1. food and drink
2. desserts and baking

RECIPES
FROM THE
LINK
FAMILY
Scones with cream and jam - England
My favourite English treat…
“Scones and jam remind me of summer
afternoons in the garden with my family, and
cosy winter days inside by a fire. Traditionally
enjoyed with a nice cup of English tea, there is
a long standing debate as to whether they are
better with the cream on top of the jam, or the
jam on top of the cream. Personally, I think the
jam should always go on first!”
- Beth Kreling
BETH KRELING, PROGRAMME
DIRECTOR, ENGLAND OFFICE
Ingredients:
Preparation:
225g/8oz self raising flour
Heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
pinch of salt
Mix together the flour and salt and rub in the butter.
55g/2oz butter
Stir in the sugar and then the milk to get a soft dough.
25g/1oz caster sugar
Turn on to a floured work surface and knead very lightly. Pat out
to a round 2cm/¾in thick. Use a cutter to stamp out rounds and
place on a baking sheet. Lightly knead together the rest of the
dough and stamp out more scones to use it all up.
150ml/5fl oz milk
1 free-range egg, beaten
Strawberry or Raspberry jam
Brush the tops of the scones with the beaten egg. Bake for 12-15
minutes until well risen and golden
Whipped or Clotted cream
Cut in half and dollop with plenty of jam and cream
Courgette Cake – Ethiopia
My favourite treat from England…
“I am originally from the UK but now resident in
Ethiopia.
I have two children who enjoy both English and
Ethiopian dishes.
I am acclimatised here but I miss English cheese!
I like cooking with my kids and their favourite
thing to bake is cakes. This cake is
lovely and moist and is on the healthy end of the
spectrum. I like the texture with the
grated courgette and the spices.”
- Laura Garforth
Ingredients:
LAURA GARFORTH’S CHILDREN , HAWASSA
OFFICE, ETHIOPIA
Preparation:
1 large egg
Heat oven to 180 degrees. Beat egg & oil
4 fluid oz sunflower oil (I use a mix of olive too)
together. Put grated courgettes in bowl. Sift in
6oz courgettes, washed, trimmed & grated
flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda,
5oz wholewheat flour (I use 50% rye flour)
cinnamon. Stir in sugar, sultanas, walnuts. Pour
6oz soft dark sugar
in oil and egg. Mix everything together into a
half level teaspoon baking powder
thick batter. Put into a greased, lined loaf tin and
1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
smooth top level. Bake for 1 hr (possibly longer),
1 level teaspoon cinnamon
until a knife inserted comes out clean. Cool for
3oz sultanas
10 mins before turning out.
3oz chopped walnuts
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Shiro Ba Sega – Ethiopia
“My name means ‘prophets’ in
Amharic.
I am interested in international
relations and African culture.
I have a great collection of
African music!
This is my favourite Ethiopian meal.”
- Nebiat Tefera Abebe
Ingredients:
Garlic
NEBIAT TEFERA ABEBE, ETHIOPIA OFFICE
Onion
Preparation:
Oil
Tomato
Shiro
powder
(ground
peas,
chickpeas, lentils and other pulses
with berbere - mix of spices and chilli
pepper; available from all Ethiopian
supermarkets)
Lamb or beef meat
Finely chop garlic, onions and tomato and fry in
sunflower oil until soft. Add a handful of cubed meat
and cook. Add shiro powder and water and stir
continuously for about 10 – 15 minutes. The
consistency should be thick but still runny enough to
pour. Eat with injara.
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Ya Beg Tibs (Lamb Tibs) - Ethiopia
Why this is my favourite Ethiopian
dish...
“I am the Programme Officer with
LCD in Ethiopia.
I am originally from Dire Dawa in
the east of the country.
I like meat!”
Chanyelew Tefera
CHANYELEW TEFERA, PROGRAMME
OFFICER, ETHIOPA OFFICE
Ingredients:
Preparation:
1 sheep
Buy a sheep from the sheep market.
Fresh rosemary
Have the sheep butchered and the meat cut into small bite-sized pieces.
Garlic
Marinate the meat with fresh rosemary, garlic and onion.
Onion
Make a wood fire and place a large flat metal pan over the fire.
Melt the fat from the sheep’s tail.
Cook the meat
Eat with injara and datta (hot pepper sauce!).
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Jollof Rice - Ghana
My favourite Ghanaian Dish…
“Jollof rice is a simple Ghanaian dish. Other dishes specific
to different ethnic groups in Ghana are sometimes not easy
to prepare by an outsider. Jollof rice is mainly eaten by West
Africans but was actually invented by the Wollof who live in
Senegal. The jollof rice is a mixture of stewed ingredients.
