How To Make Beef Tacos

Serves:

4

Preparation Time:

20 minutes

Cooking Time:

35 minutes

You will need

• 8 Corn Tortillas
• 2 cups (500ml) Vegetable Oil
• 900 g Ground Beef
• ½ Head Shredded Lettuce
• 110 g Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
• 1 tsp Finely Chopped Garlic
• 1 tsp Crushed Dried Oregano
• 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
• ½ tsp Ground Cumin
• ½ cups Chopped Tomatoes
• ½ cups Chopped Onions
• ½ cups Chopped Bell Peppers
• 1 Can of Tomatoes Sauce
• ½ tsp Crushed Dried Oregano
• ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
• ¼ tsp Ground Cumin
• Salt to Taste
• Sour Cream
• Guacamole
• Lime Wedges

Step 1:

Make The Meat Filling

Heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet. Then add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes until the vegetables start to soften. Then add the tomatoes, oregano, black pepper, cumin, and salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning. Once the vegetables are soft add the ground beef to the skillet. Use your spoon to break up the ground beef and incorporate it into the vegetable mixture. Let this cook, uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the meat is completely browned and the flavors have combined well.

Step 2:

Make The Sauce

While the meat is cooking make the taco sauce. To do this you will need a small bowl. In the bowl, combine the entire can of tomato sauce, oregano, black pepper, cumin, and salt to taste. Mix with a spoon. Set aside for use later.

Step 3:

Prepare The Shells

Pour two cups (273 ml) of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium/high heat. Allow it to cook until hot. Also, take a griddle or another frying pan and heat it over medium heat.

Quick Tip: In order to tell if the cooking oil is hot and ready to use, place the tip of a wooden spoon in the center of the skillet. If bubbles form around the spoon then you know that you oil is hot and ready to go.

Take one tortilla and place it on the warm griddle or frying pan. Allow it to warm for about a minute on each side. Using tongs, remove it from the pan and place it in the hot oil, just long enough to coat the entire tortilla in oil. Remove the tortilla from the oil and allow the excess oil to drip from the tortilla. Then place the tortilla on a plate. Repeat this step for all of the tortillas.

Step 4:

Fill The Shells

Take one of the tortillas and place it on a flat surface. Fill the tortilla with a handful of the ground beef. Fold the tortilla in half and secure it with toothpicks. Use one toothpick on the top, and one on each side of the tortilla, so the meat will not fall out. Repeats this step for each of the tortillas.

Step 5:

Fry Taco

Re-heat the oil in the frying pan. Place one taco at a time in the hot oil. Make sure to use your tongs when flipping the tacos. You should leave the taco in the oil for about 5 minutes or until it is nice and crispy. Remove each taco from the oil and set it aside. Repeat this step for each of the tacos.

Step 6:

Top The Taco

Remove the toothpicks from the taco. Then open up your taco and place a small handful of lettuce, some Monterey Jack cheese and some taco sauce into each shell. Repeat this step for each of the tacos.

You have the option of serving the tacos with some sour cream, guacamole and lime wedges.

How To Make Chicken Bhuna

Serves:

4

You Will Need:

• 1 medium whole chicken , washed and cut into 8 pieces
• 2 medium onions , chopped
• 2 tsp ginger and garlic paste
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 ½ tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ cups (120ml) water
• 2 medium tomatoes , chopped
• ½ cups (120ml) oil
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander , chopped
• 3 small fresh chillies , sliced lengthways
• 1 Large Saucepan
• 1 large spoon for stirring
• 1 Serving dish

Step 1:

Fry Onions

In a heavy based pan, add the oil. When oil is hot add the onions. When onions soften add salt, chilli powder, corriander powder and turmeric. Mix until onions are well coated. Add garlic and ginger paste. Reduce the heat and stir.

Step 2:

Add Tomatoes

Add the tomatoes, stirring constantly and then cook for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes are reduced to a slight purée

Step 3:

Add Chicken

Add the chicken and mix thoroughly. Cover & cook over medium/heat for about 10-15 minutes until the meat has turned slightly opaque and is half cooked.

