Amazing Recipes To Put On Your Menu

When it comes to running a food business whether it be a food truck, cafe, or restaurant – the most important aspect to get right is the food recipes. 

Food comes in all shapes and sizes and when cooking for people in your local community you want to make the best impression with your meals. Today we want to talk about some of the amazing recipes that you can consider making for your customers this year to win them over. 

A classic roast 

A classic roast dinner is a tradition in the UK, and serving meat with gravy, potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, and vegetables is always a winning recipe. There are some amazing recipes out there for how to cook a beef joint, a whole chicken, and how to create the fluffiest Yorkshire puddings you ever did see.

By pairing a succulent roasting joint with some amazing crispy potatoes and some great side dishes – you’ll become a staple in your local town and everyone will be coming to you for their Sunday lunch. Here’s a quick list of the things you’ll want to add to your roast dinner menu: 

• Roast beef 
• Roast chicken
• Gammon 
• Lamb
• Nut roast 
• Roast potatoes 
• Mash 
• Stuffing 
• Carrots 
• Parsnips 
• Broccoli
• Gravy 
• Yorkshire puddings 

Wine roasted chicken

If you are a lover of California-style food recipes, this wine roasted chicken is the best option for you and it will provide a perfect accompaniment for some zesty pesto pasta. 

Ingredients: 

• 4 chicken breasts 
• 2 tbsp flour 
• Salt and pepper 
• 1 fennel bulb
• 1 shallot 
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 2 tbsp basil 
• 2 tbsp thyme 
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon 
• 250ml white wine

1. Season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and sprinkle lightly in flour to cover the surface. 
2. Preheat a skillet pan with oil, and once hot add your chicken breasts. Fry for 4 minutes on each side until golden and brown. Remove. 
3. Add some more oil to the pan and add some shallots. Sweat for around 5 minutes. 
4. Chop up your fennel and add to the pan, cook for a few minutes. 
5. Add the herbs, garlic, lemon juice and zest, and wine. 
6. Add your chicken back into the pan. 
7. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. 

A zesty tagine 

Tagine is a North African dish that is made using a special tagine pan. However, even if you don’t have one of these pans handy in your kitchen you can still get the best out of this recipe dish and win over anyone who comes to your restaurant. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 chicken breasts, butterflied 
• 500ml vegetable stock 
• 400g butternut squash
• 1 shallot 
• 5-6 dried apricots 
• 1 tbsp honey 
• 1 tsp cumin 
• 1 tsp ginger 
• 1 tsp hot chilli flakes 
• 1 tsp coriander leaf 
• Salt and pepper
• Couscous
• Tzatziki 
• Pitta bread 

1. Heat up an oven safe dish on the hob with oil. Add your chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper. Pan fry these for 4 minutes on each side, and then remove from the dish. 
2. Add your diced shallots to the dish and sweat for a few minutes. 
3. Add the apricots and spices and stir for 1 minute. 
4. Add your butternut squash, chicken, stock, and honey into the dish. 
5. Cover with foil or a lid and roast in the oven for 40 minutes. 
6. Once out, take your chicken breasts and cut them into thin strips, or pull the meat apart. 
7. Serve with some couscous, a dollop of tzatziki, and a pitta bread for dipping. 

Chicken tacos 

If you are looking for the perfect sharing platter ideas for your restaurant or bar, you can make use of your refrigeration systems with homemade salsa and guacamole and make these irresistible tacos. This recipe is ideal for lunch to share and it will provide you with the perfect vehicle for flavor and color. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 chicken breasts 
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp taco seasoning
• 1 large avocado 
• 1 lime 
• 1 bunch coriander 
• 1 beef tomato 
• ⅓ jar jalapeño slices 
• 10 mini corn tortillas 
• Sour cream 
• ½ head romaine lettuce 

1. Cube your chicken breasts and then add to a tub with olive oil and taco seasoning. Marinate for at least an hour, ideally overnight to help the flavour develop. 
2. To make the salsa – deseed and dice your tomato finely. Dice half of the jalapeño slices. Cut your lime in half and squeeze half of the juice into the salsa mix. Chop half of your coriander and do the same. 
3. To make the guacamole – cut and mash your avocado. Add the other half of your jalapeños, lime juice, and coriander. Season with salt. 
4. Heat up a pan with oil and add your chicken. Pan fry for 4-5 minutes on each side and ensure that the chicken goes beautiful and browned. 
5. Toast your corn tortillas or warm in the oven for a few minutes. 
6. Serve everything on a wooden platter along with some sour cream and lettuce. 