Arguably, the only West Africans who can cook delicious
jollof rice dishes are Ghanaian”
-
Kennedy Quaigrain
KENNEDY QUAIGRAIN, PROGRAMME DIRECTOR,
GHANA OFFICE
Ingredients:
Utensil
cooking oil
170g tomato paste
onion
pepper
garlic
tomatoes
carrots
spices (bouillon)
3-4 cups of rice
corned beef
ginger
Preparation:
Get a nice utensil for cooking stews and soup, pour your oil inside.
Cut your onions and tomatoes, pepper and add them to the frying oil.
Stir nicely. Add tomato paste quickly and stir the concoction for minutes.
Add about 11 grams of bouillon and stir the mixture.
You can add ginger if you want.
Stir mixture for about 10 to 15 minutes and add about 5 to 6 cups of
water to the concoction. Let it simmer a bit.
Stir and cover the utensil for 8 to 10 minutes while the concoction boils.
Add about 3 to 4 cups of rice to the mixture. Make sure that the rice will
cook well with the mixture you have.
Add the vegetables (carrots) you may have. Cut and put the garlic in.
Lower the heat, cover the utensil and wait for the jollof rice to cook.
Add corned beef or tuna to the food 5 to 10 minutes before it is fully
cooked.
If the rice is not cooked well, you’ll have a hard texture when you bite
through it. Make sure the food is cooked for about 40 to 60minutes. For
those who struggle to cook ordinary rice it is advised you use a rice
cooker to avoid the rice sticking at the bottom and getting burnt.
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Mussels with Guinness - Ireland
Why this is my favourite Irish dish…
“A real Dublin delicacy this. The legend of Dublin Bay
Mussels are immortalised in the famous song ‘Molly
Malone’ which tells the story of a young 17th century
fishmonger in Dublin who “wheeled her wheel-barrow,
through streets broad and narrow, crying ‘cockles and
mussels, alive, alive, oh!’ Sadly, poor Molly later died of
a fever. Mussels are best enjoyed washed down with a
mouthful of creamy Guinness. Guinness has been
brewed in Dublin since 1759, when Arthur Guinness
had the foresight to sign a 9,000-year lease on a
disused brewery at St. James’s Gate, Dublin.”
- Kevin McParland
Ingredients:
1 kg of mussels
½ can of Guinness Draught
Preparation:
KEVIN MCPARLAND, PROGRAMME OFFICER,
IRELAND OFFICE
Place the mussels, onions, garlic and ½ can of Guinness into a tall pot
with a heavy lid.
½ pint of cream
Cook until the mussels have opened (4 - 5 minutes).
2 small diced onions
1 clove of crushed garlic
Add the cream, bring back to the boil and cook for a further two
minutes. Add the dill and butter, stir well and serve immediately.
Generous knob of butter
Discard any mussels that have not opened
Teaspoon of chopped dill
Wash the mussels down with a pint of Guinness (optional!)
Salt and pepper
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Mbatata (Sweet Potato) Biscuits - Malawi
My favourite Malawian treat…
“This is a traditional Malawian recipe for a
classic biscuit (cookie) made with mashed
sweet potatoes and flavoured with
cinnamon. The potatoes give them
softness and an orange tint, but they do
need that extra bit of sugar!”
- Michael Mulenga
MICHAEL MULENGA, ACTING PROJECT MANAGER,
MALAWI OFFICE
Ingredients:
Preparation:
Mix together the sweet potato, milk and melted butter.
180 g mashed sweet potato
60 ml milk
4 tbsp melted butter
250 g sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Blend well then add all the remaining ingredients.
Bring together to form a dough then tip onto a floured surface,
knead and roll out until it's just over 1cm thick.
Cut with a pastry cutter then place on a well-greased baking
tray.
Place in an oven pre-heated to 160°C and bake for 35 minutes,
or until golden.
Remove from the oven, dust with icing sugar and set aside to
cool.
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Nanaimo Bars - Malawi (Canadian)
My favourite Canadian treat…
“It's kind of hard to identify specifically Canadian
recipes - we're a largely immigrant population so
recipes come from everywhere. However, this
recipe is for Nanaimo Bars, a wicked-good dessert
supposedly invented in Nanaimo B.C. I defy
anyone to eat a whole piece by themselves!”
