CHICKEN BEAN STEW

Good Morning!!!

What about another nutritious and very tasty recipe?

Today the recipe is Bean Stew where I used white beans. White Beans are a great ally for those who want to reduce weight, but more importantly, they have several benefits for our health.

This food is rich in fibre, flavonoids (antioxidants), proteins, magnesium, calcium, B Complex vitamins, iron and zinc. In addition to quenching hunger, it contributes to a reduction in carbohydrate absorption, prevents diabetes, improves blood circulation and bowel function, prevents cell ageing and strengthens bones.


RECIPE:

Ingredients:

•     500g Cooked white beans
•     1 Medium onion
•     6 Cloves of garlic
•     3 Tablespoons of olive oil
•     8 Small sliced Bacon
•     1 Quality "Farinheira" (I advise a farinheira of Beira Baixa Region, Portugal) - You can replace this with chorizo.

  Note: Farinheira is a Portuguese smoked sausage filled with flour, pork fat and seasoning's and is really tasty.

•     6 Chicken sliced beefs
•     300ml Chicken stock
•     1 Bay leaf and rosemary to taste
•     Salt and black pepper to taste
•     1 chilli and a little saffron powder
•     1 Mint Leaf
  

Preparation:

Mince the onion and garlic in a blender. Add the olive oil, the crushed mixture, salt, pepper, chilli, saffron, a bay leaf and rosemary to taste in a pan. Let it fry until slightly brown on a low heat.

In another pot, put the "farinheira" or chorizo with water to cover and let boil 5/10 minutes on medium heat. Take care to remove the "farinheira" immediately if it bursts.

In the onion pan, add the chicken, the bacon and the broth, and if desired, a little of the cooking water of the "farinheira", letting cook for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Verify the seasoning's and add the mint.

Cut the "farinheira" into pieces of 3 cm with care, so that it does not undo and place in a dish to serve with the Bean stew.


I hope you enjoy this recipe just like I do!


Enjoy and kisses !!!

OAT AND CHIA PANCAKES

Good Morning!!!

Today I´m posting a recipe of my own that I tested this weekend and turned out quite tasty:
Oatmeal and Chia Pancakes.
They yield about 14 pancakes, but it will depend on the amount of batter you put in the frying pan. 
 
Pancakes can be a great choice for breakfast, especially if made with nutritious and quality ingredients. 

On to Recipe:

Ingredients:

•     2 Cups of oat flakes
•     3 eggs
•     1 Cup of milk
•     1/2 Cup of water
•     1 teaspoon chia seeds
•     1 teaspoon olive oil for the batter
•     1 teaspoon olive oil for frying pan
•     1 pinch of salt
•     Honey to taste.

Preparation:

Place in a jar, the oats, eggs, milk, water and salt and blend well.

Add the chia seeds and the olive oil.

Turn on the stove and heat a frying pan. When hot, on medium heat, place a tsp of olive oil in the frying pan, greasing it and pour a ladle of the batter in shaping it into the pancake.Let it cook for a few minutes on each side.

The pancakes will be ready when they have a golden colour!

Serve with honey or other ingredients to taste.
 

Enjoy your food!

DUCK RICE

Ingredients:

•      Half (1/2) Duck
•     350g of Basmati Rice
•     4 to 5 Cups of Water where the Duck cooked (broth) for the rice
•     1.5 Litre of Water
•     150ml of Red Wine
•     Half (1/2) Meat Chorizo ​​for topping the meal
•     1 Piece of Meat Chorizo
•     1 Onion
•     8 Cloves of Garlic
•     1 Bay Leaf
•     1 Rosemary Branch
•     Salt and pepper to taste
•     3 to 4 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

 Method:

Put in a pot a 1.5 Litre of water, red wine, bay leaf, the Rosemary Branch, the duck, a piece of meat chorizo ​​and salt and pepper.

