{from the kitchen this past week}

kind of chocolate-y whoopie pies with a yummy mascarpone&raspberry jam filling.

a cock-a-leekie inspired soup, with chicken, leeks, carrots, onion and chineese pasta.

and this wonderfully yummy comfort food. i love baked eggs and as soon as i saw this at one of my favorite foodie blogs, i had to try something simillar. it was creamy and super tasty. i used olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the ramequin, added bits of bread, 2 eggs, some lovely rosted pumpkin, bits of cheese (use a flavourful cheese) and sprinkled some salt, pepper and oregano. put in the oven and patiently wait for a yummy meal. :) 

{caramel latte}

i used a recipe amanda shared on her blog, to make my own homemade caramel  sauce and it's perfect for caramel lattes or caramel frapuccinos. you can use it in any fancy or simple way... on pancakes, as an apple dip, icecream topping, you name it.

 

for the caramel latte you can use 1 shot of hot expresso (i actually used decaf), 1 cup warm or hot milk, 2 Tblsps of the caramel and cream to top. yum.

{a kinda middle eastern meal}

yesterday i felt like having middle eastern for dinner, so, this is what i came up with to satisfy my cravings:

i thought i had canned chick-peas for a real hummus, but necessity is the mother of invention and i had to adapt according to what i had. but you can find a recipe for the real thing here (where i adapted mine from) or here.

'altered' hummus

1 cup canned lima beans

drained juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. dried coriander

1 1/2 tbs. tahini paste
2 garlic cloves
2 tbs. olive oil 

blend all ingredients really well. cover and refrigerate for at least 40 minutes before serving. add a bit of paprika and olive oil for garnish. 

.........

labneh  [yogurt cheese]

about 150 g. greek yogurt

a pinch of salt

olive oil+parsley for garnish

............

a simple lettuce, onion, red pepper and bulguhr salad.

..........

and, of course, some lovely, warm pita bread. the recipe was a mix beetween this one and this one.

.............

and a nice cup or two of fragrant mint tea with orange peel and cinnamon.

spur-of-the-moment

* greek yogurt * raspberries * dried mint * brown sugar *

on things-in-jars still...

i might just start a series... things-to-keep-in-jars. here are two more.

just peel some garlics, wash and dry them. then toss them in a clean and dry jar and cover with olive oil. this is a great way to conserve your garlic for longer and you end up with a really fragrant olive oil. you can also add some dried herbs, like oregano, for instance. if it's too hot, you can put the jar in the fridge, taking in account that the olive oil will become solid. that's no problem. 

good old apple sauce to have as is or with yogurt and some cereal or even in cake recipes and such.

{bittersweet}

o lemon curd era daquelas coisas na lista do "must try sometime". aliás, a primeira tentativa (há uns 10 anos atrás) não correu muito bem. pronto, não correu nada bem. pela má estrutura da receita e pela minha aversão, na altura, a tudo o que estivesse minimamente ligado à físico-química. a curiosidade e a vontade têm-me ensinado, entretanto, que cozinhar tem muito de ciência. chegou hoje a segunda ronda e esta já correu bem, com a ajuda desta receita descrita de uma forma tão simples e de um saco de limões da sis.  agora faltam-me os scones. 

é verdade que é preciso tempo e paciência, mas as recompensas valem a pena:

:: o aroma delicioso dos limões. as mãos impregnadas dele, no silêncio de uma cozinha desarrumada.

:: o facto de não termos que gastar dinheiro num produto que, por ser importado, fica sempre mais caro que o desejável.

:: a satisfação de fazermos nós. de raíz. 

[e isto faz-me continuar a pensar numa série de outras coisas que, com algum planeamento, se poderiam evitar da lista de compras cá de casa - desde as bolachas ao shampoo]  

{homemade pizza and nostalgia}

pizza caseira é daquelas coisas que traz nostalgia agarrada ao cheiro do fermento a levedar a massa, agarrada ao movimento terapêutico de amassar. é como se voltasse a ser miúda e o meu pai estivesse na cozinha a trabalhar com as suas mãos hábeis.

para a massa segui esta receita, no entanto deixei a massa descansar mais tempo. 

fiz um molho de tomate com tomates maduros, alho, azeite, pimenta preta e sal. triturei um pouco e deitei por cima da massa depois de a ter esticado. por cima - cebola, milho, atum, azeitonas verdes, queijo emmental e oregãos.

a massa fica super fofa e alta, sem ser gordurosa. vai para a lista das receitas favoritas.