- Barbara Harvey
BARBARA HARVEY, MALAWI OFFICE
Ingredients:
1 cup (250 mL) graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (125 mL) sweetened flaked
coconut or shredded coconut
1/3 cup (75 mL) finely chopped walnut
halves
1/4 cup (60 mL) cocoa powder
1/4 cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (75 mL) butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
Filling:
1/4 cup (60 mL) butter
2 tbsp (30 mL) custard powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) vanilla
2 cups (500 mL) icing sugar
2 tbsp (30 mL) milk, (approx.)
Topping:
4 oz (113 g) semisweet chocolate,
chopped
1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
Preparation:
In bowl, stir together graham crumbs, coconut, walnuts,
cocoa powder and sugar. Drizzle with butter and egg; stir
until combined.
Press crumb mixture into parchment paper–lined 9-inch (2.5
L) square metal cake pan. Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven until
firm, about 10 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack.
Filling:
In bowl, beat together butter, custard powder and vanilla.
Beat in icing sugar alternately with milk until smooth, adding
up to 1 tsp (5 mL) more milk if too thick to spread. Spread
over cooled base; refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Topping:
In heatproof bowl over saucepan of hot (not boiling) water,
melt chocolate with butter. Spread over filling; refrigerate
until almost set, about 30 minutes.
With tip of knife, score into bars; refrigerate until chocolate
is set, about 1 hour. (Make-ahead: Wrap and refrigerate for
up to 4 days or overwrap in heavy-duty foil and freeze for up
to 2 weeks.) Cut into bars.
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Pot Barley Soup - Malawi (Canadian)
My favourite Canadian dish…
“This is a more healthy option to Nanaimo bars
eaten a lot in Canada, Pot Barley Soup.
Enjoy.”
- Barbara Harvey
Ingredients:
BARBARA HARVEY, MALAWI OFFICE
4 lbs. beef (shin bone or shank)
3 quarts cold water
Preparation:
1 tbsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. white sugar
2 cups potatoes, diced
1/3 cup carrots, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
Have butcher crack shin bones so that marrow will cook out.
Cover with cold water.
Add seasonings and sugar.
Cook slowly for 3 to 4 hours or until meat fall from bones.
Remove the bones.
Add vegetables and barley.
Simmer 1 hour. Serve hot.
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup barley
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Vegetable Tagine - Morocco
My favourite Moroccan dish…
With our biggest fundraising event the Hitch running
annually, Morocco is always a focus within the office.
Most of our Hitchers will have smelled and tasted this
delicious dish on their arrival in Morocco. I picked up
this particular recipe a few years ago and it’s a
favourite with me and my family.
- Alex Wright
Ingredients:
1 large onion
4 cloves of garlic (crushed or sliced
– it is stronger if you crush it)
1 sweet potato
3 Large carrots
1 orange (or red) pepper
150g red lentils
100g dried apricots
500ml passata or 1 large tin of
tomatoes
1 tbsp harissa
1 veg stock cube
250mls water
½ tps turmeric
2 tps dried mixed herbs
½ tsp ground cumin
400g tin chickpeas
A glug of olive oil
Preparation:
ALEX WRIGHT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
ENGLAND OFFICE
Chop all the vegetables chunkily. Rinse the red lentils well.
Fry the onions in olive oil until soft but not brown. Stir in the
garlic and cook for a further minute.
Add passata/tomatoes and the stock cube and water.
Add lentils, carrots and herbs and spices and harissa.
Bring to boil, stirring so lentils don’t stick. Simmer for 5
minutes then add sweet potato and apricots.
Simmer for a further 5-10 minutes, add more water if becomes
too sticky – should have consistency of a stew.
Add chickpeas and pepper.
Simmer until lentils and vegetables are cooked (approximately
15 minutes). Adjust seasoning to taste.
Serve with couscous and a large glass of your favourite wine!
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Haggis, Neeps and Tatties - Scotland
Why this is my favourite Scottish dish…
“Haggis for me isn’t just for Burns Night. I think it’s
a great, hearty meal any night of the year and
one I like to cook often. You HAVE to serve your
Haggis
alongside neeps
and
tatties
(swede/turnip and potatoes) to make it a true
winter-warmer dish – and as the temperature
doesn’t often get above freezing here, it makes it
a great dinner all-year round. ”
- Louise Stuart
Ingredients:
1 Haggis (1kg)
LOUISE STUART, PROGRAMME MANAGER, SCOTLAND OFFICE
Preparation:
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and carefully add the haggis.