Turn on the stove and cook on medium heat for 50 to 60 minutes. After this time, certify the duck is tender and cooked with a fork.

Strain the duck broth and save it. Let the duck cool down and shred it.

Chop the garlic and onions in a mincer.

In another pot, add the olive oil, the garlic and chopped onion and let it cook a little on a low heat. Then, add the washed rice, letting it fry a little.

Cut the half of the chorizo ​​into slices.

Add the duck broth and, if necessary, a little more water. Season with salt to taste, mix and cook the rice to a maximum of 10 minutes.

Add the shredded duck and mix well.

Put on a Pyrex or baking tray, the prepared rice with duck, smoothing the top. Garnish the rice to taste with the chorizo ​​slices.

Bake in the oven at 180º C (360º F) for 15 minutes until it´s golden.
 

Enjoy your food!!!

FISH AND SHRIMP SOUP

Ingredients:

•      1,200 Kg Frozen or fresh hake (7 to 8 hake slices)
•     10 Medium Shrimps
•     3 Large onions
•     5 Medium ripe tomatoes
•     3 Carrots
•     8 Potatoes
•     1 Small pepper
•     7 cloves of garlic
•     3 to 4 Tablespoons of olive oil
•     Coriander leaves to taste
•     1 Chilli pepper
•     Salt and pepper to taste
•     1 Bay Leaf
•     3 to 4 litres of water (If you use cooked fish water or a fish broth the soup will be tastier).

 Preparation:

Place the hake slices to cook for 15 minutes in a saucepan with salt, water and 2 cloves of garlic. In another pot, add the potatoes and carrots, seasoning with salt and letting it cook for 15 minutes.

Add in a mincer the onion and remaining garlics, mincing everything well. Add the ripe tomatoes to this mixture and grind again.

In a soup pan, place the olive oil, the crushed mixture, salt and pepper to taste and stir, allowing to braise a few minutes.

Remove the seeds of the pepper and cut it into thin strips. Then chop the coriander. Add the peppers to the braised mixture, adding the water and the fish stock and leaving the heat at medium temperature for a few minutes to cook the pepper. Turn off the stove.

Suggestion: You can add prawns to this soup to turn it more tasty, letting it cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the stove.

Remove most of the water from the potatoes and carrots and cut into cubes or mash them with a blender until mashed (Children will love the soup this way).
Put the puree in the soup, season with salt and add the coriander.

Cut the fish into cubes and place in the soup at serving time.

When the soup in the pan is warm or cold, you can add the remaining cubbed fish. This way, the fish will not be undone, keeping its shape. 


Enjoy your food!!!

CONDENSED MILK DELIGHT

Hi !

Today's recipe is so tasty and simple to prepare and is already available on YouTube to watch all steps. 
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CONDENSED MILK DELIGHT (Video)

 

RECIPE

Ingredients:

•     1 can of cooked condensed milk
•     150g Biscuits of your choice (Ex.: Maria biscuits)
•     3 Packs Fresh Heavy cream - 30% Fat (3 x 200ml)
•     Juice of 1/2 Lemon
•     4 egg whites
•     Fruits to decorate (Ex: Blueberries)

Method:

Place the contents of a can of cooked condensed milk in a large bowl. Then crush the biscuits in a mincer.

In another bowl, add 600ml of cream and the juice of half a lemon. Beat the cream until it´s firm.

Put the egg whites in a bowl and beat them.Add the cream to the cooked condensed milk and mix well with a wooden spoon. Meanwhile, beat these ingredients with the mixer until they´re cream-coloured.

Place the beaten egg whites in the mixture, folding carefully until they have disappeared. 
Pour the mixture into a small or large dessert glass, as you prefer, placing a layer of the mixture, a layer of crushed Maria biscuit, another layer of the same mixture and finally, another layer of crushed Maria biscuit, decorating to taste with fruits. I used blueberries.
 

Hope you like it !

Enjoy your dessert !!!