................ 

 

 homemade pizza makes me feel nostalgic. it's like i'm a kid all over again and my dad's in the kitchen with his skilled hands.

for the dough, i followed the instructions in this recipe (although i did leave it to rest for longer).

to spread on the stretched dough, i made some tomato sauce with ripe tomatoes, garlic, black pepper, olive oil and salt. then i added corn, tuna, onions, green olives and emmental cheese.

the crust so soft, without being greasy. this is definitely on the fave recipes list :) 

{like taking a bite at a cloud}

pavlova shouldn't be allowed to be so tasty! i had my first Pavlova last year, in Ireland and have been meaning to try making it since then. it takes a little bit of time, but it's worth it - like eating fluffy clouds.

pre-heat the oven to 180 ºC

so, all you need is to beat 6 egg whites. add 300 g of fine sugar, slowly, like a spoonful at a time. add a wee bit of vinegar (maybe about a Tblsp). on a tray, and over some parchment paper, pour your merengue. put it in the oven. turn it down to 150 ºC and let it cook for about an hour.

let the merengue cool a bit and then top it with whipping cream and your choice of fruit. but i must say wild berries work wonderfully (especially if you can get them fresh).

a few notes

:: the vinegar is supposed to help create a crispy outside, yet a goey, marshmallow-y inside

:: you shouldn't open your oven until an hour has passed

:: there are all sorts of pavlova recipes. the one that served as a base for this one, was one by Nigela. i think she's so funny. the way she talks poetically about food, how unpretencious she is and how she loves to eat :)

:: sis is posing here, giving the first few bites (because yummy stuff must be shared)

:: the day after i made this one, i made another one while visiting my parents and brothers (you know, that thing about sharing... and also because i had to have another piece before starting a diet)

coconut+raspberry cupcakes

1. cream 3/4 butter and 3/4 caster sugar.
2. add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.

3. add 1 cup flour+1 tsp baking powder+2 Tblsps dried coconut, a little at a time.
4. drop into cupcake cases and cook for about 15 minutes at 180º C.
5. let them cool and then frost.

*for the raspberry frosting, cream together:
- 6 Tblsps butter
- 3 Tblsps raspberry jam
- 2 cups icing sugar

It's a happy combo, if I may say so myself. Just imagine it... coconut and raspberry... yum. If you happen to have fresh raspberries they would add prettiness and flavour, placed on top of the frosting.

Oh, do check out this sweet post.

lovely basic bread recipe*

Making bread from scratch made me go back to the time my dad made bread and pizza dough when I was a kid. I remember the aromas, the way he skilfully knedded the dough and how he always left it to rest and grow under the bed covers and blankets.

1. In a bowl mix: 2 tsps powdered yeast, 1 tsp sugar, 1 cup warm milk. Let it stand for 5 minutes in a warm spot.

2. In another bowl mix together 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt and 1 Tblsp olive oil. (You can also add herbs at this point if you like) Add the milk mixture and beat a little. Turn the dough over a floured surface and knead until it is elastic and soft. Put it back in the bowl, cover it well and lay it on a warm place. Let it rest and rise for about an hour. It should double its size and look as pretty as this:

[about 15 minutes before using your dough, preheat your oven]

3. Now you can either shape smaller balls, use as is or put it in a loaf pan. Brush the dough with olive oil and put it in the oven for about 17 minutes or until the crust is nice and golden.

Can you smell it? It's lovely and warm and...

... perfect just with butter!

I think I'll be doing a lot of this...

*adapted from Blue Cooking #10


[note: it's been 8 months since the last post!]

melt-in-your-mouth-salmon

My brother-in-law (who's a chef) taught me how to make this, although he didn't say exact proportions. It's the most delicious way I've ever had salmon!

