Jamie's Home Cooking Skills

Competition

Skills / knife skills

Knife Skills

Featured Skill:
How to prepare a plum

How to prepare a mango Problems viewing video? Click here
How to prepare a pineapple Problems viewing video? Click here
How to prepare a plum Problems viewing video? Click here
How to prepare a peach Problems viewing video? Click here
How to prepare an orange Problems viewing video? Click here
How to prepare a kiwi fruit Problems viewing video? Click here
How to prepare figs Problems viewing video? Click here
How to prepare a pomegranate Problems viewing video? Click here
How to prepare a pepper Problems viewing video? Click here
How to prepare an avocado
How to prepare fresh ginger Problems viewing video? Click here
How to prepare an onion Problems viewing video? Click here
How to prepare spinach and leeks Problems viewing video? Click here
How to prepare a fresh chilli Problems viewing video? Click here
How to prepare broccoli and cauliflower Problems viewing video? Click here
How to sharpen knives Problems viewing video? Click here
Chopping an onion Problems viewing video? Click here
Chopping a carrot Problems viewing video? Click here
Chopping a cucumber Problems viewing video? Click here
Chopping a bunch of fresh herbs Problems viewing video? Click here
How to slice a loaf of bread Problems viewing video? Click here
Cooking with herbs

Frozen fruit smoothies

Smoothies are not only deliciously tasty but they�re also the perfect way to get loads of goodness into you. They�re good at any time of the day, but I love them for breakfast.
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Tomato soup

Home-made tomato soup is a classic and you'll be surprised at the difference between your version and the tinned stuff.
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Leek and potato soup

Leek and potato is one of those classic soup combos. It�s the perfect thing to tuck into on colder days as it�s really hearty and comforting.
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Spring vegetable and bean soup

This is a lovely soup � very simple and traditional. It�s sort of like minestrone which you see sold pretty much all over the place.
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Simple green salad with French dressing

This salad may seem a bit boring and insignificant, but this is sort of the basic foundation of salads.
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Everyday green chopped salad

Chopped salads are incredibly simple to make and can offer you some chopping practice, so why not make something tasty while you�re practising your knife skills?
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The philosophy of a great salad, pick-and-mix style

The idea of me presenting this salad to you like this is to give you the general philosophy behind creating a great, great salad so you can start making your own.
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Garlic and rosemary focaccia

Focaccia is my favourite type of Italian bread. I's not too hard to make and you can take it in loads of different directions by changing the toppings. I've gone for good old garlic and rosemary here but you could try combos like cherry tomatoes and basil or three cheese. Just keep it light and you'll be onto a winner.
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Classic tomato spaghetti

What�s great about this recipe for beginner cooks is that once you�ve done it a few times you can add other simple ingredients to your basic tomato sauce to completely transform it.
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Brilliant broccoli

Broccoli sometimes gets a bad rap but, like anything, if you give it a bit of love and cook it just right, it's going to taste delicious.
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Jacket potato with prawns and Marie Rose sauce

There is nothing better when you�re hungry than a hot, steaming, fluffy jacket potato. Even simply served with a knob of butter or a drizzle of olive oil, it is one of the most comforting things to eat.
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Potato wedges

With just a splash of oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, you can turn the humble potato into delicious home-made wedges.
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Vegetarian chilli

This is a lovely alternative to traditional chilli con carne. It's packed with good stuff so is a great choice for veggies and meat eaters alike.
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Meatballs and pasta

Meatballs are fantastic! They're perfect like this, with a one-minute homemade tomato sauce and spaghetti, but you could also try them with rice, mashed potatoes, polenta or simple chunks of fresh crusty bread.
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Good old chilli con carne

I think chickpeas are perfect in this dish, but butter beans or even cubed potatoes will work well in their place. Feel free to pep up this dish with more chilli depending on your taste.
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Bolognese sauce with pasta

The classic pastas to serve this with are spaghetti, tagliatelle and penne, but this sauce can also be used for many other things, like filling cannelloni or layering up a lasagne.
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Vegetable jalfrezi

The great thing about this curry is the slightly sweet and sour flavour from the peppers.
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Lamb stew

This is a good recipe for a basic stew. You�re going to love it because it's so simple and gives consistently good results.
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Baked white fish with olives and a simple tomato sauce

I�m a great believer in a simple tomato sauce. The recipe I�ve given you here can be used with all sorts of dishes.
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Summer tray-baked salmon

This is one of those great dishes that you can really make your own by using whatever vegetables are in season.
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Salmon baked in a foil parcel with green beans and pesto

This is so simple to put together � a portion of salmon, a handful of green beans, a dollop of good-quality pesto and a little squeeze of lemon juice. Such a great combination.
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Everyday crispy chicken with sweet tomatoes

This recipe takes just minutes to put together, and gives you beautifully crisp skin as well as sticky, tender meat that should just fall away from the bone.
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Chicken fajitas

Fajitas are basically Mexican-style wraps. A griddle pan gives the nice, charred effect you want with fajitas, but you can also use a large pan or wok.
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Stewed fruit crumble

