Paul James’s Just Recipes

14/06/2026

Steak, mushrooms & Fried onions with a poached egg cooked in chicken stock.

08/02/2026

05/02/2026

Food has always been my way of understanding people and places.

From professional kitchens to quiet coastal tavernas and life at sea, I’m drawn to hospitality that feels calm, honest, and unforced. The kind where food tells a story and people feel at ease.

I help build and shape businesses like this. Clear food identity, thoughtful experiences, and hospitality rooted in place rather than trends. Always real.

Everything here comes from lived experience, curiosity, and a deep respect for the people behind the scenes.

Follow the journey on Facebook, or get in touch if you’d like help supporting or shaping your business.

[email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587326200080

Paul

24/12/2025

Wishing all the members of our group a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Thank you for being part of this group. May the festive season bring you peace, warmth, and good health, and may the year ahead be filled with happiness and hope.
Paul xx

https://propps.me/pauljamesrfmt

13/09/2025

Crispy Pork with Chinese OK Sauce

Ingredients

4 pork loin chops, thinly sliced
Chilli flakes
Juice of half a lemon
Pinch of black pepper
½ teaspoon cornflour (for marinade)

250 ml water
125 ml tomato sauce
4 tablespoons brown sauce (HP Sauce)
100 g brown sugar
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1½ teaspoons cornflour (for sauce)
2 red onions, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic paste
100 g plain flour
1 large egg
100 ml milk
200 ml ice-cold sparkling water
300 ml sunflower oil

Method

Marinate the pork strips overnight with chilli flakes, lemon juice, black pepper and cornflour in a sealed container.

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic paste and five spice and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the onions, red pepper and chilli and cook until just softened. Stir in the brown sugar and allow it to dissolve.

Pour in the tomato sauce, brown sauce, soy sauce and water, stirring well. Mix the cornflour with a little water to form a smooth paste and stir into the sauce. Allow it to simmer gently while you prepare the pork.

To make the batter, whisk together the flour, egg, milk and sparkling water until smooth. Dip the marinated pork strips into the batter.

Heat the sunflower oil in a wok until hot, then fry the pork strips in small batches so that the oil stays hot and the batter becomes crisp. Drain each batch on kitchen paper.

Add the crispy pork to the simmering sauce, reserving a few pieces for garnish.

Serve immediately, topping with the reserved crispy pork for extra crunch.

07/09/2025

“Grandads Beef Stew”

Ingredients
400 g lean beef mince
400 g stewing beef
Carrots, turnips, and swede (amount to preference)
1 litre vegetable stock
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Gravy granules
2 oxo cubes

Method
Roughly chop the vegetables and fry gently in olive oil until lightly coloured. In a separate pan, brown the beef mince and stewing beef until caramelised. Add the vegetable stock to the vegetables and bring to the boil. Stir in the gravy granules and oxo cubes to the meat mixture.

Combine the meat with the vegetables, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer slowly for several hours until tender. (Add dumplings)

This stew is best enjoyed over two days. On the following day, top up with extra potatoes, peas, and gravy for a heartier meal. The final portion can even be turned into a rustic Cornish-style pasty.

https://propps.me/pauljamesrfmt

03/09/2025

Slow-Cooked Haleem

Ingredients
• 400 g beef skirt or stewing beef
• 100 g red lentils
• 100 g chana dhal
• 100 g basmati rice
• 100 g oats
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tin cold water
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• ½ star anise
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp cardamom seeds
• ½ tsp nutmeg powder
• 1 red chilli, sliced
• Coriander, to garnish

Method
Fry the spices in oil until fragrant. Add the beef and brown well. Transfer to a large pot or slow cooker with the tomatoes and water. Cook for 1 hour. Stir in the lentils, dhal, rice, and oats, cover, and cook for another 3 hours until the beef is falling apart. Serve hot, garnished with chilli and coriander.

03/09/2025

Smoked Tofu with Puy Lentils and Warm Chilli Salad

Ingredients
• 250 g smoked tofu, cubed
• 200 g puy lentils
• 2 carrots
• 1 red chilli, diced
• Handful coriander, chopped
• Bunch of chives, chopped
• 1 lime
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 celery stick, chopped
• 1 leek, chopped
• Sprigs of thyme and rosemary
• 1 litre water
• Olive oil

Method
Make a broth by gently frying onion, garlic, celery, leek, and carrots in oil for 10 minutes. Add water, thyme, rosemary, and peppercorns, then simmer for 2 hours. Cook the lentils in the strained broth until tender. Dice the reserved carrots. Fry the tofu until golden, then add carrots and lentils. Stir in coriander and lime juice. Serve with chives and chilli.

03/09/2025

Welcome to Paul James’s Just Recipes

This is a place for food lovers, home cooks, and anyone who simply enjoys good food without the fuss. Here you will find recipes written the way they should be, clear, simple, and delicious.

No endless scrolling, no distractions, just recipes.

What you can expect here:
• Easy to follow recipes with ingredients and method
• Family favourites and comfort food classics
• Dishes from my travels around the world

Try my recipe, then share your own version. You can even ask me what dish you would like me to create for you and I will make it happen.

Food brings people together, and this page is all about that.

Let us cook. Let us share. Let us enjoy.
Just recipes. Nothing else.