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.
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.
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.
A good mole has layers of contrasting, rich sweet and savoury flavours in the sauce. Pasilla and Ancho chillies combine to give a lovely roasted fruitiness with mild chilli heat, whilst the cocoa and spices lend themselves perfectly to this unctuous, velvety sauce. There's good reason why 125 million Mexican's go nuts for it and they've made it their national dish.
Ready for a cauliflower renaissance? No more soggy, over-cooked mush, cauliflower deserves to be a dinner-plate hero! This humble vegetable is simply transformed when roasted - it's sweet and nutty with hints of smoky charring on the edges.
We sell the best corn tortillas that make amazing Mexican tacos, but what do you do with any that are left over? In Mexico, they make tortilla soup. Tortilla soup in Mexico is as common and well-loved as French onion soup is in France. With a base of pasilla chillies and a touch of smoky chipotle, it's warming, comforting and certainly lifts the spirits on a cold day.
Not everyone knows that Spain has a huge cider-drinking culture, but in the Northern region of Asturias there are plenty of apple orchards and sidra is a really popular drink. In the bars of Asturias, the waiters pour cider with a flourish - holding the cider bottle with one hand, a couple of feet above their heads, and pouring it into special glasses that are held below their waists with the other hand. This takes a fair bit of practice and unless you're happy to mop the floor up afterwards, not recommended to try at home!
Eating freshly barbecued sardines, fresh from the sea is one of life's absolute joys. If you can't get to the Mediterranean or it's too cold to light your BBQ at home, here's the next best thing. These smoked sardines are fantastic quality and I can't think of a better way to enjoy them than on a slice of Village Baking Co sourdough with a few sweet cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion and a squeeze lemon.
Nasi Goreng might sound exotic, but foodies this is one of THE BEST dishes for using up all those random odds and ends lurking in the depths of your fridge - especially if you have some leftover cold rice too. The secret weapon here is kecap manis, it's a wonderfully sweet and savoury Indonesian soy sauce that tastes amazing, it's the perfect seasoning for the rice and brings all the flavours together perfectly.