BEAN CLAMS

Ingredients:

•  1 kg of Bean clams;
•  3 tablespoons olive oil;
•  5 Garlic cloves;
•  Chopped coriander leaves;
•  Juice of 1 lemon;
•  Salt and pepper to taste;
•  1 or 2 Chilli peppers.

Method:
 
Wash the shells and soak in salted water for about 12 hours.
 
Add in a pan, garlic cut into slices and let them fry in the olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and chilli (s) and let simmer on a low heat mixing occasionally.

Remove from the heat immediately (so they stay juicy) and sprinkle with chopped coriander and season with lemon juice.

Serve on a tray with lemon segments.


They are a delight as a snack in the summer !!!!

 
Enjoy your food!!!

CREAMY COD GRATIN

Creamy Cod Gratin is a very much appreciated typical Portuguese dish and so easy to execute.
Great for reusing cooked codfish and turning it into a tasty dish that never fails to please!
 

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CREAMY COD GRATIN (Video)

Now to the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3 or 4 Cooked Cod Fish slices
• 1 kg Potatoes
• 1 Large onion 
• 4 Cloves of garlic
• 500ml Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Bay leaf
• 200ml Heavy cream
• 100g Grated mozzarella cheese
•  4 Tablespoons of olive oil

Method:

Peel and cut the potatoes into small cubes, washing and draining them well.  

Fry the potatoes in very hot oil for 10 minutes and turn the oven to 200°C (390ºF).

Meanwhile, shred the codfish.

In a large frying pan, place the olive oil, the sliced onion and cloves of garlic, bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Let the ingredients braise slightly until they´re translucent.

Blend the cornstarch into the milk and add in the frying pan, mixing well.

As soon as the sauce is thick, add the codfish and blend all ingredients.

Remove the excess oil from the potato chips and join them with the cream to the pan. Mix and let cook for about 5 minutes.

Put this preparation in a tray and straightening the top.  

Sprinkle with the grated mozzarella cheese on top and gratin in the oven for 25 minutes until it´s golden.


Indulge yourself with this dish! 

❤ ❤ SANGRIA OF RED WINE - S. VALENTINE'S DAY ❤ ❤

St. Valentine's Day is celebrated due to a Roman Bishop named Valentim (3rd century) who secretly celebrated marriages due to the banning of these by the Emperor Claudius II. Upon the discovery of this fact, Valentim was arrested and sentenced to death on February 14, 270.

Today's suggestion is a fresh and delicious alcoholic beverage called Sangria.

Sangria is a drink made with a mixture of red or white wine, juice and pieces of fruit and sugar. Other drinks like brandy, sparkling wine can be used too.

The drink has to be really fresh, therefore ice can be added if necessary.Traditionally, in Portugal, spices (cinnamon stick) and aromatic fresh herbs (mint, basil) are added to the beverage.

RECIPE (for 1 Lt of sangria) 


  Ingredientes : 

• 0,75 l of quality red wine
• 0,20 l of soda, 7up or Sprite; 
• 100 gr. yellow sugar; 
• 1 large orange cut into pieces; 
•  6 strawberries cut in halves; 
• 1 lemon cut into pieces; 
• 1 apple cut into pieces; 
• 1 cinnamon stick 
• 2 mint leaves; 
• 4 leaves of basil. 

   Method  : 

In a jar for 1.5 Lt., place the cut fruit. 
Add the sugar and the wine and stir well until the sugar dissolves. 

Add in the cinnamon stick and leave in the refrigerator for at least one hour. 

At serving time, join the soda, mint and basil, mixing to combine the the flavours. 


ENJOY YOUR DRINK!


 

SWEET POTATO AND TURNIP GREENS SOUP

Hi everyone! Today´s recipe is SWEET POTATO AND TURNIP GREENS SOUP.

Sweet Potato is very healthy and a great option to reduce the amount of potatoes in soup besides giving a new and tasty flavour to them.

