The idea of a dressing is to enhance the flavour of the food you are eating. The acid from the vinegar contrasts with the sugar, salt and oil to heighten the pleasure we get from eating. Dressing hot, cooked vegetables is just as gratifying as dressing cold salad leaves, almost more so.
It's so exciting to think that one fifth of the way through the 21st century and here in the UK, we are still making new food discoveries. I was first introduced to chimichurri sauce by a friend of mine a few years ago. Beaming with excitement, he proclaimed, 'you're gonna love this', as he slathered the thick, herby sauce over a freshly cooked steak. Of course, like most new food discoveries, there is nothing new about chimichurri sauce. It's been an Argentinian staple for generations.
The tacos that you find on every Mexican street corner are often cooked really quickly - it's street food, you can't hang about. We have a recipe that will allow you to make really quick authentic tacos, that are so tasty, it will become your 'go to' meal.
Unless you are an aficionado on Mexican food, some of the different dishes can be a little confusing - enchiladas, chilapitas, quesadillas, gorditas, chilaquiles, sopes, tamales, tostadas, empanadas. One thing is for sure, each and every one of them will be packing a serious amount of flavour, I guess that's why traditional Mexican cuisine is protected by UNESCO.
Everybody loves a good curry and our centuries old love affair with Indian food is as strong as ever. I've met quite a few Western trained Indian chefs who have all told me how tricky it is the master the art of great Indian food. Balancing out the flavours requires such skill.
Orecchiette is a pasta shape that hails from the Southern Italian region of Apulia and is perfect for this beautiful pasta dish. Pangratatto is effectively just fried breadcrumbs but it's a great addition to this dish as it adds a brilliant texture. There are lots of different squashes now widely available from good green grocers. We got ours from a fantastic local organisation called Root Connections www.rootconnections.co.uk - a charity that helps homeless people. They have a small farm where volunteers and residents grow fabulous produce to supply homes and restaurants with the fruits of their labour, check it out, it's amazing.
In the last few months I've been experimenting with different ingredients and in particular, different sugars and syrups. Although fuel is the main purpose, flavour is equally as critical. My cycling buddies have been enthusiastic candidates for my flapjack taste-test trials, and in the last few weeks, I think I'm getting close to the perfect recipe.
The idea of making sushi can be a little intimidating, particularly when you hear stories of 15-year sushi chef apprenticeships. The truth is, it's pretty straightforward. You can experiment with loads of different fillings - they are not hard to find in your local shop, and if you're not a fan of handling raw fish, then use smoked fish or just vegetables instead. You could also try different meat fillings like hoisin duck or char sui pork if you're feeling adventurous.
Pad Thai is one of Thailand’s iconic dishes with flavours of tamarind, palm sugar, fish sauce, roasted peanuts and zingy lime juice, it’s a real favourite along Bangkok’s famous famous Khaosan Road.
There is something primal about making your own pasta, a bit like making your own bread. I don’t always have time to do this (or the organisational ability), but when I do, it's deeply rewarding and tastes just SO GOOD. You need just two ingredients for this recipe...00 Pasta flour and fresh eggs.
There are so many good reasons to eat porridge for breakfast and whilst my Scottish Grandmother would possibly turn in her grave at this collection of recipes, I think porridge makes such a great base to indulge in different flavour combinations.
It’s widely said that at least three-quarters of Mexican’s will eat on the Streets at least once or twice a week. And why not? Here, vendors sell everything from snacks and beverages to massive sandwiches and full platters of food.
Tacos are one of the most popular street snacks. They are commonly filled with pork, beef or chicken but can also contain beans, cheese, cactus, potato or fish. Salsas are always on offer and every taco stand will have one red and one green salsa and often salsas made from avocado, roasted chillies plus a mixture of chopped onions and sour cream.
Both my kids love Wagamama, for a multi-site restaurant group, they do a really great job. Chicken Katsu is an absolute favourite on their menu, it's pure comfort food. Crispy breaded chicken breast slathered in a luscious, silky curry sauce served with rice and salad, yes please.
This recipe is really simple to make and is a total joy to eat, our Katsu Curry paste does all the hard work for you. Panko breadcrumbs are used extensively in restaurants but often over looked in the home. The way they're made gives you a much lighter, crisper crumb than just blitzing up fresh bread - try it and you'll never go back.
You could easily be mistaken for thinking that a Poke bowl is a Japanese invention, but actually it's one of the national dishes of Hawaii. Slap bang in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Hawaiian cuisine has lots of influences from the Orient.
Chilli con carne is a huge family favourite of ours and although this is really more of a Tex-Mex dish, the array of Mexican ingredients that we have will transform your everyday chilli into the most delicious meal.
Although it’s the national dish of both Malaysia and Singapore, Laksa can be found right across South East Asia, it’s basically comfort food. The fragrant, noodle soup has hundreds of variations but it’s always so popular and my version is really quick to whip up on a busy midweek evening.
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