Würstsalat

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I learned this from a friend, Susi, while staying in Vienna producing an album. She used to bring lunch to the studio, and over the course of six weeks we had this several times. It's not only delicious, but simple to put together in about ten minutes. I make a big tub very often. You can keep dipping in for a snack over a few days...if you don't finish it all on Day One.

INGREDIENTS

• Knackwurst or kielbasa type smoked sausage - chopped into bite-sized pieces
• Sweet corn – tinned is good, include the water
• Tomatoes - chopped
• Red onion or spring onions chopped 
• Edam - cubed (or Gouda or similar cheese)
• Parsley - chopped... I like lots
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Lemon juice - just a bit
• Salt & pepper - loads of
• Water - it's good quite wet...about 100ml

METHOD

1. Chuck it all together in a big mixing bowl
2. Mix, and ladle into serving bowls
3. Eat with French baton, or any crusty bread you like to dip in

VARIATIONS

I sometimes add cucumber. Also you could put-in a bit of diced green or red pepper. I think Susi used chopped tinned tomatoes once. I much prefer fresh, but if you do use tinned don't add extra water.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Nuoc Cham

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This is one of those things I had in a restaurant some years ago for the first time, and I sat at the table scribbling a list of ingredients on a paper napkin. Since then I've made these spring rolls dozens of times - especially for Saturday lunch. I'm guessing not very many people have tried them, particularly at home, but they're dead easy. The only real effort is in chopping everything up. One pack of wraps from the Chinese grocer will last you ages.

INGREDIENTS

• Rice paper / tapioca wraps
• Cooked prawns, or pork - done spicy is extra good
• Spring onions - shredded
• Carrot - shredded
• Mint roughly chopped
• Peanuts - crushed
• Cucumber - small spears
• Lettuce (optional)
• Nori (sushi seaweed sheet chopped) (optional)
• Coriander (optional)

Gather together all your chopped ingredients in piles on a large plate.
I have a Tupperware with 8 compartments which is ideal.

            

SAUCE
If you don't want to bother making one, you can use a bought one. That orange coloured Thai chili garlic sauce also works well. This is a traditional Nuoc Cham, which is lovely. Just stir together:

• Lime juice 2 tbs
• Fish sauce 2 tbs
• Rice vinegar or white vinegar 1 tbs
• Palm sugar to taste
• Minced garlic - about 2 tsp
• Red chili - 1 small, fine copped
• Shredded carrot - 1 tbs
• Spring onion - 1 fine chopped
• Water - dilute a little to taste

METHOD

1. When the sauce is done and everything is chopped and ready, fill a wide bowl with hot water.
2. You are now ready to soak a wrapper 'til soft, then fill it with a little of each of the fillings. I like a little bit of sauce inside too.
3. Fold once, fold-in the sides, and roll shut.

If it gets a bit messy use a knife and fork.

Tomato, Mozzarella, Basil Salad (Insalata Caprese)

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This is not what you might call "cooking," but if you haven't tried this, just take my word for it, it's one of the best things there is. A taste of Italy in the colours of the Italian flag.

INGREDIENTS

• Tomatoes (treat yourself to some really good ones)
• Mozzarella 
• Fresh basil
• E.V. olive oil
• Salt & pepper

METHOD

1. Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella, and arrange on a plate with the larger basil leaves 
2. Add lots of salt, lots of cracked black pepper, and loads of olive oil
3. Eat in trios - one of each - and mop up the liquid with crusty bread

It's quite common to drizzle with balsamic, but I find it much more refreshing without

Tabbouleh

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This Lebanese salad is well known enough, but I only discovered it about 8 years ago. It really isn't much effort, and another one of those things to make a big batch of and snack on for a few days. Very refreshing and healthy. This is how I like it:

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup bulgar wheat
• Cucumber
• Tomatoes
• Spring onions
• Chopped mint - lots
• Chopped parsley - lots
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 ½ cups hot chicken stock or other desired stock
• ¼ cup good olive oil - or less
• Salt - plenty
• Pepper - plenty

METHOD

1. Soak bulgar in hot stock for 1 hour in a mixing bowl, covered with a plate. 
2. After an hour chill in refrigerator. 
3. Drain if excessively wet, but keep well-moist, then mix-in everything else
4. Adjust seasoning. 

Serve chilled on its own or as a side dish with cold chicken / prawns / salmon etc

Salmon Cakes with Asian Dressing

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I've had salmon cakes loads of times, all over the place....some really good ones too, particularly in Seattle and down the Jersey shore. This recipe is just my version - based on what I like about salmon cakes. The dressing gives it an Asian vibe, but you could use whatever you like.

