Brazilian Recipes: Vatapa de Peixe e Camarao (Fish & Shrimp Stew) Newest Article Unknown 14:19

Being a massive football fan, I thought this would be a great time to create a Brazilian dish, with the World Cup less than 2 weeks away! So I chose to make Vatapa de Peixe e Camarao (Fish & Shrimp Stew). 

A wonderful dish packed with fragrant flavours and a mixture of beautiful textures. Enjoy!

INGREDIANTS

- 1 cup of dried shrimp

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 2 cups chopped onion

- 1/2 cup ground, toasted cashew nuts

- 1/2 cup ground, toasted blanched almonds

- 4 cloves of minced garlic

- 1 tablespoon of ginger

- 1 red chilli pepper (chopped finely and de-seeded)

- 4 cups of fish stock

- 1 can of coconut milk

- juice of 1 lime

- 2 sea bass fillets (cut into small pieces)

- Salt and pepper for seasoning

- 1/2 cup chopped coriander

- 1 lime, cut into wedges (for decoration)

- 1 cup of long grain white rice

METHOD

1.) Soak your dried shrimps in warm water and cover for about 15 minutes. Drain them, then add them to a blender or food processor. Create a paste from your shrimps.

2.) In a small frying pan, gently roast your cashews and almonds for about 5 minutes on a medium heat, remove from heat.

3.) Add the olive oil to a large pan or skillet on a medium heat. Add the onions and leave them to soften for about 5 minutes.

4.) Now add your blended shrimp mixture to the pan and stir well for a couple of minutes.

5.) Add the garlic, chilli, ginger and already roasted cashews and almonds - stir for around 5 minutes until all ingredients are well mixed.

6.) Now add your fish stock, coconut milk and lime juice. Stir quickly and then cover your pan. Leave mixture to simmer for around 25 minutes on a medium-high heat (or until mixture begins to thicken)

TIP: If mixture doesn't thicken, turn the heat up and add some cornflour mix and stir well for it to thicken quicker.

7.) Whilst your ingredients simmer, boil your rice in a pan for around 15 minutes.

8.) Once your delicious stock begins to bubble heavily and has more substance, add the sea bass and leave it to poach in the mixture for around 8 minutes. Now season with salt and pepper.

9.) To finish, add your chopped coriander and stir into the mix. Decorate with a lime wedge and a small sprinkle of coriander.

Malaysian Recipes | Mee Goreng & Spring Rolls Unknown 15:00

As I'm a big fan of Malaysian food, I thought it was time to rustle up one of the nations favourites and also my own, Mee Goreng & also some homemade Spring Rolls. Enjoy!

SPRING ROLLS

- 2 cups fresh Chinese egg noodles

- 2 Tbsp chili sauce (Sriracha ideally)

- 1 tsp dark soy sauce

- 1 tsp sugar

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 3 Tbsp oyster sauce

- 3 Tbsp ketchup

- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

- 2 eggs

- 1 tsp minced garlic

- 1 cup mung bean sprouts, rinsed

- 1/2 cup shredded cabbage

- 1/4 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional)

- 1/4 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

- 2 Tbsp shao hsing wine

- 1/4 tsp white pepper

- 2 shallots, finely chopped

1.) Boil your noodles for about 30 seconds, drain and rinse will cold water.

2.) In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine chili sauce, dark soy, sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, oyster sauce and ketchup. Stir to combine, and set aside.

3.) In a large wok (at least 12 inches in diameter) preheated over high heat, add the oil.

4.) Crack the eggs into the wok, stir vigorously until the eggs are lightly scrambled and just set, then add the garlic, noodles, bean sprouts, cabbage, shrimp and chicken.

5.) Stir-fry continuously until noodles are cooked, 3-5 minutes (depending on the heat of your wok), making sure to also cook the chicken and shrimp.

6.) Add chili sauce mixture, and keep stirring until well combined. The noodles should begin to get a bit drier (no liquid left in the bottom of the wok).

7.) To finish, add shao hsing wine and white pepper, stir to combine, and remove from heat. Garnish with scallions and fried shallots.

Spring Roll Wraps

- 1 cup of flour

- 1/4 teaspoon of salt

- 3/4 cup of water

1.) Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add salt. Mix. Add water little by little. Use more water necessary. Mix thoroughly to make a thin batter. Cover and let rest about 30 minutes.
2.) Take out of fridge and grab the mixture and pull it up and back down (as pictured above) to loosen it up.
3.) Next spray a non-stick pan with cooking spray and heat on a medium-low heat. After one or two minutes turn the heat down to low.
4.) Grab the whole mixture in your hand, and make a circle starting from the centre of the pan. Be as quick as you can whilst doing this, as the mixture heats very quickly and will instantly peel off the pan!
5.) Cook until the wrapper is dry and starts to shrink from the the sides of the pan. Remove the completed wrapper to a plate. Repeat this procedure until all the batter is used.

