Spaghetti Carbonara

Receita em Portugues clique AQUI

Another pasta dish as promised, this time a classic, cheap and easy to do, OK is not the most healthy but certainly makes up for taste.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 200grs mushrooms (sliced)
• 150grs smoked bacon (strips sliced)
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• 1 onion (very...very finely chopped)
• 2 egg yolks
  
• 200mls fresh single cream
• 50grs Cheddar cheese (grated)
• 2 soup spoons of parmesano cheese (grated)
• 4soup spoons of olive oil
  
• one measure of fire-water or vodka
• 400-500grs spaghetti (or fettuccine or even linguine)
• salt and pepper
• (optional) decoration a bit of parsley
  

This is a very easy and simple recipe to make, so if you in a hurry this is what you do:
Put a skillet frying pan on the fire and a deep pan with water for the spaghetti, on the spaghetti pan add a little salt and a little vegetable oil (about one spoon full, this does two things: stops the water from foaming to much and helps the pasta not stick too much), once this reaches a boil add the spaghetti in (or the pasta of your preference).

In the skillet, place the olive oil until hot, then in goes the garlic, bacon and the onions, let them cook stirring occasionally until the start to caramelized, once this stage is reached add the mushrooms + a pinch of salt and pepper, once the mushrooms are virtually cooked throw in the fire-water (or vodka) lean the pan forward so that it catches the flame as soon as it does straighten it and shake it, the flame will burn all the alcohol in the booze and will flavour the contents, don't worry it will only burn for a few seconds.

At this stage add the fresh cream leave about 2 spoons of that fresh cream in a glass and mix with it the 2 egg yolks once the fresh cream on the pan starts to bubble add the egg yolks and the cheeses (both of them) the cream should thicken up to a nice consistency, turn the fire down and let it simmer for a little while about 2-3 minutes, the whole process will probably take 10-12 minutes in which the spaghetti is also cooked. So drain the spaghetti passing boiling water through once well drained dish it and serve some sauce over it, and if you want add a little chopped parsley on top and you're done ...all in all will take you about 15-20 minutes to prepare this meal and even less to eat it :)

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Salmon Fetuccini (with an extra)

My apologies for the wait to everyone especially to Chef E.

This is what you all have been waiting for, I need to warn you this is a very seriously delicious meal, and I beg you to make it for you and your family you will not be disappointed.

Actually being winter I am going to be doing a few pasta dishes to delight you all over the coming days!!!

Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 & 1/2 glass of milk.
• 100mls double cream.
• 2 soup spoons butter.
• 1/3 freshly ground nutmeg (if already in powder one third of a tea spoon).
• 1/3 tea spoon of freshly ground black pepper.
• 1 tea spoon of sea salt.
  
• 1 measure of white port wine (red will do, or you can use half a glass of white wine).
• 2 heaped soup spoons of plain flour dissolved in a glass of water.
• 4 skinless and boneless wild salmon portions (frozen is best, but you can use fresh)
• a bunch of parsley (finely chopped, equivalent to about 2 soup spoons full)
• 400grs of egg fettuccine (to be cooked "al dente")
• 200grs king prawns (other will do. I used frozen)
• olive oil (see how much is enough)

This was so darn easy, I got inspired by a couple of photos at my local supermarket.
In a large pan put the salt, the milk, the butter, the black pepper and nutmeg, let this come to a boil, turn the fire down to a simmering and add the frozen salmon, make sure milk is boiling gently and after about 3 minutes turn the salmon around, and after another 3 again and again, this until the fish is completely cooked (poached, poaching from frozen I found to produce better fish flakes) once fish cooked take it out onto a plate. Now add the double cream to the milk and the port let it again come to the boil and slow it to simmering and add the prawns, if they already cooked just enough time to make sure they are heated through, if they from raw (which their colour is gray, wait till they turn bright orange and then about 2-3 more minutes.

While that is happening flake the salmon in the plate (make sure the pasta is cooking during this time as it will take about 12 minutes to be "al Dente"). Once the prawns are done raise the temperature and add the flaked fish in and pour half of the glass of water with flour in, always stirring, it will start very quickly start to get thicker, well you want the consistency of bechamel or thick gravy, if to liquid add a little more until it does, if too thick (which I will not believe will be, add a little more milk) once the right thickness add the parsley and turn the fire off, now drain the cooked fettuccine passing it through boiling water and add it to the sauce, mix it well and then dish it, I then dressed it with a little pure virgin olive oil, you can do the same is delicious if you get a very good olive oil, or you can sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top or even crumb some Gorgonzola on the top of it ...it is really up to you...but this was the best meal I ever made...apart from the gigantic enchiladas I made some time ago on this blog. YUM YUM!!! please try it.

Crepes with Vanilla Cream and Maple Syrup

Receita em Portugues clique AQUI.

Here you are something to celebrate about, easy peasy to do pancakes (crepes) I made these on a non stick frying pan. This I offered to my family as a New Year treat breakfast ...Obviously with a steaming cup of coffee...but I am sure you know how to make the coffee....lol

Recipe Ingredients:
Crepes:

• 6 soup spoons of plain flour
• 3 soup spoons of sugar
• 1 egg
  
• 3 soup spoons of vegetable oil
• about 1 and 1/2 glass of milk (consistency should be of gravy)
• a dash of vanilla essence

Whipped Cream:

• 1 glass of chilled fresh double cream
• 2 tea spoons of sugar
• 1 dash of vanilla essence (or a scraping of vanilla seeds from a split pod)
• 3 drops of lemon juice

In a jug put the flour and the sugar in, whisk it together. Make a little well and pour the oil and the egg, star whisking it and as it starts to get pasty add milk little by little always whisking it, last add the vanilla essence whisk once more and it's done.