INGREDIENTS

• Salmon 
• Spring onions – 3 finely chopped
• Chili – 1 finely chopped
• Celeriac - boiled and mashed (keep very dry, don’t add milk)

METHOD

1. Sear the salmon skin side down in a hot pan. Don't fully cook through.
2. Cool a bit on a plate, remove skin, and fry the other side of the skin 'til crispy. Set aside. Warning: open the windows and put the fan on high for this!
3. Flake the salmon flesh into a bowl keeping large flakes.
4. Crumble the skin and combine with the fish, chili, spring onion, and the celeriac, trying not to break up the fish.
5. Form into patties on a cold plate and put in freezer for about 20 mins to firm.

Meanwhile make the dressing. Whisk together:

• Juice of 1 lemon
• Soy Sauce - 2 tsp
• Sesame Oil - less than 1 tsp
• Honey - 1 tsp
• Minced Garlic & Ginger 1 tsp 

1. Fry the cakes in oil on medium heat, keeping their shape and allowing excess moisture to evaporate. 
2. Arrange salad leaves on serving plates and dot with the dressing. Top with salmon cakes and spoon-on more dressing

Reuben - Hot Pastrami Sandwich (Quick Version)

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In the UK we learned of pastrami from a fun 1970's TV advert for Colt 45 Malt Liquor, so the first time I went to the States I made sure I had me a hot pastrami on rye. Later, when I lived there, my favourite order at the diner became a Reuben - hot pastrami sandwich with all the trimmings. I had one at the famous Katz's Deli in NYC too. Now, I have seen pastrami on offer in the UK in recent years, but frankly it's just not right so I set about trying to make it myself. Waay too much time and effort! However, I've come up with a quick method. It's do-able and a lot closer than anything I've ever been served in the UK.

INGREDIENTS

• Beef brisket roasting joint
• Light olive oil

SPICE MIX:

• Coriander seeds, crushed
• Mustard seeds, crushed
• Bay Leaf, crushed
• Paprika
• Garlic powder
• Cloves
• Cinnamon
• Brown sugar
• Black Pepper
• Salt

METHOD

1. Combine all the spices. Make sure the seeds are well crushed
2. Pat-dry the beef. Cover with olive oil then roll it in the mixture
3. Preferably leave this wrapped in clingfilm overnight, though it will still be nice if not
4. Preheat oven to 200C
5. Quickly sear the beef in a hot pan for a minute or two, just enough to colour all over
6. Put in a suitable oven dish and cover with foil
7. Put in oven and immediately turn down to 170C for about 2 hours depending on size
8. Remove from oven and allow to rest and cool for 10 mins
9. Cut thin slices with a super sharp knife, or shred with two forks

TO SERVE

• Rye bread, large loaf, sliced
• Swiss cheese (or use Edam if not - I like Maasdam)
• Thousand Island dressing (just make your own with a mix of ketchup and mayo)
• Sauerkraut (get a big jar from the Polish shop or even supermarket)
• Gherkin (large pickle) sliced

Lightly toast the bread on one side, and choose how to plate it...

Open Sandwich (my choice)

Pile everything on 1 slice, melt the cheese on top, eat with a knife and fork

Sandwich

As above, and stick a lid on it

Sandwich with Everything on The Side

Leave out the gherkin and/or sauerkraut and/or dressing and have them on the side

You can put mustard on it too (American Yellow) if you don't think there's enough going on already.

Poached Salmon Sandwich

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INGREDIENTS

• Salmon
• Red onion or spring onion chopped
• Dill
• Lemon juice
• Low-fat plain yogurt
• Horseradish
• Salt & pepper
• Cucumber thinly sliced
• Watercress
• Multi-grain bread
• Butter

METHOD

Poach the salmon for about 7 minutes in seasoned water. 

Meanwhile, combine the other ingredients in a bowl, except the cucumber and watercress, to sensible proportions ie. to taste. Don't go over the top with the cucumber or lemon juice.

Cool and flake the salmon, then fold it into the mixture.

Butter the bread.  On one slice, layer the cucumber, then spoon-on the mixture, finished with watercress and top with the other slice of bread. 

Can also be done in a sandwich toaster.

Philly Cheese Steaks

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This is one of those much debated regional things. Where does the best cheese steak? With or without onions? Mushrooms? Best kind of roll? Sweet peppers? Hot peppers? You know how insistent people can be about such important issues. My wife is from Philadelphia and knows the deal. Nowadays, from time to time I make them here in the UK to enthusiastic approval, so I must be doing something right.

