Pecan, Honey and Greek Yoghurt Tart

This Tart was adapted from "Tarte Delicia de Iogurte" from Luisa Alexandra blog recipe which she also adapted from other blog, and so on. But believed to have the original recipe from a blog called Gulosices but is in Portuguese.

Receita em Português AQUI

Recipe Ingredients:

• 250grs Sugar
• 2 eggs
• 500grs Greek Yoghurt (you can use normal plain yoghurt, for a softer texture)
• 50grs Margarine
  
• 1 tea spoon of vanilla essence
• 100grs of flour
• 50grs pecan nuts (ground)
• 12 pecan halves
• 2 soup spoons of honey (and a little extra honey for glaze)

This tart was originally made with 350 grs of sugar no nuts or honey and plain yoghurt, also was made in individual small tart containers rather than a large one, result was a more moist and light tart. I went for a more dense and zingy tart to contrast with the fresh cream and the honey glazed pecans.

The preparation is simple. Beat the sugar and the eggs until the sugar granules disappear (around 2 minutes with a machine or 4 by hand), then add the melted margarine, vanilla essence and flour (little by little to not form lumps), mix these until homogeneous (around 30 seconds machine or 1 min by hand).

Finally add the yoghurt the ground pecans and the 2 soup spoons of honey (plain), just mix these well. then put the dough in a large baking tart dish (previously greased with margarine and floured) and bake for about 35 minutes at 180c, until golden brown on top, before I put it in I placed on a frying pan a soup spoon of sugar about 2 soup spoons of water and a soup spoon of honey, turned the gas on and let it start bubbling, at that stage I added the pecan halves, and let these cook until it started to caramelize (but not caramel just syrupy) placed 8 pecans on top of the tart drizzled some of the syrup on top in a circle around the pecans. The rest I used to put on the whipped cream also making a little more surup the same ways with a few chopped pecans, see picture.

The texture is that of a baked cheesecake crossed with a cake, is quite unusual and zingy from the greek yoghurt, however is delicious, and the pecan and honey come through as real stars. This cake/flan is in the class of "Queijada" which is a portuguese tipe of cake that is neither a cake or a flan but something in between. :D

Tuna Steak and Caramelized Balsamic Onions with Potato Salad and Honey pan Fried Parsnips

Receita em Português AQUI

Looks intricate but I assure you that is not, actually depending how cheap you can get your tuna this can be a very cheap meal, I got mine on a promotion so the meal was quite economical and easy to make.

Recipe Ingredients: (enough for 4 people)

• 4 medium (fresh) Tuna steaks
• 300grs new potatoes (depending on size, washed halved and cooked)
• 250grs Greek yoghurt tub
  
• a little bunch of chives (chopped)
• 2 onions
• 2 parsnips (cut in half, then in half lengthways and finally thinly sliced)
  
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
  
• 4 soup spoons of balsamic vinegar
• 1 tea spoon of butter
  
• 1 tea spoons of honey
• 1/2 tea spoon of brown sugar
  
• some olive oil
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/2 tea spoon sweet paprika
• 1 soup spoon of sesame seeds
  

Well!!! Get the new boiled potatoes and place them in a bowl, in there you put the yoghurt a little salt and pepper a little olive oil (like a couple of spoons) a few drops of lemon juice and of course the chives. Give this a gentle stir so it evolves all the potatoes and is ready to serve.

The parsnips peal them and cut them in half, then halve the halves lengthways then cut thin slices. Now put a frying pan on the stove med temp, put a little olive oil in it, and once hot put all of the parsnip in + the sesame seeds and a tea spoon of butter + a little seasoning "salt and pepper" , stir the parsnips occasionally ensuring they get brown on both sides, at that stage ad 2 soup spoons of balsamic vinegar and the honey let it cook till is nearly burnt and there is ready to serve too.

