Recipes

Oil infused with annatto seeds to give an orange colour. This oil can then be used in cooking to impart a yellow/orange colour. It will also give food a pleasant peppery, nutty taste.

This is a dish that combines the wonderful aniseed taste familiar to much Chinese cooking with a slow-cook European method of preparing beef.

A light cake delicately flavoured with aniseed, orange and almond. Delicious for afternoon tea

Chicken breast cooked in a sweet and sour thick curry sauce. This curry matures in flavour if made 1 or 2 days before required.

A moist cake flavored with apple and spices

A timeless apple and pastry desert. If you prefer you can substitute half of the apple below with pear. Delicious served with cream, vanilla custard or creme fraiche.

A mild chutney that makes a good accompaniment to cold ham and chicken.

A delicious traditional Puerto Rican dish that is a cross between a soup and a stew. A good one-pot meal that is easy to make if you have already prepared the achiote oil and sofrito used in this recipe (see separate entries).

A light, easy to make dip.

A different way to serve carrots. Good with roast beef

Fish oven baked, with a breadcrumb crust flavoured with herbs. Any firm fleshed fish can by used.

A deliciously sweet desert with a kick. A great way to use a pineapple that turned out to be less tasty than you thought it would be when you bought it!! The amount of chilli can be altered depending on your individual tastes. Fresh chillies can be used instead of dried.

Wonderfully aromatic starter or side dish. Baked red peppers stuffed with fennel, tomatoes and spices

Souvlaki are traditional Greek 'kebabs'. These are marinated in a spicy mixture before being cooked on either a BBQ or under the grill

A hearty winter vegetarian stew than can accompany a meat dish, or be eaten on its own.

This wonderfully aromatic dish flavored with baharat spices has been adapted from a traditional Lebanese recipe made with lamb and Navy beans. The cinnamon, clove and peppery baharat mix also gives a wonderful rich flavour to beef stews. This recipe combines beef and baharat spices with the South American black bean (turtle bean) to give a hearty, wholesome stew. N.B. Don't confuse the dried black beans in this recipe for the salty black beans familiar in Chinese cooking.

A classic Greek beef and onion stew

Marinated beef served on soft tortillas / tacos with a spring onion relish and a roasted vegetable salsa.

A robust soup of rural Eastern Europe. Usually served with sour cream and chunks of bread. Can be a meal in itself

Celery gently braised and flavoured with dill seed. A quick tasty vegetable accompaniment

A satisfying, nutritious hot salad

Chicken breasts marinated in spices and lemon. Great sliced into a Caesar salad, wrapped in a flour tortilla or eaten on its own with steamed rice and green vegetables. This recipe is also great for putting on the BBQ in summer

An easy to make sponge flavored with caraway seeds and mixed peel.

A wonderful coloured soup flavored with mace.

Carrots dressed with lemon juice and toasted caraway seeds and garnished with fresh coriander.

An easy to make soothing, caffeine-free tea.

Succulent chicken and ham combined in a filo pastry case. Can be served hot or cold.

A popular Indian dish with a tangy spicy flavour. The heat intensity of this dish can be varied depending upon your tastes by using more or less chilli than stated. If a mild curry is required it is advised to remove the chilli once the onion is fried. For a Korma recipe using Korma Curry Powder, see 'Easy Lamb Korma'

Chicken with onions - a hot dish, the chilli content of which can be modified to your taste.

Strips of spicy chicken served warm with peppers and onion on a bed of lettuce, dressed with a sour cream dressing. Ideal as a quick summer lunch.

A creamy chicken salad dish, flavoured with mild curry. Great with brown rice. This recipe calls for fresh chicken (hence the long preparation time), however, it is a good recipe to use up left over cooked chicken. Simply skip to the second stage of the recipe and adjust the quantities of the other ingredients to match the amount of cooked chicken you have available. This will give you a super supper dish in 10 minutes.

A quick to prepare chicken casserole, with herby flavours complimenting a creamy lager gravy

Seasoned strips of grilled chicken or beef wrapped in flour tortillas with sour cream, lettuce and cheese. Guacamole, chopped tomatoes and chopped chillies can also be added depending on your tastes.

Chicken or lamb cooked in a rich, slightly acidic sauce. This dish can also be made with leftover pieces of chicken or lamb. make the sauce and add the cooked meat to heat through at the end.

A quick and easy chicken and coconut soup from Thailand.

