Category Archives: International Cuisine

As an experienced chef in a five-star hotel kitchen in London, I am equally comfortable with international cuisine and would like to share with you some of the French recipes I love to cook.

Mung Bean and Coconut Lasagna

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This is my own creation, and it came out with quite a special flavour. Simply add coconut milk and boiled mung beans. Instead of meat you can use only vegetables if you’re looking for a vegetarian dish.
INGREDIENTS
300g mince meat of your choice (chicken/pork/beef)
300g mung beans (green gram) (soaked overnight and then boiled)
2 tins (800g) chopped tomato
1 onion (chopped)
3 garlic cloves (chopped)
3 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
3 tbs parsley ( chopped)
150g cheddar cheese
75g Parmesan cheese
6 lasagna sheets
3 tbs butter
3 tbs olive oil
3 tbs flour
2 cup coconut milk (fresh or powder)
1 tsp mustard paste
Salt and pepper
METHOD
Heat the pan, add meat and  cook for about 10 minutes.  When meat is cooked, remove the fat. Boil the mung beans (green gram), mix with the meat and keep on one side. Heat a pan, add olive oil, garlic and onion and sauté. Add chopped tomato, bay leaf and thyme and cook slowly until the sauce becomes thick and rich, then add the salt and pepper.  Check the seasoning, remove the bay leaf. Grate both cheeses and mix with the chopped parsley. Then combine the tomato sauce with the meat and mung beans.
Melt the butter in a pan, add flour and cook until well combined. Remove from heat, add the milk little at a time and mix so there are no lumps. Add mustard paste and heat on low until you get a thick sauce. Remove from the heat, add salt.
Heat the oven to 180*. In an ovenproof dish spoon one third of the meat sauce into the dish, then cover with some fresh lasagna sheets then the coconut sauce. Sprinkle some cheese. Repeat until you have 3 layers of pasta. Cover with the remaining sauce, sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes until the top is bubbling and lightly browned.

Orange and Chocolate Cake

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This is my own recipe for orange and chocolate cake. It is soft and has amazing flavours.

INGREDIENTS 

175g soft butter

3 eggs

2 tbs milk

3 tbs fresh orange juice 

1 tbs orange zest 

1 tbs cocoa powder 

1 tsp baking powder

200g self-raising flour 

175g light muscovado sugar 

For the filling 

350g double cream

50g sugar 

100g unsweetened chocolate (melted in a double boiler)

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

2 tbs orange liqueur or Cointreau 

70g roasted cashew nuts

METHOD 

Preheat the oven 180*C/ 350F. Line a round cake tin with baking paper.  Mix together cocoa powder, baking powder, flour and orange zest in bowl. In a separate bowl mix together the other ingredients until there are no lumps. Add the dry ingredients in three batches to the wet ingredients, folding together until smooth. Pour the cake mixture in to the cake tin, bake for 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool down.

To make the filling – add the double cream and sugar to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until you get a smooth paste. Fold the cream mixture into the melted chocolate and mix well. Mix orange juice with the liqueur.

To assemble – cut the cake into two layers and sprinkle with the orange juice mixture. Spread the cream mixture, stacking together carefully. Finish the cake as you like.

Stuffed Mushrooms

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This is a pure vegetarian dish, tasty and very easy to make as a main dish or an appetiser. I use brie cheese, but any type of cheese works as well.
INGREDIENTS
10 Portobello mushrooms
500g spinach (washed and drained)
1 onion (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (chopped)
2 tbs olive oil
1 tin sweetcorn (150g)
100g grated cheddar cheese, or brie
Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
Heat the oven to 180*. Peel the mushrooms and arrange on a baking tray. Heat a pan with a oil and saute the garlic and onion. Then add the spinach and corn, cook briefly to retain the green from the spinach then remove immediately from the heat. Check the seasoning. Stuff the mixture into the mushrooms and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for around 8 – 10 minutes until the cheese has melted.

Oven Baked Felafel

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Felafel is one of the Middle East’s most popular vegetarian dishes, suitable for breakfast, lunch or supper. It’s also one of my favourite finger foods. On a recent trip to Athens, Greece, I came across a small cafe on a high street that was selling only felafel. The queue was always miles long, so I was curious about their success. Having tasted their felafel, I decided I could do far better. I experimented with a healthier version cooked in the oven, rather than deep fried, and I am very happy to share my recipe with you.

INGREDIENTS

(For best results, if you can find dry white beans soak them overnight in cold water, drain then roughly grind)

1 tin chickpeas 240g

1 garlic clove (chopped)

3 tbs fresh lemon juice

1 tbs lemon zest

5 tbs freshly chopped parsley and mint

1 tbs fresh chilli (chopped)

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

2 tbs olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Heat the oven 175*. Drain the water from the chickpeas. In a food processor, blend them coarsely (making sure not to form a paste). Transfer to a bowl and mix the rest of the ingredients except for the oil. Check the seasoning. Form into small balls or any shape you like. Heat the olive oil in a l0w flame and seal the felafel balls until just brown. Transfer to an ovenproof tray and bake for 15 minutes. Serve with tahini paste.

Tahini paste

1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Juice of 2 lemons

1/2 cup tahini

1/2 tsp cumin powder

2 tbs finely chopped parsley

salt to taste

Mix the ingredients together, then check the seasoning.

Tortilla Bake with Chicken

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This is my own idea and recipe, which I first made for a lunch party for friends. I used chicken and creamy leeks, which came out really nicely, but you can do it as a pure vegetarian dish by substituting tempeh or just vegetables instead of the chicken. Or try seafood (just make sure not to overcook it).


INGREDIENTS 

8 sesame tortillas (or plain tortillas)

400g skinless boneless chicken (marinated with 1/2 lemon, 1 tbs crushed chilli, 1 tbs soya sauce, 2 tbs thyme, salt and pepper in 2 tbs olive oil)

250g leeks (sliced, washed and drained well)

I tin chopped tomato

2 tbs olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tbs sugar

50g sour cream

100g grated cheddar cheese

3 tbs chopped parsley

METHOD 

Heat the oil in a pan, add garlic and fry until golden brown. Then add onion and sauté until softened. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, and sugar and cook on a low heat. When it starts simmering and oil appears on the top, add the salt and pepper until you are happy with the seasoning then remove from the heat.

Heat the oven 170*. Cook the chicken and allow to cool. Slice the cooked chicken roughly and mix with the sliced leeks. Roll the mixture up into the tortillas and arrange in an ovenproof dish, then pour over the tomato mixture and top with cheese.  Cook for 25 minutes, when the cheese melts and turns golden on top. Remove from the oven, add sour cream and parsley to finish.

Serve with a mix leaf salad.

Stuffed Peppers

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This summer I have decided to introduce some of my recipes based on well-known international dishes from my travelling experience, and my working experience as a chef in a London five-star hotel kitchen. I start with a pure vegetarian dish, stuffed peppers.

Stuffed Peppers

INGREDIENTS

700g mixed peppers

500g cooked rice

250g grated cheddar cheese

300g mixed vegetables (mushrooms/spring onions/carrot)

100g packet of sage and onion stuffing mixture

50g chopped parsley

3tbs olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

 

METHOD

In a pan heat the oil, add chopped mushrooms, spring onions and grated carrots and cook for about 10 minutes. In a bowl mix together the rice, parsley, sage and onion mix, cooked vegetables and half of the cheese. Check the seasoning. Wash the peppers and carefully slice the lid off (you can chop this and use it in the recipe), and de-seed. Fill up the peppers with the rice mixture, and arrange on a baking tray or dish. Sprinkle with the leftover cheese and bake in a hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes.