Tuna Steak with Onions & New Potatoes Rico way.

Receita em Portugues clique AQUI

Doesn't look like much, but this is the dinner cooking, today to my faithful bloggers I am cooking a treat, the whole meal is for 4 people yet I only spent about a fiver (that's 5 pounds or around 10 dollars) to make it yet each dish would easily sell for 17 pounds in a restaurant (that's 34 Usd).

At the same time I provided a balanced meal, in which you will get carbs (potatoes) roughage & vitamins (vegetables) and also protein with added omega oils (Tuna steak), ideal for someone trying to sustain or loose weight.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 4 tuna steaks (I purchased frozen ones, cheaper
  
• 1 onion
• 1/2 large fresh chili (de-seeded and white veins removed)
  
• 1 garlic clove
  
• 1 piece of fresh ginger (the size of a garlic clove)
  
• 2 soup spoons of olive oil
  
• new potatoes (enough for four people)
  
• 3 large carrots
  
• 300grs round green beans (I got frozen ones)
  
• 3 spring onions
• salt and black pepper to taste
  
• 1 desert spoon of paprika
  
• 2 bay leafs
  
• 2 soup spoons of butter

Preparation:

If the tuna steaks are frozen just rinse them in hot water to take most of the frost away then dry them and sprinkle them with, salt, black pepper and paprika on both sides and rub that into them with your finger, than place them on a board and let them rest for about 30 minutes, this will marinate them nicely.
Meanwhile you can start preparing the rest, wash the new potatoes, and put them in a pan boiling until just cooked but still firm, make sure that when putting them in the pan the larger potatoes are cut in half so they all cook equally and at the same time.

While they cooking more prep can be done, mince the garlic and the ginger, also finally slice the chili piece and after halving the onion thinly slice this one too. In a pan put in the two spoons of olive oil and once hot put in the bay leafs, chili, garlic, ginger and onion, let these cook for about 3 minutes, then add the 2 spoons of butter and let them cook for one minute more, then move them to one side so that you can place the steaks in the pan, once they all in pull the onion mixture over them and cover the pan with a lid on the lowest heat let it cook for about 20 minutes.

once the potatoes cooked drain them and place them in a tray, and drizzle a little olive oil over them and dust them with salt and black pepper, placing them in the oven preheated 200c, and let them cook for about 20 minutes.
On another pan with boiling water place the frozen beans and the carrots pealed and cut in half and each half cut into six parts length ways, they should be cooked in 20 minutes too.

The spring onions cut a two inch piece from the root side and cut from the opposite side to the root a cross into the two inches piece put a little water in a glass a couple of ice cubes place the pieces of spring onion there and they will open into a flower. The rest of the spring onion thinly slice and add half to the cooking steaks five minutes before they finished cooking and keep the other half for decoration.
See the pictures bellow to how arrange the dish, or do it your own way:

Kings Ridding on Gridled Cod & Roasted Veg

Today I went to town with my food recipe...I thought I would treat myself and the family, so this meal is a little more expensive to make but surely makes for it in taste.

Receita em PORTUGUES clique AQUI

Above you can see all the vegetables I put in the oven to bake, the potatoes are parboiled and marinated (photo taken with a yellow tint for effect, still trying to work out the camera)

I also cooked separately 3 sweet potatoes, and in a pan some broccoli steamed.
And here are the cooked vegetables.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 1/2 green pepper (just for flavour thinly sliced)
• 250grs Charlotte onions (pealed and halved)
• 250grs pomodorino tomatoes or any sweet baby tomatoes (with a criss cross cut)
• 1 large courgette
• 1 large piece on broccoli (cut into pieces)
• 350grs cod fillet cut into portions (about 4-5)
• 200grs pealed and uncooked king prawns
• 3 large sweet potatoes
• 3 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
• some cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• and some olive oil (to put in various things)
• 1 lemon (cut into two halves, for juicing)
• 1 small bunch of parsley (finely chopped)
  

You marinade the following as described:

Potato marinade (to be applied once potato is parboiled):

salt & pepper to taste; paprika & olive oil (toss it)

Prawn marinade (applied to raw prawn):

Cayenne pepper; lemon juice (1/2); garlic slithers & salt and pepper taste.