Freshly made pizzas 

There is nothing better in a restaurant than freshly made pizza dough and beautiful tomato sauce. As a restaurant owner, you’ll be glad to know that dough can be made a few days ahead of time because the flavor will develop the longer you leave the dough to rise and prove. This is a full proof recipe making 4 pizzas and can be scaled up for whatever you need: 

Ingredients: 

• 500g strong bread flour 
• 7g dry active yeast 
• 1 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 tbsp sugar 
• 1 tbsp salt 
• 325ml lukewarm water 

1. Into a jug with water, add your yeast, oil, and sugar. Leave to bloom for 10 minutes. By this time, the yeast should be fizzing and fragrant. 
2. Mix together your flour and salt and make a well in the middle. Pour in your yeast mixture and start mixing to form a loose dough. 
3. Once this comes together, pour out into a floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes. 
4. A tip for kneading – you’ll know your dough is ready when you can take a small piece and pull it apart and it stays together but becomes slightly see-through. This is called the window pane technique. 
5. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover, and prove for at least 2 hours if not overnight. 
6. Knock out the air in the dough and cut into 4 pieces, leave for 10 minutes and then you are ready to roll out and add your toppings. 
7. When cooking your pizza – make sure your oven is at its highest possible temperature. 

For the sauce: 

Looking for an amazing batch sauce you can make for your pizzas in the restaurant? This is a perfect recipe and one that is versatile in its uses. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 tins chopped tomatoes 
• 1 white onion 
• 2 cloves garlic 
• Olive oil 
• 2 tbsp basil 
• 1 tbsp mixed herbs 
• 1 tbsp tomato purée 
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar 

1. Add some oil to a pan. Chop your onion and garlic and add. Sweat for 5 minutes. 
2. Add your herbs, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, and cook for 1-2 minutes. 
3. Add chopped tomatoes and sugar and simmer for 30 minutes. 
4. Blend until smooth. 
5. This sauce can be made in batches and frozen for ease during your day to day running of your business. 

Tarragon chicken pies 

There is nothing better in the autumn and winter than a good old pie. These tarragon chicken pies are super simple and they can be made easily on the day with a prepared filling. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 chicken breasts 
• 1 bunch tarragon 
• 1 carrot 
• 1 onion 
• 1 celery stick 
• 1 clove garlic 
• 100g peas 
• 1 tbsp butter 
• 1 tbsp flour 
• ½ pint milk 

For the pastry: 

• 225g flour 
• 100g diced butter 
• 2-3 tbsp ice cold water 
• 1 tsp salt 

1. Season Chicken with salt and pepper, wrap in foil, and roast for 30 minutes until cooked through. Chop into pieces and set aside.
2. Chop your carrot, celery, onion and garlic roughly and place in a food processor. Pulse until small. 
3. Heat a pan and add your vegetables along with some oil. Cook for 5-8 minutes until fragrant. 
4. Add your butter and melt. 
5. Add flour to make a thick paste, and cook for 1 minute. 
6. Start adding small amounts of milk, stirring constantly, until a thick sauce is formed. Add the chicken to the pan along with chopped tarragon and peas. Allow to cool. 
7. To make the pastry – mix flour and butter in a bowl with your fingers to form a breadcrumb texture. 
8. Add a few tbsp of ice cold water and salt, and form into a loose dough. 
9. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 20 minutes. 
10. Grease a pie dish and roll out your pastry. Line the pie dish, poke some holes in the bottom, and add greaseproof paper on top as well as baking beans. 
11. Cook for 10 minutes as a blind bake. This stops the bottom being soggy. 
12. Add filling, and a top to the pie, and bake for 25 minutes. 

We hope these amazing recipes will inspire you to change up your restaurant menu and bring some new zesty dishes to your food business this year.