Place the non stick frying pan in the fire, once hot reduce fire to just bellow medium, pour a drop of oil and with a dried tissue spread that oil evenly on the whole area of the pan, then with the jug pour in the center of the pan the liquid until it fills 2/3 of the area then stop spread the rest by inclining the pan and going around motion always over the fire until liquid sets. Once it sets let it cook it takes about 2-3 minutes on each side, to flip with a spatula lift the side of the pancake enough to get your fingers in then with your hands (fingers) pull it up gently without ripping it and flip it to the other side. Then once cooked is ready for the filling...which you can just add sugar and lemon, or just syrup or chocolate sauce or fresh cream or many many more combos.

I used a vanilla whipped cream with maple syrup. To make this pour one cup of chilled fresh cream into a bowl and start whisking it once is half way through add the 2 tea spoons of sugar the lemon juice and whisk a little more then the dash of vanilla essence (remember at this stage you van also add liquor like Tia maria (coffee flavour) or baileys (caramel flavour) cointreau (orange flavour) see ...your only limit is your imagination...one cap full will suffice. And that is that.

Obviously there is many many more fancy stuff you can do with pancakes, I know a few maybe I'll tell you later.... ;)

Picture in the reverse order of making process:

Cod Spinach "En Croute" with (Yasai Katsu style) Curry Sauce & Rice

Receita em Portugues clique AQUI


This was my main meal for my birthday, all freshly made by "mois", cod with spinach and Charlotte "en croute" with an Asian twist and also a celery rice and chunky curry sauce.
I have to put two recipes here as the rice and fish are two separate things combined hare in this dish, however the rice can be eaten on it's own as a recipe or with items such a grilled chicken breast marinated in garam masala, or grilled fish and many other things....same applies to the fish as it can be accompanied by potato parsnip mash incorporated with a couple of tea spoons of mustard with mustard sees, and so on.

Fish recipe ingredients: (feeds 10)

• 10 fresh cod fillets (portions)
  
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 8 Charlotte's (finely chopped)
• 2 hands full of spinach leaves about 100grs (roughly chopped)
• 2 hands full of bread crumbs about 50grs
• 2 soup spoons of chopped almonds
  
• one hand full of almonds with skin (finely chopped)
• 2 soup spoons of olive oil
• 2 large (mild) finely chopped chillies (previously de-seeded and de-veined)
• 1 tea spoon of cumin
• 1 tea spoon of turmeric
• 2 soup spoons of port wine
• 1/2 lemon juice
  

Lay the fish in non stick oven trays, then sprinkle them with a little pepper, salt, paprika and lemon juice, and leave them to marinade. While that is happening place a wok or frying pan on the stove and put the oil inside once very hot add the onions and the garlic, cook these until golden brown stirring occasionally. Once that is achieved add the cumin, turmeric, almonds and chopped chillies cook for a further 3 minutes, lastly add the spinach, and cook this until the spinach is reduced (should be about 2 minutes more.

I a bowl place your bread crumbs and add then the mixture to the crumbs to for a paste, if too dry you can always add a little melted butter. Lay this paste over each of the fish to completely cover the top, and they are ready to go in the oven (gas 200c) place a foil leaf over the fish over the first 10 minutes and take it off over the last 5 minutes, all together 15 minutes should suffice to cook well the fish.

The accompanying rice and curry sauce (as promised) has been inspired by one of Wagamamas dishes Yasai Katsu Curry, menu item number 72.

Recipe Ingredients: (for 6 people)

• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
  
• 1/2 courgette (finely diced)
• 1 chilli (finely sliced, de-seeded and de-veined)
  
• 8 Charlotte onions (finely diced)
  
• 1 soup spoon of mild (or medium) curry powder
• 1 tea spoons of cumin
• 4 sticks of celery heart (finely diced)
• 4 soup spoons of olive oil
• 1 soup spoon of turmeric
• 1 glass of water
• 2 spoons of plain flour
  
• pick some of the celery leaves and a garlic clove (to be cooked with the rice)
• 500grs rice (basmati)

Place a pot with water on the stove and some salt, once boiling add the celery leaves and 1 garlic clove sliced + 500grs rice. Cook this until done (about 10-12 minutes). Rinse in boiling water and drain...but while rice is cooking do the sauce.

For the sauce place a wok or large deep frying pan on the stove with the olive oil in, once very hot add the Charlotte, garlic, chilli, cumin, curry and celery cook these for about 7-10 minutes. Then add the courgette and the turmeric and cook for a further 5 minutes. Separately mix about 2 full soup spoons of plain flour and a full glass of water, pour this into the frying veg and will make a thick curry sauce.. if too thick add more water if too thin mix a little more flour and water and add it slowly to thicken sauce further.

Serve rice (oval shape) and pour about 1 & 1/2 serving spoons over the rice to cover it all (see picture) as a serving idea.

This is me cutting my Birthday Cake