Step 4:

Add Water and Reduce

Add the water and cook for 5-8 minutes, ensuring that you keep stirring all the time. The chicken is ready when the liquid has completely reduced

Step 5:

Add Rest of Spices

Now add the garam masala, coriander leaves and chillies; stir once and then transfer to a serving dish.

Done

How To Make BBQ Brisket

Step 1:

You Will Need

• 1 tbsp Kosher salt
• 1 tbsp Ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tbsp Onion Powder
• 1 tbsp Paprika
• 3 Cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ cups (60ml) Brown sugar
• 1 tsp Cumin
• a little tobasco
• 1 Glass Bowl
• 1 Wire Whisk

Step 2:

Cut the Fat, Score, and Rub

The first thing we want to do is trim off any unnecessary chucks of fat from the top of the brisket. We want the fat on the bottom of the brisket.

Now what we are going to do is score the brisket. This will help to give the brisket extra surface area to hold our rub.

Step 3:

Rub The Meat

Now go ahead and work the rub into the brisket. Be sure to push it into the slices you made earlier. The sugars you added to this rub earlier are going to help give this brisket a nice crust. The crust is the crunchy outside that forms during smoking and it is delicious!

Step 4:

Foil It!

Now it's time to foil up our brisket so we can put it in the fridge for 24 hours. We want all the flavors to have time to suck themselves into the brisket.

Step 5:

Smoke Time

It has been in the refrigerator all night letting the rub work its way in and its ready for the smoker.

Place it into the center of the smoker with its thickest part closest to the heat source. Be sure to have the fat side up.

Step 6:

Jump Ahead 12 Hours…

Alright, your little pride and joy has been on the smoker for about 12 hours and it's ready to eat. You could cut this with your finger. It's filled with smoke flavoring and it's ready to go.

Step 7:

Slice It Up

So now you can remove the layer of fat. Some people leave it on and cut it with it on there. Take that fat and put it in your bowl to be discarded.

You can see the grain of the meat. You want cutting across the grain and that will make it tender and easy to eat.

You should be able to grab any piece of this brisket and just pull it apart effortlessly.

How To Make Fusilli Pasta Salad

Serves:

4

Preparation Time:

5 minutes

Cooking Time:

12 minutes

You Will Need

• 500 g dried fusilli pasta , (corkscrew)
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 500 g baby plum tomatoes , (or cherry)
• several fresh basil leaves
• 2 tbsp capers
• 70 g black olives
• 110 g coarsely grated parmesan cheese
• 100 g tinned fillet anchovies
• 1 tsp red chilli pepper flakes
• salt and pepper
• 1 large cooking pot
• 1 chopping board
• 1 large knife
• 1 small knife
• 1 colander
• 1 wooden spoon
• scissors
• 1 large bowl
• paper towel

Step 1:

Heat the water

Fill the cooking pot ¾ full of water, add a sprinkle of salt and bring to the boil.

Step 2:

Rinse and dry the basil

While the water is boiling rinse the basil leaves under a cold tap. Place a paper towel over a chopping board and spread the herb over the towel. Pat the basil dry but be careful not to damage or bruise it.

Step 3:

Snip the basil leaves

Pull the basil leaves away from the stalk and, using the scissors, cut them into coarse strips (reserve some for garnishing with later on).

Step 4:

Slice the baby tomatoes

Using the small knife cut the baby tomatoes in half.

Step 5:

Cook the pasta

Add the pasta to the boiling water and allow to boil until al dente. This should take approximately 11 minutes. Stir well and leave to boil.

Step 6:

Drain and rinse the pasta

Use the colander to drain the pasta and rinse thoroughly under a cold tap. Drain and rinse again to extract any excess water.

Step 7:

Mix all the ingredients together

Heap the pasta into the large bowl and add the tomatoes, capers, chilli peppers, basil, olives and anchovies. Season with salt, pepper and olive oil to taste. Finally, sprinkle the parmesan cheese and mix well.

Step 8:

Serve

Present the pasta on a large serving dish and decorate with a sprig of basil. Enjoy with a glass of white wine and some ciabatta bread.