INGREDIENTS

• Steak, or a beef roasting joint such as topside, much cheaper and plenty good
• Large sub rolls. You need a long, soft, white bread roll. UK supermarkets have them these days
• Onion
• Sweet hot peppers - little round red peppers in a jar
• Pepperoncini - green jarred hot peppers
• Provolone cheese - hard to find here, so use Edam or Gouda slices
• Light olive oil/veg oil/whatever
• Salt & pepper
• Ketchup

METHOD
Prepare everything, because once the onions are done it only takes 3 or 4 minutes to make the finished thing. So:

1. Warm the oven
2. Sharpen your best knife
3. If using a roasting joint, slice it up super thin; shaved, tiny. About 1" x 1/2" x 1/8" thick. Steak can be a bit bigger but still small
4. Cut your bread roll down one side, leaving a hinge - as you would for a hot dog
5. In a large frying pan, brown the onions until starting to frazzle and set aside in the oven.
6. Heat some oil in a hot pan and chuck-in a handful of meat (one serving) with salt and pepper
7. Toss it around for 30 seconds and add plenty of cheese. Mix together a bit.
8. Throw on some onions then cover with the spread-open bread (open side down)
9. Lower heat, cover. After 2 mins warming, snap the bread closed around the filling and move it to a plate
10. Put a few peppers on top and a squirt of ketchup

The jarred hot and sweet peppers are easy enough to find in the supermarket. I always have loads of this kind of thing in the fridge or cupboard. You could even use those pickled jalapeno slices.

People do like mushrooms and/or bell peppers fried-in, but to me these introduce too much water and turn the meat grey. I like to fry this hot and fast, keeping the beef pretty rare.

Moqueca de Peixe (Brazilian Fish Stew)

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I discovered this in the most idyllic of settings - a beach bar on a tiny island near Paraty in Brazil (pictured.) Looking on the www it seems there are all kinds of variations on this theme but I basically just asked at that beach bar what the flavour in the sauce was, and had a go making it when I came home. It turned out just the way I remembered. You MUST use coconut water, otherwise it just isn't it. Also the authentic method is to use palm oil, which is really high in saturates, and reputedly not a sound environmental choice, so if you prefer, use butter and regular oil, but palm oil does give a distinctive flavour all its of own.      

INGREDIENTS

• White fish fillets (anything meaty such as cod) 1 per person +1 'cos you'll want seconds
• Small prawns - many as you like
• 3 small tomatoes sliced in rings
• 1 onion cut into rings
• Fresh coconut water (NOT white tinned coconut milk)
• Palm oil (or butter and any light oil)
• Juice of half a small lime
• Dash of peri peri sauce (this is not a spicy dish, so just a bit for flavour)
• Bread crumbs
• Brown sugar

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Gently fry the onion in the palm oil. Remove to a plate. 
3. Salt the fish and add to the pan skin-side down. Cook just long enough to get the skin browning, then pour-in the coconut liquid, prawns, tomatoes and bring to a gentle simmer. Adjust seasoning and add lime juice and a dash of hot sauce.
4. Transfer everything to a shallow oven dish and cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile make the  breadcrumbs - basically breadcrumbs slightly sweetened with a pinch or two of brown sugar. 
6. Plate-up the fish portions and sauce. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top to soak up the broth.

Mixed Greens Frittata

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I love greens. They're cheap, plentiful, and super good for you, yet everybody knows we don't eat enough. Here's a delicious way to make a meal of 'em.

INGREDIENTS

• Eggs - about 2 per portion/person
• Cheese - parmesan, cheddar, combinations, whatever you like
• All kinds of chopped greens: Spinach, Rocket, Chard, Mustard greens etc
• Fresh herbs. I like lots of parsley, but whatever you fancy
• EV Olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Salt & pepper

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and bring a large pan half full of salted water to a rolling boil.
2. Start with the tougher greens - adding each type to the pan for their varying lengths of time - until just cooked. Keep up the boil as each goes in, in order to retain the colour.
3. The salad greens can go in for a moment at the end, just to soften them.
4. Drain and squeeze as dry as poss then add the herbs and season with salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice. Mix well.
5. Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl and season, then tip-in the greens and combine.
6. Pour the lot into a baking dish and put into the oven for 40min, then check. It will probably need another 10 or 20 mins depending on the size of eggs, amount and type of cheese...

If you want to defeat the object of this recipe, nobody's going to stop you chucking a little bacon into the mix.

Alternatively, you can bake in a muffin tray for individual portions. If you do it this way, share out the greens, cheese, and beaten eggs separately to each portion instead mixing it together in a bowl. Oven time will be less - about 25 mins.