An easy way to make a pot of delicious chicken stock to use in all recipes. The true way of making good chicken stock calls for a whole, uncooked chicken to be used. This method, whilst not wasteful as you can still eat the chicken, is not particularly practical for many people. The recipe below uses cooked left overs which can still make a fine stock if treated correctly. You can easily freeze left over chicken bones as you eat them until you have enough to make a pot of stock. One word of warning - no matter which bit of the chicken you use, the quality of your stock will only be as good as the quality of your chicken. Buy the best you can. Cheap supermarket chicken rarely yields good flavoursome stock.

Britain's favorite Indian dish: grilled chicken in a rich tomato sauce. There is no one way of preparing this dish. This version marinates the chicken in spices and lemon juice and serves it in a tomato and yogurt sauce. See also the 'Easy Chicken Tikka Masala' recipe for a different method. Chicken Tikka Masala is surprisingly easy to do. The chicken can be prepared in advance and left to marinate longer than the stated time. Also the sauce can be made in advance and reheated when needed.

Deliciously flavored strips of belly pork. Can be eaten as they are, dipped in Hoi sin sauce (plum sauce) or chopped up and used in a stir fry or chow main dish. Ideal for cooking on a BBQ

Roasted chicken pieces with a honey and soy glaze, with Chinese 5-spice seasoning. The air drying of the chicken pieces produces a crispy finish.

A classic stir-fry method of cooking beef flavored with Chinese curry spices. Great served with noodles

An easy to make cinnamon short-bread type biscuit.

A recipe based on a Tanzanian stew. If you want to keep it as a main course stew, then reduce the liquid.

A slow cooked joint of meat flavored with herbs and cooled. Great sliced with salad and fresh bread.

Cooked cabbage leaves stuffed with a savory rice filling. Serve chilled as a starter or as a light lunch.

A classic french dish made easy. Chicken and onions cooked in a rich wine sauce. Great served with rice.

A creamy sauce ideal as an accompaniment to salmon

A Louisiana favorite

Crispy coated mushrooms with a creamy dip subtly flavored with curry spices

Crispy-coated mushrooms with a creamy garlic and tarragon dip

An unusual but tasty curry.

Doro Wat is a spicy Ethiopian dish. The recipe here has been adapted to use ingredients easily obtained in supermarkets. Great with boiled rice, couscous or unleavened breads

A Mexican chicken and potato stew in which the chicken is cooked in beer and spices.

Britain's favorite Indian dish: grilled chicken in a rich tomato sauce. This recipe uses ready-made tikka masala curry powder although you could substitute the spices listed under the 'Chicken Tikka Masala' recipe instead. This version marinates the chicken in yogurt and spices and serves it in a rich creamy tomato sauce. Surprisingly easy to do. The chicken can be prepared in advance and left to marinate longer than the stated time. Also the sauce can be made in advance and reheated when needed.

An easy to put together French Dressing for salads. This can be made in larger quantities and kept in a sealed jar in the fridge.

Lamb marinated in ready-mixed jalfrezi spices, then cooked and served in a thick, dry tomato sauce.

Lamb cooked in yogurt, ground almonds and korma spices to give a mild tangy curry. Chicken, beef or pork may be used instead of lamb.

Spiced apple topped with a sponge layer. Delicious served with hot custard

A fat-free fig based chewy bar subtly flavored with thyme (but equally delicious without). Quantities could be halved if a smaller batch is required.

A quick to prepare supper, of white fish cooked with cheese and vegetables.

Okra, or Bhindi, fried in mustard and ajwan seeds. Use as an accompaniment to a main curry dish. This recipe rquires the use of a microwave oven to allow the okra to cook without going slimy.

Chicken casserole with mixed vegetables. A complete meal in one pot.

Delicious crispy garlic cups filled with creamy mushrooms. They can be served hot or cold. These bread cups can be filled with other fillings if desired.

A versatile fish curry which can also be made with chicken, lamb or pork. Dealing with a fresh whole coconut can be fiddly, but is worth doing - especially if you are a DIY enthusiast!!. However, if you prefer you can soak 1/2 cup of dessicated coconut in 1 cup of warm water for 20 - 30 mins to achieve a similar result.

The tartness of the grapefruit is offset here but a sweet cinnamon syrup. Can be served hot or cold.

A deliciously creamy way of preparing winter veg. It would make a special addition to a roast dinner.

A very easy to prepare dish of fresh green beans flavored with crunchy mustard seeds. A wonderful accompaniment to an Indian meal.