Stewed fruit is the perfect base for a lovely home-made crumble. The crumble topping takes just minutes to prepare, then you let the whole thing bubble away in the oven until the top is all crunchy and delicious.
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Vegetable and halloumi kebabs

Halloumi cheese is great vegetarian option for barbecuing because it's firm enough to hold its shape as it cooks. The saltiness of the halloumi balances out the sweetness from the peppers and cherry tomatoes.
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Barbecued burgers

It�s always worth making your own burger as then you can control exactly what goes into it. These ones can be cooked on the barbie or on a griddle so are great all year round.
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Fresh fruit salad with yoghurt and granola

Fruit salad is the best way to celebrate seasonal fruit so feel free to vary what I�ve used here depending on the time of year.
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Mushroom omelette

Mushrooms seem to be one of those things people either love or hate. Personally, I�m a big fan, so this omelette is right up my street.
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$Summer veg and goat\'s cheese frittata$

Summer veg and goat's cheese frittata

Think of a frittata as a posh omelette. They're delicious hot, but just as good cold so you can even try popping a wedge in your lunchbox.
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Porridge and toppings

Once you�ve made a batch of your basic porridge, you can take it whichever way you like by adding different ingredients.
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A healthier full Monty

It's fair to say that a lot of fry-ups aren't necessarily healthy, but if you remove the fat from the bacon, use high-meat-content sausages and leave out buttering your toast, you'll be amazed how healthy they are in comparison to things like muffins, pastries and croissants, which can be very calorific.
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Sausage rolls

Once you�ve had a home-made sausage roll, you�ll never want to eat a shop-bought one again.
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Superb squash soup with parmesan croutons

This fantastic soup is best made with varieties of squash that have dense, orange flesh, such as butternut or onion squash.
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Proper chicken caesar salad

With my own versions of the classics, like Caesar salad, it's not about changing things entirely; it's about respecting the original while bigging up the flavours and textures where I can. My twists for this salad are to use chicken legs, smoky pancetta and lovely rustic croutons to suck up all the juices. It's a lovely little salad with just a hint of attitude.
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Smoked trout, horseradish and new potato salad

I'm pretty sure that smoked fish and new potatoes are a match made in heaven, but there are a few extras that can turn it into something even more memorable and comforting.
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Root vegetable salad with grilled chilli dressing

Though you might not expect it, root vegetables work really well in a salad. As long as you finely slice or speed peel everything so it�s not too chunky, it�ll be delicious.
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Pizza margherita with different toppings

When it comes to topping a pizza, the only thing you need to remember is: less is more. Keep your combinations simple and don�t overload it with toppings.
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Lasagne

The secret to a meaty lasagne lies in the Bolognese sauce � get that right and you'll be laughing. This dish is a bit of a treat, so don't eat it too often and make sure you serve it with a lovely big green salad.
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Butternut squash and sweet leek lasagne

Butternut squash and leeks make a lovely veggie filling for lasagne, and to be honest, this one is so delicious meat eaters will love it too.
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Baked French potatoes

This is my take on a classic French recipe. It's a great dish; once it�s assembled you just leave it in the oven while you get on with other jobs.
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Roasted vegetables

When you roast vegetables, something amazing happens; they become so sweet and delicious.
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$Shepherd\'s pie$

Shepherd's pie

Shepherd�s pie is a classic British dish which pretty much everyone I�ve ever met has their own way of making. This is my way which I�ve kept really simple and I reckon you can�t go wrong with it.
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Lamb stew kinda hot-pot

I like making a kind of hot-pot topping for a basic lamb stew by layering up potatoes. They go lovely and crispy and delicious.
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Italian pan-seared tuna

The great thing about this meal is that it all happens quickly, in one pan. Remember, tuna should be cooked quickly on a high heat so it's still a little blushing in the middle.
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Italian spaghetti with prawns

There�s something about the combination of tomatoes, prawns and spaghetti that just works.
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Fish pie

You can use whatever fish you like in this pie, making it as luxurious as you want it to be. If you like your fish pie to be creamy, feel free to add a few tablespoons of cr�me fra�che to the fish.
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Perfect roast chicken

Roast chicken is one of those classic things that everyone loves, but not everyone has the confidence to cook. Once you�ve learnt how to check your chicken is properly cooked and tasted how delicious a home-cooked bird is, hopefully this will be a recipe you�ll use for life.
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Apple pie

Obviously apple pie is one of the all-time classic desserts. The best apple pies I've ever made are from apples bought at farmers' markets where you can pick up lots of different varieties.
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Good old bread and butter pudding

Bread and butter pudding is one of those old English recipes that everyone loves. The addition of marmalade brushed over the bread makes it fantastically crisp, with a zingy orangey bitterness that just makes the whole thing superb. Try not to overcook it because you want to have the soft insides contrasting with the crispiness on top.
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Barbecued fruit

Grilling or barbecuing fruit is a brilliant way of bringing out its natural sweetness, particularly if the fruit isn�t completely ripe.
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Baked apples

This is an absolutely classic dessert � it's so simple, and a great way to use up cooking apples.
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Rice stir-fry

This works best with rice that has completely cooled down, or better yet, been made earlier and kept in the fridge.
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