Meatballs with Courgettes

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INGREDIENTS

• Pork mince
• Mixed herbs
• Salt & pepper
• Courgette

SAUCE

• Plain flour
• Butter
• Milk
• Salt & white pepper

METHOD

1. Season the pork mince with salt, pepper and a little dried herbs.
2. Form into golf-ball size and put them on a plate into the freezer for 10 - 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile make a bechamel (white sauce) with salt and a fair bit of white pepper.
4. Fry the meatballs on medium heat to brown evenly and cook through.
5. For the last couple of minutes add a knob of butter to the pan and add the chopped courgettes.
6. Remove all from the pan and discard the oil. Gently stir the meat and veg into the sauce, You can leave them gently warming in the sauce if you think the meatballs need to cook through a bit more.
7. Serve on plates sprinkled with some chopped parsley. Serve with ribbon pasta/ tagliatelli if you want to make a bigger meal of it.

Italian Sausage & Peppers

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My wife used to make this Italian-American favourite. She's from that Philly/Jersey part of the country where it's popular. As always with this kind of thing, different people like it different ways, but this is how we do it. Sadly though, fennel flavoured Italian sausage is not generally found in UK supermarkets. Sainsbury's do a "Sicilian inspired" one which is something like, but I've found a couple of butchers who make their own. When you think about it, you could follow this recipe and substitute some other interesting, punchy sausage such as chorizo. Obviously it wouldn't be "Italian" any more, but it would nevertheless be something very good.

INGREDIENTS

• Italian sausages
• Onion 2 medium-large, sliced
• Peppers - 1 red 1 green 1 yellow (or whatever you like) sliced
• EV Olive oil - be generous with it
• Balsamic vinegar (optional)
• Salt & pepper

METHOD

1. Quickly brown the sausages in oil and set aside before fully cooked through
2. Add more oil to the pan and fry the onions until browning
3. Add all the peppers, season thoroughly and fry another 10 mins.
4. Chop up the sausages into bite-sized pieces and add back into pan (with a splash of Balsamic if you like)
5. Cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes or more, stirring occasionally until the onions and peppers are starting to melt into the juices.

Serve with crusty bread

FOOTNOTE
My wife had a go at making this with plain (British) sausages and adding crushed fennel seeds to the pan early on. Not a bad compromise apparently.

ALTERNATIVE
To spin it out further add some pasata or a tin of chopped tomatoes and serve with ribbon pasta. Very different though.

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Huevos Con Espinadas

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Poached eggs over wilted spinach with chorizo and pine kernels

I don't know if I can quite say I invented this - eggs and spinach is a popular enough combination - but I did come up with it in a moment of inspiration and it's kinda become my "signature breakfast" if I may make such a daft statement. I named it in Spanish because it has chorizo and 'cos it makes me sound cleverer than perhaps I am.

INGREDIENTS

• Eggs 
• Chorizo - sliced 
• Spinach - washed and squeezed dry-ish
• Pine kernels
• Parmesan cheese
• Salt & pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil

METHOD

1. Put the oven on super low with a baking tray for keeping things warm.
2. Toast the pine kernels in a hot dry pan. Set aside in oven.
3. Poach the eggs in low-simmering water with a splash of vinegar. Drain and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, add oil to the pan and fry the chorizo. Set aside, leaving the oil in the pan.
5. Crank up the heat and throw in the spinach with a good pinch of salt. Toss it around for a couple of minutes 'til it's all only just wilted. Drain off any excess water.
6. Arrange the spinach in the middle of the plate. Egg on top, chorizo and pine kernels around the outside. Grate parmesan over it, black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

You can do the same recipe substituting bacon for the chorizo.
I recently tried it with pumpkin seeds instead of pine kernels - different, but very nice.
Oh go on then, you could fry the egg instead (it's quicker.)

Green Chili Stew

 (not my picture)

While in New Mexico I would, like most people, eat green chili at least once a day, often twice, sometimes every meal. The stuff is addictive; one of the hardest things to leave behind, and is simply not available in England. So I'm especially proud of this recipe because it took a lot of trial and error, and though it's put together necessarily quite unlike the traditional green chili, the final result is very reminiscent and extremely delicious.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 or more long sweet red peppers 
• 500g minced pork - try to dry some of the excess moisture
• 1x 200g jar green chili condiment  
• 1 tin pinto beans (you could use red kidney beans.) (To stretch further, use 2 tins)
• 1 litre chicken stock 
• Corn oil or any vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 chili fine chopped (optional)
• 3 cloves garlic or a tablespoon of puree
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved into a little cold water (slurry)
• Dried oregano
• Salt & pepper
• Fresh coriander