A quick nutritious lentil accompaniment

Succulent chicken breasts stuffed with breaded herb butter.

These delicious popovers are a cross between a pancake and a Yorkshire pudding. They make a great tea-time treat. Make sure you use a muffin tin with wells about 4 cm deep.

Jelly made out of arrowroot, perfect to serve with ice-cream! Vary the flavour to suit your tastes.

A classic chickpea, sesame and lemon dip. Everybody has their own preferred hummus recipe. The quantities below are a guideline, and you should adjust the quantity of tahini and lemon juice to suit.

A rich sweet curry from Java

A dairy-free flat bread that is good enough to eat on its own - no need for butter.

Fried pieces of marinated chicken braised in a rich spicy sauce

Chicken portions marinated in a Jamaican jerk seasoning and then grilled or barbecued.

This is a beautiful and nutritious way of serving rice, worthy of the extra work needed to produce it. Perfect for a special occasion.

A rich, aromatic pork casserole combining sweet apricots and redcurrant jelly with bitter juniper berries. This dish improves with keeping if made in advance. Serve with mashed potatoes or boiled rice, and green vegetables.

A wonderful heady mix of spices make this a rich aromatic dish. The slow cooking ensures a melt in the mouth curry. Chicken can used as an alternative to lamb but the cooking time should be reduced.

A spicy alternative to shepherds pie! This dish can be served with rice, bulgar wheat, mashed potatoes, chapatis, naan or tortillas. it is very versatile. The chilli can be omitted if you prefer.

A traditional French Caribbean Christmas Stew. Lamb and vegetables cooked in a thick, spicy gravy. The dish can be made up to 2 days in advance and then reheated. In fact, like many stews, it is all the better for being made ahead.

The Balti curry was developed in the curry houses of Birmingham, UK and refers to the type of pan it is typically cooked in. Everyone has there own version of a balti. This one can be made with lamb or chicken and has a thick tomato based spicy sauce.

A wholesome dish that combines the flavour of spinach with that of ground coriander and chilli. The quantity of chilli here produces quite a fiery dish. If you prefer a milder dish, simply reduce the amount of chilli added, or omit it all together. This dish is particularly good with lemon dhal as an accompaniment. Note: this recipe uses frozen spinach, but fresh can be used instead when in season.

A delicately flavoured vinegar. Use to flavour fruit salads Makes an unusual Christmas present.

Leeks and mushrooms in a creamy cheese sauce topped with a crunchy cheesy layer.

A Lemon lentil dish which can be served on it's own or as an accompaniment to curry.

This recipe has been adapted from Simon Rimmer's version published by BBC Food.

A tangy tapenade that can be used as dipping sauce to many Thai dished. Try with lemongrass risotto.

A hot, spicy curry which can be made with either lamb or beef. Note: To make it less hot you can decrease or omit the number of whole chillies and/or the ground chilli. Handy hint: if you find that once cooked your curry dishes are too hot for your liking, try adding plain (not low fat) yogurt or cream to your dish to tone the heat down. The chilli compound responsible for the burning sensation in your mouth dissolves in fat rather than water, so a yogurt-based accompaniment or drink (such as lassi) will reduce the heat.

A hot fish curry that is easy to prepare. The addition of mango powder gives a wonderful citrus edge to the hotness of the curry. The heat of the curry can of course be adjusted to your taste.

A spicy tomato based dip, great served with tortilla chips as a starter

A classic hot pepper dressing, perfect as a side seasoning for meat, fish and vegetables when a clean hot 'kick' is required.

Cous Cous flavoured with ras-el-hanout and studded with fruit and almonds. This makes a great accompaniment to the Moroccan lamb tagine.

A hearty lamb stew from Morocco. Traditionally cooked in a tagine, but a large casserole pot will do. Delicious served on a bed of couscous or rice.

Lamb meatballs flavoured with the highly aromatic ras-el-hanout, served with a lemon and fresh coriander dipping sauce. The coriander and the parsley in the meatballs can be dried or fresh (as stated) but the dipping sauce needs fresh coriander.

Prawns marinated in the African - Portuguese piri piri sauce. The amount of heat in the marinade can be varied depending on your own taste.

Hot wine punch traditionally drunk at Christmas. This recipe uses a combination of individual spices but it can also be made using our ready-made mulled wine pouchettes (see the Gift Section)

A nutty mushroom pate, delicately flavored with thyme.

A cheesy vegetable cooked pate flavoured with herbs and spices.

