30 nation recipes

Very easy pork recipe for a quick weeknight main dish. Cajun pork loin, with a hint of sweet 'n sour served with rice that's ready in about 15 minutes flat.

Triple-chocolate dessert with a brownie shell, Kahlua-spiked chocolate mousse filling, and a coffee-chocolate glaze. A showpiece that needs thin slices and earns every one.

Stir-fried sirloin strips with bow-tie pasta, cherry tomatoes, mixed vegetables, fresh basil, and Parmesan. A 30-minute National Beef Cook-Off winning recipe.

Stir-fried sirloin strips tossed with bow-tie pasta, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and Parmesan. This 1993 National Beef Cook-Off recipe is a 30-minute weeknight winner.

January 23rd is National Pie Day! To celebrate, Twisted Butter Chef Jane Johnson has created the perfect, flaky pie crust to complement America’s favorite sweet cherry pie. She prepares this crust with Twisted Butter’s Cinnamon, Honey & Brown Sugar butter to make this pie crust unforgettable!

Sun-sational lemon cheesecake with a graham cracker crust, creamy citrus-scented filling, and a bright homemade lemon curd glaze. A proper springform showpiece with sunny citrus flavor.

A low-carb version of Lox (smoked salmon) and cream cheese that uses scrambled eggs to replace the classic bagel. Rich, creamy, and delicious, it is perfect for celebrating National Cream Cheese and Lox Day or anytime for an impressive Brunch or breakfast offering.

This is a type of meat salad that is an "unofficial" national dish of Laos and is also made in Thailand. It is a dish of ground meat, flavored with lime juice and fish or soy sauce and various other ingredients such as chilies, cilantro and mint.

Not that we need an excuse to eat this delicious dish but National Fish and Chip day is as good as any. Another good reason is for the health benefits, people who eat fish regularly have a lower risk of heart disease. Cod or haddock are a good source of protein which delays stomach emptying, this helps to stop sudden increases in sugar levels. These fish contain Omega-3 fatty acids which are good blood thinners and many B vitamins. Who said fish and chips weren’t healthy? We aren’t waiting for the 2nd June!

Here is a meat-free, gluten-free, nutrition packed recipe, which you can add to your collection in readiness for National Vegetarian Week, which starts on the 15th May. Chickpeas are a high protein alternative to meat, they contain a whole host of other benefits like Selenium (not found in most fruits and vegetables) which helps to detoxify cancer causing compounds and decreases tumour growth rates. The herbs not only provide flavour but each play a part in improving our health from boosting the immune system to lowering blood pressure. Enjoy this healthy, tasty twist on an Italian classic.

Chocolate is usually thought of as a guilty pleasure but for the Maya civilisation and their ancestors it was a daily staple; the Mayans murals and ceramics capture the abundance of chocolate available to them. Chocolate is made from the seeds of the cacao tree which flourished in southern Mexico. Recent studies found that cocoa extract, Lavado, could have a positive effect on cognitive decline, other studies indicate chocolate could help lower the risk of developing heart disease. Let’s celebrate the history and the benefits of chocolate with this enticing, vegan, recipe on the 13th September – National Chocolate Day.

We’re sure you’ll be converted to this healthy substantial burger option once you try it, we are also sure that you won’t only be eating it on the 31st August – National Burger Day. Flaxseeds or linseeds are small oilseeds that originated in the Middle East thousands of years ago. Flaxseeds have a high content of Omega-3 which is good for heart health and they are 29% Carbohydrate, of this, a massive 95% is fibre which is good for digestion. They contain many vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids so understandably they are becoming more popular. Be aware though – they do not contain Lysine so they cannot be considered a protein source, but this can be found in another ingredient, the black bean. A great alternative burger recipe!

Empanadas are Brazil's national appetizer, tiny pies filled with chicken olives, and peas.

'BULKOKEE' is Korea's national dish and may have been the inspiration for Japan's teriyaki, which it resembles.

Bul Kogi is so popular that many Koreans consider it the national meat dish. Serve with rice and kimchi.

Polish bigos (hunter's stew) with beef, smoked pork, spareribs, kielbasa, bacon, and sauerkraut. The national dish of Poland, slow simmered, feeds sixteen.