How To Make Garam Masala

Serves:

8

Preparation Time:

5 minutes

Step 1:

You will need

• 1 tsp whole cloves
• 3 to 4 bay leaves
• 2 green cardamom pods
• 4 black cardamom pods
• 12 black peppercorns
• 1 or 2 cloves of freshly grated nutmeg
• 6cm to 7cm acacia bark , This has a woody, bittersweet flavour. It's easy to buy in Asian supermarkets, but if you can't get hold of acacia, use cinnamon sticks. This will give a sweeter taste
• 1 Chopping board
• 1 Spatula
• 1 Fine metal grater
• 1 Small bowl
• 1 Non-stick frying pan
• 1 Teaspoon
• 1 Spice grinder
• 1 Air-tight container

Step 2:

Prepare

Crush 4 black and 2 green cardamom pods with the back of a spoon or spatula until they spilt. Remove the seeds with your fingers and throw the pods away.

Grate a clove or two of fresh nutmeg, until you have about one teaspoonful.

Step 3:

Toasting

Heat a non-stick frying pan over a low to medium heat. Add 1 tsp of whole cloves, 3 or 4 bay leaves, the seeds of 2 green cardamoms and the seeds of 4 black cardamoms 12 black peppercorns and break up the acacia bark into the pan.

Stir for 30 seconds, to really release the aromas within the spices.

Take the pan off the heat, and add the grated nutmeg. As the nutmeg is already ground, it will burn if added while the pan is very hot. Stir. The nutmeg will turn slightly brown.

Step 4:

Grinding

Add everything to a spice grinder.If you don't have a spice grinder, you could use a pestle and mortar or a clean coffee mill, but a spice grinder will give a finer consistency. Grind the mixture to a fairly smooth powder. Check after about 30 seconds to see if the spices are fully ground. Keep going until you see a fine powder.

Step 5:

Use it well

Garam masala is a fruity and warming spice, used in a wide variety of meat and vegetable dishes. It is often used at the end of cooking, sprinkled sparingly, so it doesn't overwhelm the dish. You can store freshly made Garam Masala in an airtight container, and it will keep for 3 to 6 months.

How To Make Boston Cream Pie

Serves:

8

Preparation Time:

15 minutes

Cooking Time:

1 hour

Oven Temperature:

180

360° c - ° f

180

Step 1:

You will need:

• 80 ml milk
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 whole eggs
• 140 g flour
• 140 g sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 pinch of salt
• for the pastry cream filling:
• 500 ml milk
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 vanilla bean
• 25 g butter
• 150 g sugar
• 60 g flour
• 150 ml cream , whipped
• for the ganache:
• 220 g dark chocolate , chopped
• 220 ml hot cream
• 1 mixer with whisk attachment
• 1 spatula
• 1 24 cm spring-form cake pan, lined with parchment paper
• 3 bowls
• 1 whisk
• 1 serrated knife
• 1 saucepan
• cling film
• 1 wooden skewer
• 1 small knife
• 1 spoon
• 1 cutting board

Step 2:

Preheat the oven

Set your oven to 180ºC (350ºF/ gas mark 4).

Step 3:

Combine the dry ingredients

Pour the flour into a bowl. Add the baking powder and the salt and briefly combine.

Step 4:

Make the cake batter

Pour the milk and the oil into another bowl and set aside without mixing. Tip the eggs and the sugar into the mixer bowl. Whip on a high speed until fluffy. After roughly 3 minutes, lower the speed down. Add the vanilla and allow it to incorporate. Spoon in a third of the flour and add in a little of the milk and oil. Continue to add in the flour and the milk and oil mix in little amounts until they are all used and the batter is fully combined. Stop the mixer and remove the bowl.

Step 5:

Bake the crust

Pour the batter into the baking pan, put it into the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until done.

Step 6:

Make the pastry cream

Add the sugar, flour and a little of the milk into the egg yolks and mix well with your whisk. Next, slice the vanilla pod horizontally, split it open and scrape out the pulp with your knife. Place both the pulp and bean into the saucepan and pour in the remaining milk.