METHOD

1. Start by searing the whole peppers on a high gas flame until mostly black or charred.
2. Set aside in an airtight container/ziplock bag, seal the top to sweat the skins loose for 15 minutes or more.
3. Remove from the bag, scrape-off most of the skin and discard with the tops and seeds, leaving only the roasted flesh of the peppers. Don't rinse under tap, keep as much of the liquid as possible, that's flavour.
4. Cut into strips.  Set aside.
5. Gently fry chili, garlic in oil for 1 minute
6. Add the pork with black pepper and plenty of oregano - turn up the heat and quickly brown the meat
7. Add chicken stock, beans, the whole jar of chili, honey, red peppers, corn starch, and salt
8. Crank the heat for 10 mins or so, stirring frequently. Taste for seasoning – see if it needs more salt, honey, oregano...?
9. Simmer with a loose lid for about 30mins or put in moderate oven for an hour or so (oven is best) It can stay on a super low hob or in a low oven for hours.
10. Stir, taste again for seasoning. Add plenty of chopped coriander and serve with warmed tortillas

VARIATIONS

There are as many variations to this as there are to "Mama's spaghetti sauce." What I've tried to do here is keep the focus on the green chili and roasted pepper flavours. This recipe works much better by leaving out onion.

Often, a proper New Mexican green chili stew will include any of: carrot, potato, onion, posole (corn kernels) grated cheese, sour cream.

Some like to put extra honey on the tortillas, but I don’t. 

AND FINALLY
As an added bonus, save some for reheating the next morning. Stick an egg on it and call it breakfast. 

Green Chili Sauce

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This is as close as I can get using ingredients available in the UK. It has the right vibe though, and is easy enough to make reasonably often for Southwestern and Mexican dishes such as burritos and enchiladas.

INGREDIENTS

• Half an onion, very finely chopped
• Garlic puree - 1 heaped dessert spoon
• Green chili paste - at least 100g (half a jar)
• Chicken stock - 100ml plus as much as required
• Tomato juice/pasata 100ml
• Cornstarch - heaped teaspoon disolved in a little cold water
• Honey - half a teaspoon (or more, to taste. Careful!)
• Salt

METHOD

1. Slowly soften the onion and salt in oil, then add the garlic paste for a few more minutes
2. Add chili paste, chicken stock, tomato juice, honey and finally the cornstarch. 
3. Simmer for 10 mins, stirring frequently.
4. Taste the sauce, adjusting garlic/chili/salt/ to taste, and stock or cornstarch for consistency. 
5. Simmer very low for at least 15 minutes. Don't make it too thick!

Goulash with Pappardelle and Sour Cream

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I had goulash in Budapest once. Terrific. The one I always remember though was late one night with friends on a road trip at a little restaurant just over the Austria/Hungary border, accompanied by glasses of schnapps and gypsy violins. When buying the meat, be sure to get beef skirt, or if not, beef shin and this rich robust dish will melt in your mouth. Use a full bodied red wine too, like Hungarian Bull's Blood. Here's how I do it:

INGREDIENTS

• Beef skirt, 500g cubed
• Onion 1 large, chopped
• Garlic 1 tbs puree or about 4 cloves minced
• Caraway seeds, 2 tsp ground
• Flour
• Red wine – 1/3 bottle
• Tomato puree
• Olive oil
• Paprika
• Dried herbs
• Salt & Pepper
• Parsley to garnish
• PLUS: Pappardelle pasta (or tagliatelle) and sour cream

METHOD

1. Dust the beef in seasoned flour, caraway, and paprika.
2. Brown the onions in the oil – add the garlic, 2 mins and remove.
3. Brown the beef 3 mins and remove.
4. De-glaze the pan with the wine. Boil for 5 mins.
5. Return onions and beef to the pan with tom puree, more paprika, salt and dried herbs. 
6. Top up to cover with water. Bring back to the boil and adjust seasoning.
7. Cover with a lid, and place in a 160 C oven for 3 hours. 
8. Check each hour and adjust flavour. 
9. Leave off the lid for a while at the end if significant reduction is needed.
10. Cook the pasta in lots of salted water
11. Pile up pasta, then goulash, sour cream, chopped parsley on top

Gado Gado

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Whenever I boil potatoes I tend to do extra to keep in the fridge, ready to put something quick together the next day. This traditional Indonesian salad is a good option. It's not often seen in the UK, but it's really delicious and makes  a good dinner or quite a substantial lunch. If you make the sauce ahead of time and keep it sealed in the fridge, you can put this together in no time when you're ready to eat. 

