These addictively savoury noodles, laced with fiery chilli oil and fragrant, mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns do require a reasonably well stocked Chinese larder, but are relatively straight forward to make and will quite possibly become a regular on your weekly menu.
Come on foodies... UP YOUR BURGER GAME! Our great friend Ping Coombes gave me this awesome burger recipe which incorporates our fabulous Jimmy's Satay sauce. The secret lies in good quality beef...
Fregola is a traditional pasta from Sardinia. It's made using Durum wheat semolina that's rolled into small balls and toasted in an oven, giving a nutty flavour and texture. Fregola sits somewhere between giant couscous and Levantine moghrabieh, both are wheat based. Fregola is really versatile - use it in salads, soups and risotto, or pair it with vegetables, meat or seafood.
Hawaij is a Yemeni spice blend with a wonderful sweet, earthy fragrance, it's deeply aromatic without any hot spice and is used to flavour soups and stews. This dish combines lamb with freekeh, a grain that's popular in the Middle East and used in salads and soups. If you haven't cooked with it yet, you're in for a treat - it's low in fat but high in protein and fibre.
This dish is a classic simple lunch or light supper and so easy with just four great quality ingredients, it's done in 10 minutes (the time it takes to cook the pasta) and tastes fantastic.
This recipe is like a beef stew with the added benefit that it all comes together in less than 10 minutes (with about 20 minutes of prep time). To save time and money use beef mince instead of sirloin.
This recipe is my homage to an amazing 'menú del día' of soft chorizo sausages, potatoes and beans, enjoyed in the Rioja region of Spain, where we ate and drank the most fabulous food.
Using mince is a great way to create quick and tasty meals from scratch. Mince is really quick to season - you don't need to marinade it for hours because there is more surface area for your spices to work their magic. Mince is pretty economical too...
It's fairly straightforward making a risotto but there are a few things you can do to take your risotto-making skills to the next level. Your choice of rice is key: Arborio is an obvious choice but in Italy, Carnaroli rice is the king for risotto. It has a higher starch content than Arborio which gives your risotto a creamier finish.
Gyozas are little, half moon shaped dumplings made out of a hot water, wheat flour pastry and stuffed with pork, chicken and vegetables. They are generally steamed before being crisped up in a pan and served with a dipping sauce. We think of Gyozas as being Japanese, in fact they actually originated in China but were adopted by the Japanese as they are soooooo good.
Shawarma is up there as one of my favourites, it's so tasty and the hands down winner over the Turkish Doner or the Greek Gyros. Although it's traditionally cooked on a large skewer, rotisserie style, it's easily possible to recreate this fantastic street food classic at home.
Leafy green vegetables are fantastic on pizza. Italians love 'Friarielli' but it's hard to find in the UK so I've used purple sprouting broccoli instead. Use creamy ricotta, salty olives, a good grating of Grana Padano, liberal use of some Calabrian spicy peperoncini and a fantastic pizza awaits.
Black pepper beef is one of those enduring dishes that's on every Chinese takeaway menu. This dish is super easy and really quick to bring together at home with just a few ingredients. Beef and black pepper are bold flavours and the combination will make your mouth water and your taste buds tingle.
If you've ever thought vegetarian food is slightly dull, hold on to your hats... this simple one-pot dish based on the humble chickpea absolutely packs in the flavour. The soft creamy chickpeas are cooked in a richly flavoured tomato sauce with a good splash of Fino sherry, dried chilli and smoked paprika. The dish is finished with roasted peppers, creamy aioli made with olive oil, a scattering of fresh parsley and a chunk of grilled sourdough.
There is something quite magical about a good fish stew, it packs in so much flavour, yet is still fresh, light and healthy. A great fish stew doesn't need to be complicated - if you can get hold of some fresh white fish and a few mussels or clams, foodie greatness awaits with just a few key store cupboard ingredients and about 45 minutes of your time.