A mushroom loaf studded with attractive green and orange vegetables. Best served cold. Wonderful with boiled new potatoes.

A Hungarian recipe of mushrooms cooked in lemon juice, paprika and soured cream. You can use sweet or hot paprika in this recipe. Great served with toast trianges as a starter.

The classic Indian bread flavoured with onion seeds

Deep fried rissoles or rice and chopped nuts of your choice. Great for using up leftover rice.

A classic way to cook an omelette. The most successful omelettes need the right sized pan for the job. here, a 9 inch diameter pan is perfect.

A tangy chutney made with oranges, apples and raising, gently flavoured with cloves. great with cold meats or sweet potato cakes.

Chicken cooked in a creamy orange and tarragon sauce. Great served with boiled rice.

A potato and yogurt dish flavoured with many whole spices giving a wonderful contrast in flavours and textures. Serve with basmati rice at room temperature.

Savory scones with a difference. Flavored with cheese, bacon and parsley. These scones are cooked in one round, and broken into individual portions once cooked.

A lovely velvety soup perfect for using up a glut of fresh parsley from the garden. Great served with chucks of bread and butter.

The Koftas here are balls made from mashed peas and potato, fried and then served in a curry sauce. The chilli content can be varied to suit individual tastes.

A wonderfully highly-flavored roast beef recipe. The addition of lavender sounds odd, but it does add an extra aromatic dimension to the beef. Use the best quality beef you can get

A quick, spicy way of pickling onions. Onions prepared by this method need to be eaten within 3 months.

A delicious pudding flavoured delicately with liquorice

A creamy sauce with a spicy tang. Great with grilled fish such as salmon.

A ready made pizza base covered in a delicious tomato sauce and topped with your favourite ingredients. You can of course make your own base and use in this recipe!

Salmon very gently cooked in a white wine and herb flavoured liquid. A quick, nutritious way of serving fish. Any firm fleshed fish can be used.

A wonderfully flavoured sponge with the crunchy texture of poppy seeds. A perfect accompaniment for a cup of tea in either sunny or rainy weather!!

Spicy ground pork with pinto beans served in crispy corn taco shells. Top with your favorite accompaniment (see method for ideas). if you can't get tinned pinto beans you can either boil some dry up yourself (follow instructions on packet) or substitute with similar beans such as red kidney or borlotti beans.

A very hot, spicy curry - not for the faint hearted!

Chicken pieces marinated in the distinctive Portuguese flavour of piri piri chillies, cider vinegar and paprika.

This is a slow cook recipe that yields 'melt in your mouth' beef flavoured with allspice. This recipe could be used in a slow cooker (follow the instructions for your cooker) with the gravy being made at the end.

Potatoes cooked with tomatoes and traditional Indian spices

A thick creamy potato soup delicately flavoured with celery seed. A real winter warmer, great with hunks of freshly baked bread!

Prawns cooked in a thick lentil based sauce with a slight sweet and sour taste. Chicken can be used instead of prawns if desired. This particular recipe uses vegetables as well as lentils to make the sauce, providing a more balanced meal.

A delightful combination

A wonderful combination of flavours in this ground almond based torte. It makes an excellent desert to a dinner party as well as a tea time treat.

Individual strudels stuffed with raspberries and ginger.

A mulled wine recipe that uses ready-made mulled wine pouchettes. See alternative entry for mulled wine (Gluwein) if using individual spices.

A delicious winter dish of red cabbage flavored with juniper, redcurrant and apple.

A delicious way of serving almost any type of vegetable, roasted and seasoned with a special blend of herbs.

A dry potato curry. The chilli content can be varied to suit.

This is a quick version of a salmon and cheese 'souffle' with a crunchy topping, ideal for a light tea or a starter. here, it is served in individual ramekins, but you could make one larger dish, as long as the container was not too deep.

Flaked salmon set in creamy rice. Flavoured with chives and celery seeds.

Salmon steaks baked in herb butter

Fish in a milk based sauce with a crunchy cheesy topping

A quick easy way to introduce some extra flavour to lamb chops

This dish has roots in North African, Middle Eastern and traditional Jewish cooking. There are many variations. The one here is fairly easy to cook and makes an excellent brunch served with chunks of bread. NB. It does require 2 large frying pans for 4 people to eat 2 eggs each at one serving. However if you have only got one, cook as stated below serving just one egg each, and provide second helpings by putting the a second batch on to cook whilst eating the first!! The sauce can be made in advance and freezes well.