SAUCE INGREDIENTS

• 200g peanut butter
• 1 small red onion
• 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, or a dessert spoon of puree
• 200 ml coconut milk
• 2 chilis - or Sriracha sauce works well
• Lime juice
• Fish sauce - teaspoon
• 1 dessert spoon brown sugar
• Peanut oil or other veg oil
• Salt if needed

METHOD

1. Gently soften the chopped onion in oil in a non-stick saucepan
2. Add the garlic for 2 minutes
3. Add the chili for a minute
4. Add the coconut milk, peanut butter, sugar, and a teaspoon or so of fish sauce
5. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently
6. Cool, add the lime juice, and adjust sugar/fish sauce/salt.

SALAD INGREDIENTS

• Hard boiled eggs
• Green beans - blanched/par boiled
• Boiled potatoes
• Beansprouts - apparently you shouldn't eat them raw, so blanch and cool
• Radishes
• Something for a crisp texture, such as prawn crackers (easiest) or pork crackling (optional)

METHOD

1. Chop it up
2. Mix it up
3. Pour-on the sauce and mix-in
4. Put crackers on top
5. Eat it

You can vary the salad ingredients to suit your liking, to include for example lettuce, tomato, cucumber, whatever you have. When all is said and done, Gado Gado is largely about the peanut sauce. I'd definitely always include the eggs, potatoes and beansprouts though.

An alternate presentation is to arrange on a platter with a bowl of the sauce and dip into it buffet style.

Ethiopian Lamb Curry

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A friend gave me a big jar of spice from Ethiopia called berbere, and on day one I enthusiastically chucked this together...just going for the vibe. It turned out great, and I still make the same thing from time to time. You absolutely need berbere to make this dish. I've checked online and it seems to be widely available in the UK.

INGREDIENTS

• Lamb, lean, appropriate for frying, cubed and dusted with seasoned flour
• Potatoes, in chunks, par-boiled
• Dried figs – 4 chopped in quarters 
• Onion, 1 large sliced
• Garlic puree - 1 dsp
• Ginger puree - 1 dsp 
• Stock - up to 1 pint, 
• Rosemary, fresh is good
• Berbere spice
• Salt

METHOD

1. Fry the onion
2. Add the garlic and ginger for a couple of minutes
3. Add the lamb fry on high until just sealed
4. Add a heaped dessert spoon of berbere and coat the meat, fry for a couple of minutes
5. Add the potatoes, figs, salt and sprigs of rosemary – couple more mins
6. Add the stock and bring to the boil, then lower to a simmer for a few minutes
7. Remove rosemary and serve.

Good served with flatbreads or cous cous, yoghurt, honey…
I've also done this using dried apricots instead of figs

Enchilada Sauce

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While it's good that Old El Paso have shelf space in the UK supermarkets, the only things I buy are the corn tortillas and the jalapenos. Anyway, try finding a jarred or tinned enchilada sauce in the UK, and I don't mean the powdered monstrosity in O.E.P.'s "enchilada kit." So you gotta make your own. As with all my Mexican recipes, you need a good green chili paste, but the rest is basic stuff.

INGREDIENTS

• Onion - 1 very finely chopped
• Garlic puree - 1 heaped dsp
• Green chili paste/puree - enough to make as hot as you like it
• Chicken and/or veg stock about 200ml plus as much water as required
• Tomato juice/pasata 70ml
• Garlic powder - 2 tsp
• Cornstarch - heaped dsp disolved in cold water
• Lime juice - 1 dsp - plus more at the end to-taste
• Oil
• Salt

METHOD

1. Slowly soften the onion in oil, then add the salt and garlic paste for 3 more minutes
2. Add everything else, ending with the cornstarch. Simmer for 10 mins.
3. Taste the sauce, adjusting garlic/chili/salt/lime etc to taste, and adjusting water and cornstarch for consistancy. 
4. Keep simmering for a while longer, and don't make it too thick!

Doro Wat (spicy Angolan chicken stew)

(Not my picture)

Doro Wat is the national dish of Angola. A friend gave me a big jar of spice from Ethiopia called berbere, so I was looking around for things to do with it and came across a few recipes including this one. You absolutely need berbere to make this dish. I've checked online and it seems to be widely available in the UK. This is a pretty unique dish and a massive favourite of mine. The traditional method is just to throw everything into boiling water, but I've employed a bit of classic technique and it's much better.