Reduce the heat to a simmer so that the haggis does not split and
leave it there for 75 mins to gently cook.
400g Neeps
500g Tatties
2tbsp Unsalted Butter
1tbsp Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste
Ready-made gravy
While the haggis is cooking, peel your neeps and tatties. Bring another
saucepan of water to the boil and cook the neeps for 20-25 mins until
tender.
Drain the neeps add the half of the butter and milk and mash until
smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
Repeat this for the tatties.
To serve, cut open the haggis and place a quarter on each plate. Serve
with gravy and the neeps and tatties, and a wee dram of whisky!
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Babote - South Africa
My favourite South African dish…
“Pronounced ba-boor-tea, the national dish of
South Africa is a delicious mixture of curried meat
and fruit with a creamy golden topping, similar to
moussaka.”
- Nkosana Kubeka
Ingredients:
2 slices white bread
2 onions , chopped
25g butter
2 garlic cloves , crushed
1kg packet lean minced beef
2 tbsp madras curry paste
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
3 cloves
5 allspice berries
2 tbsp peach or mango
chutney
3 tbsp sultanas
NKOSANA KUBEKA, PROGRAMME DIRECTOR, SOUTH AFRICA
Preparation:
Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Pour cold water over the bread
and set aside to soak.
Fry the onions in butter, stirring regularly for 10 mins until they are
soft and starting to colour. Add the garlic and beef and stir well,
crushing the mince into fine grains until it changes colour. Stir in the
curry paste, herbs, spices, chutney, sultanas and 2 of the bay leaves
with 1 tsp salt and plenty of ground black pepper.
Cover and simmer for 10 mins. Squeeze the water from the bread,
then beat into the meat mixture until well blended. Tip into an oval
ovenproof dish (23 x 33cm and about 5-6cm deep). Press the mixture
down well and smooth the top. You can make this and chill 1 day
ahead.
For the topping, beat the milk and eggs with seasoning, then pour
over the meat. Top with the remaining bay leaves and bake for 35-40
mins until the topping is set and starting to turn golden.
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Matoke - Uganda
My favourite Ugandan Dish…
“Matoke is a staple in Uganda and served in almost
every home. Matoke, or plantains, look like green
bananas and grow in bunches on trees. However, unlike
bananas, matoke is fairly hard before it is cooked and is
not very sweet, this is why it’s particularly delicious in
savoury dishes!”
- Derek Nkata
Ingredients:
8-10 plantains
1 lemon juice (optional)
DEREK NKATA, PROGRAMME DIRECTOR,
UGANDA OFFICE
Preparation:
oil (for frying)
1 onion, chopped
Peel the plantains, cut into cubes, sprinkle with
lemon juice, and set aside.
2-3 fresh or canned tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 chili pepper, chopped (optional)
salt, coriander and cayenne pepper or red pepper (to
taste)
450g ground beef or 450g beef stew meat, cut in bitesized pieces (optional)
230 ml beef broth or 230 ml beef/ vegetable stock
Heat oil in a large pan. Fry the Onion,
tomatoes, green pepper, hot pepper, and garlic
together. Add spices to taste.
Add meat and broth/ stock. Continue frying
and stirring until the meat is nearly done or
until the broth is starting to boil.
Reduce heat. Add plantains. Cover and simmer
over low heat until plantains are tender and
meat is done. Serve hot.
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Welsh Rarebit - Wales
Our Welsh favourite…
Rabbit used to be seen as the ‘poor man’s meat’, and cheese often replaced
meat when hunting was not possible. The name Welsh Rarebit or ‘Welsh Rabbit’
came from this idea. Real Welsh Rarebit uses either a cheesy béchamel sauce or
simply, grated or sliced cheese. It’s a very popular, cheap, comforting and easy
dish eaten not only in Wales but throughout the UK for any meal or snack time.
- From the England office
Ingredients:
Preparation:
Thickly sliced, crusty white or seeded bread
Lightly toast the bread in a toaster or grill
Cheddar (or similar) cheese – sliced or grated
Spread on Butter (and other sauce if desired)
Butter
Put on a baking tray lined with tin foil
Optional additions under the cheese:
Marmite
Tomato Paste
With the cheese:
Ham
Chopped Onion
Sun dried or fresh tomato
Cover the slice with the cheese (and other items if
desired)
Grill until all the cheese is melted and golded brown
Be sure not to miss the tasty, crispy dripped cheese
from round the edge!
On top of the cheese:
Worcestershire Sauce
Paprika
Black Pepper
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