Sofrito is a Spanish or Latin American 'sauce' that is used to add depth of flavour to many dishes. The one given here is a Puerto Rican recipe. The sauce is best made in advance and frozen in ice-cube trays and used as necessary. Add to stews, rice dishes, soups and legume dishes for a wonderful depth of flavour. Use in the Asopao de Pollo recipe available on this site. NB: If you have already made achiote oil(annatto seed oil), then use instead of the steeped olive oil below and start the recipe at step 2.

A easy to make moist, firm fruit cake, gently spiced with the warming flavours of mixed spice and nutmeg. Makes 2 loaf cakes. A tablespoon of whiskey can be added for a richer cake.

An aromatic way of 'spicing' up parsnips. Perfect for the Christmas season. Hint: If you like your parsnips sweet, try chilling them in your fridge for a few days before use.

This is a special occasion desert - perfect for the winter festive months. The pears sit in individual pastry cases bathed in spicy syrup. You can make these in advance, and then assemble just before serving. They are delicious served with vanilla custard.

Packed full of goodness, these bean burgers make a great alternative to beef burgers. The chilli seasoning can be altered to taste.

A wonderfully colourful dish of butternut squash flavored with the famous French West Indies curry powder. A great accompaniment to stews. Substitute the butternut squash with any firm fleshed squash if you so wish. Traditionally this is eaten quite hot with chilies, but you can adapt the recipe to suit your own tastes.

Spicy up your favourite tea with this recipe. The smell of orange and cardamoms is enticing especially in cold weather.

This is an adaptation of a Kenyan way of preparing roast meat. It uses curry flavours in the marinade for the ribs.

Fried morsels of spicy spinach and potato coated with chickpea flour. This recipe uses fresh coriander, but if not available you can substitute with dried coriander instead.

A green velvety soup with a hint of nutmeg

A juicy steak cooked to your liking and liberally sprinkled with black peppercorns.

Strawberry sauce with a difference. Chunks of strawberry in a tangy minty sauce. Perfect to accompany ice-cream on a hot summers day.

A wonderful casserole cooked in lager beer, with a delicious cheesy bread topping. Use the freshest tenderest vegetables you can get. Don't get put off by the length of the ingredient list, it is mostly veg, and you can make omissions / substitutions as you wish. This recipe can be made vegetarian simply by omitting the chicken.

Succulent lamb coated with a sweet crust of herbs. The sweetness comes from the addition of Madeira cake. This is an ideal recipe in which to use any dry leftovers. The long preparation time is due to making an intense stock sauce to accompany the lamb. If time is short, this can be omitted, however, it is worth the effort. For much of this preparation time, the sauce can look after itself! It can also be made ahead of the lamb.

A tasty sweet potato soup flavoured with traditional Caribbean spices.

A hearty soup thick with potatoes and sweetcorn

Salt with which to season your food, but with a spicy oriental difference. Great sprinkled on crispy chicken wings. You can vary this recipe by adding black peppercorns or pick peppercorns (or a mixture of both). the ratio of salt to peppercorns can also be altered to suit.

Succulent pieces of chicken marinated in spices and yogurt. Traditionally this chicken dish is cooked in an Indian tandoor oven. A very hot oven or a barbecue will do instead. Marinating the meat is authentic, but if time is pressing, cook straight away. The flavour will be less intense.

The classic Thai dish of meat and vegetables cooked in a spicy coconut sauce. Using Thai green curry powder for this recipe allows this wonderful dish to be cooked without resorting to 8 or 9 different spice ingredients. The traditional recipe has been modified here to allow this dish to be cooked using ingredients that these days are commonly found in even the smallest of local supermarkets. The coriander leaf can be omitted if you can't get it.

The classic Thai dish of meat and vegetables cooked in a spicy coconut sauce. Using Thai red curry powder for this recipe allows this wonderful dish to be cooked without resorting to 8 or 9 different spice ingredients. The traditional recipe has been modified here to allow this dish to be cooked using ingredients that these days are commonly found in even the smallest of local supermarkets. The coriander leaf can be omitted if you can't get it.

A straight forward chutney recipe. Great with cold meats, but also foes with fish and cheese.

A delicious tomato sauce that can be eaten as the classic accompaniment, stirred through pasta or as a sauce for fish.

A lovely creamy custard infused with vanilla. Try with spiced pear and almond tart.

A vitamin and mineral packed rice based curry

A medium hot vegetarian curry from South India