fresh red chillies, seeded
and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoons beef stock
1 teaspoon cornflour

How to make Crispy shredded beef
• Beat the eggs in a bowl with the salt and flour, adding a little water if
necessary to make a batter.
• Add the beef to the batter, and mix well until coated.
• Heat a wok over a high heat, then add the oil and heat until smoking.
Add the beef and deep-fry for 5 minutes, stirring to separate the strips.
Remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on kitchen paper.

• Add the carrots to the wok, and deep-fry to about 1–1 1⁄2 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
• Pour off the excess oil, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the wok. Add the spring onions, garlic, chillies and deep-fried carrots, and stir-fry for
1 minute. Add the sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and stock to the wok, and
bring to the boil. Stir in the cornflour, and simmer for a few minutes to
thicken the sauce.
• Return the beef to the wok, and stir until well coated with the sauce.
Serve immediately.

Carrot and coriander soup Ingredients
175g/6oz onion, diced
50g/2oz butter
500g/1lb 2oz carrots, sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1.2 litres/2pt vegetable stock
2 teaspoons caster sugar
150ml/5fl oz whipping cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh
coriander leaves
salt and freshly ground
black pepper

How to make Carrot and coriander soup
• In a heavy saucepan, gently sweat
the onion in the butter until soft and
translucent. Add the carrots to the
pan, and cook, stirring from time to
time, for a further 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic and stock. Season
with salt and pepper and the
sugar. Bring to the boil, reduce the
heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Pour the contents of the pan into
a blender or food processor, and
blitz to a purée. Pour back into a
clean pan, and add the cream and
coriander. Taste and adjust the
seasoning, then heat the soup
through gently, stirring. Serve hot.

Pork with Stilton ingredients
350g/12oz boneless pork steaks,
cut into 1cm/ 1⁄2 in cubes
plain flour for coating
25g/1oz butter
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
75ml/3fl oz red wine
75g/3oz Stilton cheese, crumbled
salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to make Pork with Stilton
• Season the flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the pork thoroughly in the
seasoned flour. Heat the butter in a frying pan, and gently fry the pork
until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove from the pan using a
slotted spoon, and keep warm.
• Drain the fat from the pan and pour in the vinegar and wine. Stir,
scraping up all the meat residues, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat
to very low, and stir in the Stilton until it has melted. Taste and season
with salt and pepper.
• Spoon the sauce over the pork, then serve immediately.

Bacon & split pea soup Ingredients
50g/2oz dried split peas
25g/1oz butter
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 onion, thinly sliced
175g/6oz long-grain rice
2 tablespoons tomato purée
1.2 litres/2pt vegetable stock
175g/6oz carrots, diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley
4 tablespoons single cream
100g/4oz streaky bacon rashers
salt and ground black pepper

How to make Bacon & split pea soup
• Cover the split peas with plenty of cold water, cover loosely and leave to soak for at least 12 hours.
• Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over a medium heat, add the garlic and onion, and cook for 2–3 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the rice, drained soaked split peas and tomato purée, and cook for a further 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. Add the stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20–25 minutes until the rice and peas are tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

• Blend three-quarters of the soup in a blender or food processor to form a smooth purée. Pour into the remaining soup in the saucepan. Add the carrots and cook for a further 10–12 minutes until the carrots are tender.
• Stir in the parsley and single cream. Keep warm.
• Finely chop the bacon and put in a frying pan over a gentle heat. Sauté until the bacon is crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle over the soup, and season well with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.