1. Rice is filling, healthy and delicious and is a traditional side dish in almost all oriental dishes.. 2. If you can find THAI JASMINE OR THAI FRAGRANT RICE the better..unfortunately not all shops have it in store, alternatively, you can use the more common BASMATI RICE..why? Because these 2 varieties have a distinct aroma (as the name implies, it is indeed fragrant) and in cooking you have to satisfy the 3 senses..smell, sight and taste.. 3. If you have a rice cooker everything is easy .. ratio is usually 1:1, 1 cup of rice to 1 cup of water , press cook and voila! perfect steamed rice everytime! But of course we dont have it! We are students, we are skint duh!:) 4. So..using a traditional pan with lid (I know mismatched socks are cooooolll but mismatched pan and lid are soooo not! naggy? little bit yeah!) a. Measure the right amount of rice and water (1:1) b. Bring to boil c. Take off the lid (careful..dont burn your fingers) d. Lower the heat to the lowest possible temperature, when the froth has subsided, put the lid back on. e. Wait 10 mins or so without opening the lid and you get a rice cooker perfect steamed rice! 5. Contrary to the instructions usually found in the packet..where you have to boil rice until soft, use a colander to throw away the water, this method is traditionally done in most Oriental countries..sure a bit more complicated but I believe the logic behind this is to keep in more nutrients as possible (some is in the water that you have thrown away)..and plus you dont have to use a colander!! What do you reckon brilliant young minds? Is there logic in this method or plain old school? Your call..you are the one cooking and most importantly, you will be the one eating xxxxxx

As a rule, I use 1 tablespoon of cornflour to thicken every ½ litre of liquid. I mix the cornflour with a little cold water, and then stir it into the hot food during the final stage of cooking. It must be brought to boiling point before thickening begins. At that point, it usually thickens fairly quickly and the sauce turns from opaque to transparent. However, sauces will thin if cooked too long or boiled too vigorously.

The best way to buy vanilla is the little pod, but at around £1.50 each they are only for special occasions! Always try and buy Vanilla EXTRACT as opposed to vanilla ESSENCE. Extract may cost a little more but it’s the real deal as 'essence' is just a bunch of chemicals made to taste of vanilla.

Here’s a few to get you started! Baby spinach and goats cheese, tomato and cheddar, mushroom and blue cheese…...

 

One of the most underrated, sustainable catches in the sea!! You can buy fresh mackerel from as little as £1 each in the supermarket. Get them filleted, fry in a little oil and they will taste great with just about anything. (Try them with the Greek Salad or Chilli and Cumin Roasted Sweet Potato, both recipes on this website!) You can buy 3 fillets of smoked mackerel for around £1.50 - what a bargain! It’s versatile, ready to eat and has a long shelf life. Go on, get stuck in!

It’s quite normal for your Chicken Kiev to leak a little butter. A couple of things you can do to try and prevent too much loss.
 
1. Make sure you have a thick, even coating of bread crumbs.

2. If you have a deep fryer, pop them in at 190’c for a minute to “seal” the breadcrumbs.

One of the best ways someone cooking at home can learn new techniques and gather ideas. Some of my best dishes have been developed from ideas I saw on cookery shows!

If you wish to try any of the recipes using a deep fried method then please buy a proper deep fat fryer, you could use a pan of oil, but in my opinion it’s just an accident waiting to happen. Fryers start at under a £10! Now there is no excuse not to throw away that dangerous chip pan!

In many restaurants the motto is “Clean as you go”. As you finish one job, tidy and pack away before you start the next. This way when you’re done in the kitchen, you shouldn’t be left with a clean up job larger than Mount Everest!

Really grubby Microwave! Cut a lemon in half and place in a small bowl of water. Microwave for around 1 – 2 mins. Not only will you be able to wipe away the grime with just a cloth and soapy water, you’ll also have a fresh smelling appliance!