:: salmon

:: black olives (seedless)

:: grated Emmental cheese

:: salt and olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to about 170 Cº.
2. Prepare a "paste" by grinding about 1 part cheese to 2 parts olives. (Taste it to see if the cheese isn't too overwhelming)
3. Sprinkle some salt on your salmon and drizzle with a little olive oil on both sides.
4. In a hot skillet, over medium heat, let the salmon sit for 1 minute on each side.
5. Lay your salmon on a heatproof dish and cover with a generous amount of olive+cheese paste. Cook for about 6 or 7 minutes.
6. Serve with a salad or mashed potatoes.

It's simply... delicious! And so easy!

oh-so yummy cinnamon rolls

Easy. Soooo yummy. Pretty. Sweet-smelling. Fun to bake. Need I say more?
I missed baking cinnamon rolls and recently I found this recipe by the lovely Emily, although hers are super pretty. Mine turned out bit wonky, but... who cares? They're delicious anyway!
These were baked to celebrate hon's good grade on a paper for his masters degree. :)

{dried tomato+basil muffins}

Miguel and Shana had brought us this lovely jar of dried/smoked tomatoes with herbs and I've been wondering about what to do with them...

Until I found a recipe on the Sep. '05 issue of Delicious (p. 88) for sun-dried pepper and basil muffins. I adjusted the recipe a bit, but here's how it goes...

::: 4 tbsps olive oil, plus a wee bit more for greasing
::: 250 g plain flour (I guess you could try whole, too)
::: 1 tbsp baking powder
::: 1/2 tsp salt
::: 50 g grated Parmesan
::: 30 g dried tomatoes, finely chopped
::: 10 g basil leaves, finely shredded
::: 150 ml milk
::: 1 egg, lightly beaten
::: black pepper (this I forgot!)
::: a bit of rosemary


1. Preheat oven to 180º C. Lightly grease the muffin tins with a little oil.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add some ground black pepper and rosemary. Stir in the Parmesan, tomatoes and basil leaves.
3. Pour in the milk, egg and olive oil. Beat with a wooden spoon until just mixed. Divide between the muffin tins and bake for about 20 minutes, until risen and firm to the touch.

Serve warm with a dollop (or 2!) of butter - this is actually real butter, made by this lady in a nearby town. I would have added some more salt and maybe some more cheese. But if your butter is salty, it's just perfect.

It's lovely with some soup! The soup is tomato+potato+onion+leeks+basil with some other herbs...

If you'd like to make your own sun-dried tomatoes at home, check these recipes here, here, here or here.

{thursday lunch}

::: couscous [with broccoli, carrot, corn, raisins, chopped pecan nuts, green pepper... seasoned with curry, vinegar, black pepper, salt, nutmeg]

::: beet and orange juice [an orange and a small beet, blended with a bit of moscavado sugar]

wednesday night dinner

Oh... what to do... what to do with a huge avocado from Grandma's backyard...?

How about some guacamole? I was wondering what to do with the avocado as it rippened and I saw this at Shana's blog. I also checked one of my favorite cooks for some recipes, like this one. and ended up with a mix of both recipes.

::: guacamole {half avocado, a bit of tomato, coriander, sea salt with mediteranian herbs, pepper, lemon juice, onion}

::: crab crackers
::: mango+honey soy milkshake

Easy Minty Hot Chocolate

Boil your milk with a generous amount of mint leaves. Mix some teaspoons of a favorite powdered chocolate (I used Cadburry's - the plainest one). Enjoy!Ta-da!

from christmas baking

Smitten Kitchen

I found this wonderful blog and besides the mouthwatering photos and recipes, there are also some neat articles, like this one. Inspiring, eh? I must face it - I'm messy. I'm a messy crafter and a messy cook. I can definetly use some of these tips :)

breakfast and a gift

My bday present from sis just arrived! I love it! You can find it here. It's absolutely inspiring :)

You can check out Mav and Stephany's "A year of evenings" here.