Cod marinade (applied to raw cod portions):

Lemon juice (1/2); garlic slithers & salt and pepper taste.

Preparation:

Do all the marinades to the raw fish and prawns, cook the potatoes that have been previously pealed and cubed (you don't want to cook the potatoes just half cook them), then apply the marinade to the potatoes tossing them, place them in a tray, arranging into the tray add the Charlotte's halved and the sliced courgettes drizzle a little oil over them and sprinkle a little salt.

At the same time put in another tray the sweet potatoes also pealed and cubed, drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle salt, cook in (200c) the oven for about 15 minutes, pull the potato and onions tray out and spread the tomatoes and the green pepper (all this time the fish is marinating) put back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes, at this stage put the broccoli steaming (should be done in 15-20 minutes) and all the other food is ready.

When they are about 3 minutes to finish cooking place the griddle on the stove and when pipping hot place the fish fillets skin up and cook until you can see the fish changing in colour indicating that is cooked up to half way then with a spatula turn around, get someone to start dishing the veg :) and by the time they finish the fish is cooked (use your judgement) them place the prawns in the griddle pan and follow same advice as the fish, just be aware the prawns cook very very quick indeed. Then just assemble it all on the plate and you can see the result bellow (don't forget the touch Parsley).

Above is a picture without the sweet potatoes bellow has sweet potatoes... Just illustrating that you can mix and match, you can leave the sweet potatoes out or maybe do parsnips instead ...or maybe you don't want fish you want a steak, why not, prawns go great with steak...your imagination is the only thing that limits you... "bon appetit"

Turkey Wraps

Feeling a little tired I decided to use the Waldorf salad I prepared yesterday (see previous posting) so I had to decide what to do to go with the salad.

I could do many things, but being tired I decided to go for something simple, therefore no real food recipe to be had here just an report. I had in the fridge some Turkey steaks and I had bought some streaky bacon for breakfast, so I cut the steaks into strips and seasoned them with salt, pepper, lemon juice and a little olive oil, wrapped the streaky bacon as you can see in the picture. The reason for this is that turkey has very little flavour and bacon has quite a lot of flavour and they compliment each other really well. I let them marinade for about 30 minutes.

On a frying pan I put some oil and slithers of garlic and when hot placed the turkey wraps and turning often until golden brown , prior to cooking I did sprinkle a little smokey paprika on top for extra flavour. While they were cooking i placed some crinkle oven chips in the oven and a couple of fish cakes for the people in my house that don't eat meat. On the plate I laid some salad leafs placed the Waldorf salad on top added a few cucumber slices, then when cooked....

I added the turkey wraps and the chips, I them after added some barbecue sauce and a little wine vinegar to the salad, while my wife taking the turkey wraps had the fish cake and the same salad and chips arrangement, simple yet was very tasty indeed...if you make this simple dish you are guaranteed to enjoy it.

Waldorf Salad & Port

I haven't yet planned what to do for dinner tomorrow, but I felt I needed something light and crispy to accompanied whatever I may decide to make, so I needed versatility and flavour.

At the same time I wanted to give something to my sister to try something new that she had not tried yet, as she just came from Portugal a few weeks ago. At this moment celery popped up to my mind and instantly salad, what better than Waldorf salad.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 celery heart
• 2 apples (green is better, as sourness is needed )
• 1 hand full of raisins
• 100grs walnuts
• 1 soup spoon of sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 glug of port wine
• 4 soup spoons of mayonnaise
  
• juice of one half of lemon

After washing well, thinly slice the celery sticks into a bowl, then peal quarter and thinly slice the apples, after that break the walnuts into small pieces and put the raisins in too.
At this point add the rest the sugar, lemon juice, port wine & salt and pepper, mix all very well, place it in a glass or ceramic container and refrigerate for 12 hours, I feel this is important as it allows some juices to blend into the sauce, give it a stir prior to serving to blend in the flavour and serve it with your main dish or eat it on it's own. As an accompaniment should be enough for 8 people.