INGREDIENTS

• Chicken thighs, dusted with a little seasoned flour
• Hard boiled eggs – 1 per person (or more)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 lg spoon garlic puree and a bit less of ginger puree
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 pint, chicken stock
• Up to 1/2 pint wine (any you like)
• Lemon juice (splash)
• Berbere spice, pimenton, salt

METHOD

1. Using a large Dutch oven or similar, fry the chicken on medium-high heat just long enough to brown and seal but not fully cook through. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Soften the onion for 8 mins, then add the purees and the red pepper for a further 4 mins.
3. Add the dry spices and salt. Mix 3 mins. Prevent sticking.
4. Add lemon juice and wine to deglaze the pan. Boil it for a few mins to reduce.
5. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
6. Return the chicken. The liquid should barely cover it, add a little water if required
7. Lid on, and put in oven at 180C for at least an hour.
8. Check seasoning half way, and add eggs (whole or chopped) for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with rice and greens. Sometimes I add par-boiled potatoes to the pot instead of having rice.

Coronation Chicken - Quick

(not my picture)

This is almost cheating it's so quick and easy. Alternatively, to make a super quick snack you can just use leftover cold chicken, but the curry powder infusion does make it better. Gita's Mango Chutney is great.

INGREDIENTS

• Chicken breast
• Mayonnaise
• Mango chutney
• Chili sauce
• Chili powder and curry powder/garam masala...whatever you like
• Salt & pepper

METHOD

1. Simmer chicken breast in water with salt, curry powder, chili powder, for about 12 minutes
2. Mix in a bowl: mayo, mango chutney, chili sauce
3. Once cooled, shred the chicken and mix with the dressing.
4. Sprinkle a pinch of curry powder on top
5. Eat

VARIATIONS

• Add finely chopped celery
• Add spring onion
• Add fresh coriander
• Add a few raisins (or maybe not)

Cardomom Chicken Masala

(not my picture)

After discovering the wonders of using dry-rub marinade in Jamaican and Mexican cooking I thought of trying it with Indian. Good move! This curry has layers of flavour, and I usually do something on these lines if I'm cooking Indian for guests.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE MARINADE

• 3 large chicken breasts patted dry and chopped
• Cardomom seeds, about 3/4 teaspoon
• Coriander seeds, about 3/4 teaspoon
• Garam masala, 1 heaped teaspoon
• Chili powder, about half a teaspoon depending on heat
• Salt

METHOD

1. Using a mortar and pestle, grind the cardomom and coriander seeds for a few seconds. Add the garam masala, chili powder and salt
2. Make sure the chicken is dry then put it in a large ziplock bag with the spices. Shake it around to coat as evenly as possible I find it helps to keep some air in the bag
3. Set aside. If you leave this to marinate the day before or just earlier the same day, the flavour will penetrate more. To be honest I don't usually remember until a couple of hours before and it still works out fine.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE MASALA

• 1 large onion, pureed in a food processor. (You can keep portions of this in the freezer.)
• Tin of chopped tomatoes - or use some pasata
• Garlic puree, 1 heaped tablespoon
• Ginger puree, 1 level tablespoon
• Garam masala, 1 heaped teaspoon
• Turmeric, 1 level teaspoon
• Ground cumin, 1 level teaspoon
• Ground coriander, 1 teaspoon
• Curry leaves, about a dozen if you like them
• Veg oil
• Butter

METHOD

1. Heat the oil and 1/3rd of the butter in a Dutch oven or similar, and brown the chicken on all sides. Do this in 3 batches, adding a bit of butter each time. If you crowd the pan it won't brown, just poach. The chicken should be still undercooked inside. Set aside on a plate for later
2. Carefully add the pureed onion to the pan (careful, it will spit if it's wet.) Cook for a few minutes, then add the ginger and garlic for a further 2 minutes
3. Add the dry spices and mix into the puree for a couple of minutes. Don't let it stick and burn - add a little water if it starts sticking
4. Add the tomatoes and curry leaves and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the chicken and any juices from the plate. Bring back to the boil, then lid on, and put in oven at 180C for about half an hour. If you get the timing right the chicken will be lovely and soft inside, with an aromatic outside
6. I always chuck loads of fresh chopped coriander over it to serve

Caramelized Shallots

(not my picture)

Quite impressive yet really easy. Once you've had these you'll want them again.

INGREDIENTS

• Shallots
• Butter
• Sugar
• Good vinegar - I like red wine vinegar for this
• Salt & pepper
• Fresh thyme or parsley to garnish

METHOD

1. Peel off the dry outer layers and sauté in butter and sugar for 10 mins
2. Add some red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, toss around for a bit
3. Transfer to a small baking dish
4. Put in pre-heated 200 C oven for 20 mins or so...

Caper Butter Sauce (for fish)

(not my picture)

I had this at a dinner party and begged the recipe. It's nice and easy, but classy (ie contains butter and cream) making it a great choice for impressing people.