The are many benefits we can achieve from Sweet Potatoes: anti inflammatory, source of beta-carotene, protection of the stomach and anti-aging, energetic, increase of the immune system, detoxifying the body, regulator of blood glucose and blood pressure and relaxing.


RECIPE:

Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• 5 potatoes
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 1 turnip
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 carrots
• 400g turnip greens
• 6 slices chourizo ( If you´re vegan just discard this ingredient)
• 1/2 leek, 
• 2 to 3 litres water, 
• salt and pepper to taste 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Method:

Put the water in a large saucepan and turn the stove on high heat. 

Wash, peel and cut the vegetables. 
Put them in the water (only half the turnip greens) and season. Let them boil for 15 min. 

Mince the vegetables and add the remaining turnip greens, diced chourizo and verify the seasoning. 
Boil another 5/10 min. 

Pour the olive oil and it's ready! 


Enjoy your soup!

LEMON CURD

Lemon Curd appeared in the late 19th century. The homemade lemon curd was traditionally served with bread or biscuits with afternoon tea as an alternative to marmalade and as a filling of cakes, biscuits and pies.

From this time to the present day it is one of the favourite desserts or accompaniment of desserts for British and North American.

 
Recipe: 

Ingredients:

•  2 Lemons (juice)
•  220g Sugar
•  3 Medium eggs
•  60g Butter

Method: 

Put the sugar, the butter and the lemon juice in a pyrex glass bowl. 

Put it over apan  of simmering water (on a low heat) stirring with a wooden spoon and cook  until the sugar is completely dissolved (about 5 to 8 minutes). 

Turn the heat off and allow to cool slightly. Beat the eggs well and put them in the mixture. 

Turn the stove back on low heat, letting it cook and stirring constantly until the curd begins to coat the back of the wooden spoon. 

Pour in a small jar, cover and let cool.
 

Enjoy !!!

LEMON CAKE

 

I love Lemon!  Lemon aromatizes food, dishes, drinks, creams and drinks. It can be used in so many ways, but its greatest asset is the benefit it gives us by improving our immunity system.

It´s packed with Vitamin C, prevents premature ageing and some types of cancer, detoxifies the body, speeds up the healing process and is anti-inflammatory.
 
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LEMON CAKE (Video)

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 160g Unsalted butter (at room temperature)
•  250g Plain Flour
•  200g Sugar
•  1/2 teaspoon baking powder
•  Peels of 1 lemon
•  1 whole egg + 3 egg yolks
•  2 Tablespoons of Lemon juice
•  160ml Buttermilk
•  1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
•  1/2 teaspoon of salt
•  Zest of 1 Lemon + 120 ml water
•  250ml Lemon Curd for Coverage (See the recipe at https://goo.gl/veaNsE )

 Method:

Begin by preheating the oven to 180º C (350º F) and grease a mould with butter and flour it. 

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest. 

In another bowl, beat the butter with 150g of sugar until it is a light and fluffy mixture.Beat at low speed, the whole egg and egg yolks one ingredient at a time. Put the lemon juice in this mixture and beat again. Add the butter and sugar. 

Buttermilk can be bought at any supermarket, however, if you don´t have it, you can easily make it at home: just join 160ml of milk + 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and wait about 10 minutes until it´s curdled. 

Whisk alternately the flour and buttermilk starting and finishing with the flour mixture.Pour the cake batter into the mould and smooth the top. Let it cook in the oven for about 25 minutes for a centred opening cake mould. If the mould isn´t centred, bake another 10 minutes. 

While the cake bakes, make a syrup for the cake by joining the remaining 50g of sugar with 120ml of water. As soon as it boils, add the lemon peels and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the peels from the syrup. 

Check with a toothpick if the cake is ready and remove it, letting it cool for about 15 minutes. 

Punch the cake with a fork, cover with syrup and let it cool. 

Finally, decorate the cake with the lemon curd.
 

Enjoy it!!!