SPRING ROLLS FILLING

- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1 spring onion, finely chopped
- 1 red chilli, chopped
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 1/4 cabbage, finely chopped
- beansprouts

1.) Prepare all of your ingredients that will be the filling for your Spring Rolls.
2.) Add a small amount of vegetable oil to a frying pan, once heated, add the garlic.
3.) Put all ingredients into the pan and stir well.
4.) Place in the fridge when you're ready to finish your starter.

SPRING ROLLS

- 1/2 teaspoon cornflour

- 1 tablespoon water

1.) Now you've made your wraps, carefully place your filling inside and roll them up. Seal together with your mixture of water and cornflour.

2.) Add your sunflower oil into a deep pan and put on a high heat. Once the oil starts to bubble, place one by one your spring rolls into the pan. Ensure the spring rolls are completely covered.
3.) Leave to cook for around 10/15 minutes until browned.
4.) Remove from the oil and place onto some kitchen towel, soak up as much of the oil as you can to make them less greasy.
5.) Place on a plate ready to service with your main.

Chinese Recipes | Kung Pau Chicken & Egg Fried Rice Unknown 06:42

As it was Chinese New Year, I decided it would only make sense to go ahead and create one of my favourite chinese dishes, Kung Pau Chicken (Chicken Kung Po).

KUNG PAU CHICKEN

- 1 chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 finely chopped chilli
- 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/3 cup unsalted cashew nuts

1.) Combine your chicken and cornflour in a small bowl.

2.) Heat vegetable oil in large non-stick skillet or wok on medium heat.

3.) Add chicken once its hot and stir fry for until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle

4.) Now add your garlic, chilli and ginger to the skillet.

5.) Remove skillet from the heat

6.) Combine vinegar, soy sauce and sugar in small bowl and stir well.

7.) Once well combined, add to the skillet with the chicken and return to the heat

8.) Stir until the chicken is well coated with the sauce

9.) Once the mixture starts to bubble, add in the cashew nuts. Heat thoroughly, stirring occasionally.

EGG FRIED RICE

- 4 cups of white rice
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

1.) Boil your rice for around 15 minutes on a high heat.
2.) Break both eggs into a deep pan or wok.
3.) Separate your egg into small pieces once cooked through.
4.) Add your rice to the wok containing your egg and stir well.
5.) Add both sesame oil and dark soy to your rice and cover thoroughly.
6.) Season your rice with salt and pepper

Indian Recipes | Chicken Tikka & Lamb Sheekh Kebabs, Chilli Sauce, Mint Yogurt & Naan Bread. Unknown 11:44

For all you lovers of spicy food, this recipe is for you! A slightly healthier version to a take away, but still very much comfort food! In this post, I'll be making Chicken Tikka & Lamb Sheekh Kebabs, Chilli Sauce, Mint Yogurt & Naan Bread.

Let's get started shall we...

CHICKEN TIKKA KEBABS

- 3 chicken breasts

-  2 tablespoons natural yoghurt

- ¼ level teaspoon cumin seeds

- ¼ level teaspoon coriander seeds

- 1 cardamom pod

- ½ level teaspoon ground turmeric

- 1 clove of garlic, crushed

- ½ level teaspoon grated fresh root ginger

- ¼ level teaspoon chilli powder

- ¼ level teaspoon salt

1.) Crush the cumin and coriander seeds together with the cardamom pod in a pestle and mortar.

2.) Measure the yogurt into bowl, then add the rest of the marinade ingredients.

3.) Cut your Chicken into large pieces and add them to the marinade and stir over until the meat is covered.

4.) Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours to marinate.

LAMB SHEEKH KEBABS

- 1 pounds lean ground lamb

- 1 onions, finely chopped

- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

- 1/4 cup coriander, finely chopped

- 1/2 tablespoon ground ginger

- 1 teaspoon ground cumin

- 1 teaspoon ground coriander

- 1 teaspoon paprika

- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1/4 cup vegetable oil

- skewers

1.) In a large bowl, mix ground lamb, onions, mint, coriander and ground ginger.

2.) Season with cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, and salt. Cover, and place in the fridge for 2 hours.

3.) Mold handfuls of the lamb mixture to form sausages around skewers. Make sure the meat is spread to an even thickness. Place back in the fridge until you are ready to grill.