INGREDIENTS

• 1x tbsp Butter
• 60ml cup drained Capers
• 2x Garlic cloves, minced
• 60ml cup dry white Wine
• 300ml cups Cream
• Do Not over-salt (maybe none)

METHOD

1. Melt butter
2. Add capers, garlic, 1 minute
3. Add wine, simmer, reduce 1 minute
4. Add cream, bring to boil, 
5. Lower heat and thicken to coat back of a spoon (10 mins)
6. Season, and serve

Caesar Salad

(not my picture)

It's all about the dressing. After that, it's just piling things on a plate. You need to like anchovies and garlic for this one. It will have people saying wow. I started years ago with the Joy of Cooking recipe and messed about with it 'til I arrived at this:

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cloves garlic
• Salt - a good pinch
• Juice ½ lemon and a little of the zest
• 1 egg 
• 1 tbs mayonnaise
• 3 or 4 anchovy fillets
• Olive oil - about 120ml of the good stuff
• Black pepper
• PLUS: Romaine lettuce, croutons, parmesan

METHOD
If you don't have croutons ready, start by making some:

1. Cut slices of bread into cubes
2. Sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil (don't soak 'em to death) 
3. Put on a baking tray in a medium hot oven for 10 minutes, then shake about, and keep checking and shaking until they're just right. 
4. Season with salt and pepper

DRESSING

1. Chop the garlic and mash using the flat of a knife with salt on a chopping board to make a paste. 
2. Chop the anchovies and combine with the garlic paste. Scrape into a bowl.
3. Whisk-in lemon juice and zest, then the egg, then the mayo. 
4. Slowly add olive oil, whisking constantly to emulsify. 
5. Add pepper (you probably won’t want to add salt due to the anchovies being salty) 
6. Taste and adjust with more lemon, or oil, or mayonnaise to taste.

Arrange romaine lettuce (whole or chopped) on serving plates and add a handful of croutons, then spoon-over the dressing and finish with grated parmesan.

Let's see if I can think of a variation. Oh yes, that's it. Add chicken.

Breakfast Burrito

(not my pictures)

I lived in New Mexico for about 7 years, and ate loads of these. There are lots of variations, but I'm basing this recipe on the way I like 'em. The big drawback in the UK is that you just can't get the proper fresh roasted green chilis, but after trying everything I can find, I settled on the Rajah Minced Green Chilli Paste, which I buy in bulk and use it in lots of Southwestern and Mexican dishes. Using last night's mashed potato makes this ideal for that morning-after feeling.


INGREDIENTS

• Large tortilla
• Bacon
• Egg
• Mashed potato
• Green chili paste
• Crushed tomatoes (pasata)
• Coriander (cilantro)
• Salt & pepper

METHOD

1. Fry the bacon, egg with busted yolk, and potato
2. Meanwhile, warm the tortilla on a gas flame or hot plate and set it on a serving plate
3. Spread a dessert spoon of pasata and a heaped teaspoon of chili paste on the tortilla
4. Arrange the potato in a line at one end of the tortilla
5. Chop-up the bacon and seasoned egg and put it on top of the potato
6. Finish with some fresh coriander
7. Roll it up burrito style and eat

VARIATIONS

• Chorizo instead of, or as well as, bacon.
• Scramble the egg - use 2 eggs if you like
• Substitute hash brown or boiled crushed potatoes
• Use pinto beans in place of potato. Cook them 'til nice and soft.
• Some people add grated cheese, but I think this distracts too much from everything else
• Serve with salsa. Lots of locals use ketchup
• Make a lot more of the sauce and pour it over the outside (see my chili sauce recipes)

Black Beans and Chorizo

(not my picture)

I stayed at a hotel in Mexico City for a couple of days and had two breakfasts and a lunch in the restaurant. The buffet was terrific, and this dish in particular I kept going back for more of. Again, this is one where I made a note of the flavours and busked it when I got home.

INGREDIENTS

• Black beans - 1 tin
• Onion - 1 small, fine chopped
• Chorizo
• Garlic
• Chili sauce
• Garlic powder
• Dried oregano
• Corn oil
• Salt

METHOD

1. In a saucepan, heat the black beans including the liquid from the tin.
2. Add some chili sauce, garlic powder, oregano, and salt, and simmer for 10mins to soften
3. Meanwhile, in a frying pan brown the onion in a little corn oil
4. Add the chorizo and garlic for 3mins then transfer all this to the beans pan and simmer
5. At this point you can whizz it with a hand blender, but I prefer to leave it at that
6. Chuck a bit of coriander (cilantro) on it to serve

You can substitute bacon for chorizo.
If you can't find black beans, you can make something similar using pinto beans, or as a third choice, red kidney beans.
Stick an egg on it and call it breakfast.