Step 7:

Continue the pastry cream

Place the pan onto a medium to high heat and allow it to heat up. Pour some of the hot milk into the yolk mixture and mix it a little. Pour the whole yolk mixture back into the pan of milk. Stir continuously until it thickens into a custard like consistency then remove from the heat. Discard the vanilla pod, add the butter and whisk until combined.
Pour the liquid into a bowl and cover it with the film. Press the film down into the cream with your fingers - this stops a crust forming - and place into the fridge until chilled.

Step 8:

Remove cake

Near the end of the cooking time, test the cake for readiness. Insert the skewer into the middle. If it comes out free of batter it is done. Remove it from the oven and let it cool completely.

Step 9:

Make the ganache

Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and mix until thoroughly melted.

Step 10:

Finish the cream filling

Pour the chilled cream filling into a bowl. Whisk it a little, spoon in the whipped cream and mix well.

Step 11:

Slice the cake

When the cake has nicely cooled, take it out of the pan and remove the parchment paper. Slice off the top of the cake to make the it level then slice it in half.

Step 12:

Build the cake

Generously heap one side of the sponge with the cream filling and spread it around to the sides. Place the other half of the sponge on top then spoon on the chocolate ganache and spread it over.

Step 13:

Serve

Enjoy your Boston Cream Pie after a good meal, or on its own with a cup of coffee. You can always place it in the fridge if you wish to chill a little. This will only enhance the flavour.

How To Make Spring Rolls

Serves:

2

Preparation Time:

35 minutes

Cooking Time:

10 minutes

Step 1:

You will need

• 30 g glass noodles
• 2 cloves of garlic,chopped
• 100 g prawn meat, chopped
• 150 g pork meat, minced
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 2 tbsp coriander, chopped
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 ltr vegetable oil
• 25 spring roll wraps
• 1 damp tea towel
• 2 bowls
• 1 wok
• 1 slotted spoon
• 1 tray
• 1 paper towel
• 1 wooden spoon
• 1 spoon
• 1 saucepan

Step 2:

Prepare the noodles

Break the noodles into a bowl and pour over enough hot water to cover. Allow them to soften for a few minutes. And when soft enough remove and drain.

Step 3:

Soak the wraps if needed

Place the rice wraps into a large bowl and cover with cold water, pushing them down into the water. And leave them to soften for a few minutes.

TIP!

A useful tip! There are many types of spring rolls for example wheat flour and rice flour. We are using rice flour for our spring rolls and they will need pre soaking. Wheat flour gives a crispier result and doesn't need pre-soaking.

Step 4:

Cook the filling mix

Place the wok on a high heat and allow it to warm through. Spoon in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, then add the pork meat. Stir it in well with your wooden spoon helping to break the meat up

Next, add the prawns, garlic and carrots, then combine well.

Now add the noodles and stir in. Add the fish sauce, sweet chilli sauce and coriander and then give it all a good mix. Remove from the heat and allow to cool down.

Step 5:

Dry the wraps

Carefully remove a sheet of rice paper wrap from the bowl of water… and place it on the tea towel. Now turn both the sheets over and let them dry the other side. Repeat until all the wraps are dry.

Step 6:

Mix the corn flour

Add 2 tablespoons of water into the bowl of corn flour and mix it well together.

Step 7:

Make the spring rolls

Spoon 1 tablespoon of the meat mix onto a sheet of rice wrap. Roll it up, then fold both sides, continue to roll it up into an oblong parcel, dabbing some of the corn flour mix at the ends to help it stick down. Continue to roll and fold the ends over.

Take another sheet, place onto the tea towel, spoon on the meat mix, roll it up and fold the sides. Continue to roll up, dabbing some corn flour on the edges and fold the edges to close it.

Continue with the same process on all of the rice wraps until you have used all the rice sheets.

Step 8:

Fry the spring rolls

Using your slotted spoon, individually place half of the rolls into a pan of very hot oil. Fry for roughly three minutes, moving them slightly with the slotted spoon so they don't stick together.

Then remove them with your slotted spoon and place on a tray with some kitchen towel to drain.

Add the second batch into the oil and fry until nice and crispy. Once cooked remove from the pan and place on the tray to drain again.

Step 9:

Serve

Serve with some nice spicy dipping sauce.