CHILLI SAUCE

- 6 tomatoes (chopped)

- 1 onion, chopped

- 3 - 5 whole jalapeño peppers, chopped

- 1/2 cup of brown sugar

- 3/4 cup of vinegar

- 1/3 teaspoon of salt

- 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1.) In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together and throw in a pan on a high heat, stirring well.

2.) Once the tomatoes start to fall apart, cover and simmer the mixture for around 25 minutes.

3.) Stop at this point to allow the chili sauce to cool down before serving. Allow 30 minutes for the cool-down process. Keep your chili sauce chilled in the fridge.

1.) In a large pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the onions and leave them to sweat.

2.) When the onions start to become translucent add the peppers, garlic and koftas.

3.) Move the koftas gently around the pan with the vegetables, until they are golden brown on the outside.

4.) Add all sauce ingredients to the pan. If you need to, add additional water to assure the koftas are at least half covered. Turn the heat down to simmer, and cover. Cook for 15/20 minutes, then gently stir. Recover and cook for another 15 minutes or until the kofta are cooked through. Sprinkle with Coriander before serving.

MINT YOGURT

- large pot of low fat natural yogurt

- 3/4 cup of freshly chopped mint leaves

- 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

- 2 tsp caster sugar 

- Pinch of ground turmeric

1.) Simply put all ingredients into a food blender - and whiz until well combined! Chill in the fridge until you're ready to serve your kebabs.

NAAN BREAD

- 3 cups of flour (all purpose or baking)

- 1 teaspoon of salt

- Dissolve 1/2 a teaspoon of yeast on 4 tablespoons of water

- 1 teaspoon of sugar

- 1 tablespoon of oil 

- 1/2 a jug of water

1.) Mix all ingredients into a bowl using your hands. To soften your mixture, gradually add small amount of water until the mixture begins to soften. Knead your mixture for about 15 minutes.

2.) Once kneaded, cover with a damp towel and leave in a warm place until your mixture doubles in size. This should take between 1-2 hours.

3.) Lightly oil a baking tray to stop your bread from sticking. Take half of your dough and spread it out across the tray, then start to massage the mixture into a bumpy shape.

4.) Sprinkle a small amount of Flour, Water and Red Onion Seeds over your bread mix before placing in the oven for 30 minutes. Temperature should be 350 degrees/Gas Mark 4.

Revolucion de Cuba | Restaurant Review Unknown 05:00

Revolucion de Cuba quite simply serves the finest Cuban cuisine in Manchester. As a birthday treat, me and my girlfriend trotted on down ready to enjoy some real tasty food and sip a few drinks, of course!

Expect lots of dishes containing black beans, rice and meat - these are the 3 most popular ingredients in Cuban cooking.

The inside decor was well colour co-ordinated, modern, very clean and the staff very attentive. Although it was very busy for an afternoon, but that just shows it's popularity! As you can see above, famous Cuban leader Che Guevara is framed - very fitting!

Offering not only the finest Cuban cookery, but also a dedicated Rum Bar boasting the finest delights from North America, South America & The Caribbean, plus, live musicians to add to the vibrant atmosphere!

Having looked at the menu, scratching our heads for a while, it was clear that there was simply too many delicious dishes to choose from, which, of course, is better than being stuck for choice.

The food menu offers a huge variation of cooking from Cuba - including the opening "Pinchos" which offers crispy tortilla chips, warm crusty bread rolls and plump green olives.

Or if you're really quite hungry or simply have a big appetite, why not pick a dish from the Large Plates section? Including the savoury Paella de Cuba, grilled Jerk Chicken, mouth-watering 10oz Ribeye Steak or chunky beef Chilli.

If you like your burgers homemade served with skinny fries or onion rings, don't forget to browse the Hamburguesa section (which also includes Spicy Mixed Bean veggie option).

Plus, a stunning selection of Tapas Dishes (which we delved into on the day), from which you can see pictured below. You can also view the Revolucion de Cuba menu if you want to browse and choose your favourites!

These dishes include Mixed Spicy Bean Quesadilla (Vegetarian Tortillas), Patatas Bravas, Albóndiga (Meatballs), Gambas Pil Pil (King Prawns), Chiles Rellenos (Cheesy Battered Jalapenos) and Cajun Cream Mushrooms.

Would I go back again? Yes, absolutely!

In fact, I'm rather tempted to go back again this month because it's currently 50% OFF ALL FOOD THROUGHOUT JANUARY. All you have to do is make sure you make your reservation online - and, walah!

With such great food, great people and such a great offer - why wouldn't you pay a visit? You might even find yourself being overly-generous with your tips...