While that is doing you can do the tuna. In a pan place a little olive oil and once hot add the onions, while these ones brown, smear the garlic on the tuna+ a little salt and pepper, back to the onions keep stirring them over and over until golden at this stage move them to one side inside the pan and add the tuna steak (if need be add a little more olive oil) add also a few drops of water and push the onions back over the tuna, and cover the pan with a lid, after about 3 minutes remove lid and add the sugar, paprika and the balsamic vinegar a few more drops of water, lid back on cook another 2-3 minutes sand the tuna will be cooked. The tuna will cook very quickly and should not overcook or will become too dry and chewy, tuna if very fresh can be eaten like a steak (rare, medium rare and done...but never well done)

Pan Fried Pork Sausage in a bed of Spring Onion Bulgar dusted with Paprika

Really easy to make yet nutritious and fast to accomplish.

Recipe Ingredients: (enough for 3-4 people)

• 300grs bulgar wheat
• 2 garlic cloves (1 finely diced, the other crushed)
  
• 2 carrots (julienned)
  
• 6 spring onions (thinly sliced)
• 1 soup spoon of tomato concentrate
  
• 1 bay leaf
  
• some olive oil
• a little butter
• Salt, pepper and (sweet) paprika to taste

Cook the Bulgar (I used fine one this time) as you would cook rice it will be done in 7-8 minutes, and once cooked drain it in a small holes strainer, and set it aside. Meanwhile get a frying pan with a glug of olive oil and a little butter (heaped tea spoon will do) and as soon as is hot add the garlic the bay leaf and the sausages, following this method seal turn, seal turn keep doing that until is sealed all the way around, then you do the same for browning, browned turn and so on.

And while that is doing, on another frying pan put a glug of olive oil and the minced garlic soon as it get hot add a little seasoning and the carrots and spring onions, cook until the spring onions start to go a little darker, at this stage add some paprika and a soup spoon of tomato concentrate and 1/2 cup of water, bring to the boil reduce the heat to minimum and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, then join the sauce to the drained bulgar and let it rest about 3 minutes with a lid on....serve and eat. this was my yesterday's diner. Have fun

Portuguese Battered Cod & Roasted Potatoes with Cauliflower

Receita em Português AQUI

Now this is a very simple dish and therefore the recipe is mainly on the cod and it's batter, but I will also descriptively tell you how to make the accompaniment.

Recipe ingredients: (enough for 4)

• 1 egg (stirred in a bow)
  
• 4 soup spoons of flour (in another bowl)
  
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• 1 lemon (in juice)
  
• 400grs fresh cod fillets (skinless and cut into smaller portions)
  
• salt and pepper (to taste)

The roasted potatoes I done these without any precooking, basically just get some medium to small potatoes (enough for the people you cooking them for, around 2-3 per person), peal them and the larger ones cut in half. Place a roasting tray in the oven with some olive oil to cover the bottom, then once hot place the potatoes in and back into the oven for about 45 minutes at 200c (temperature) and that should be the potatoes done.

The cauliflower and broccoli (yes I did broccoli, but is not on the picture as plate was already full) I steamed these, by putting a pan on the stove with about 1 inch deep of water with a little salt, I washed and cut both of these veg to more manageable pieces and place them in the pan with a lid on and once started boiling I reduced the flame to just above minimum to continue the boiling and placed a lid on the pan to recycle the water and steam, I cooked these for 15 minutes, obviously keep a check as you may want them better cooked or less cooked. but that is the veg done.

The fish, this one you dry very well with either paper towels or kitchen towel, squeezing the fish to really draw the excess water (as they always have lots of water) this is important as next we marinade the fish and we want these marinade to be absorbed. On a little container (maybe a ramekin) mix the lemon juice and the garlic, leave it for about 3-5 minutes to infuse flavours and then put it all over the fish marinading the fish in this leaving it for 30 minutes, don't forget to also add a little salt and pepper to the marinade. Once this is done, you place a frying pan on the stove with about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil, and piece by piece (of cod) you pass it through the flour, both sides shake off the excess than into the egg making sure is well involved, than into the piping hot oil, repeat the process until the frying pan is full, but make sure at the same time you need to turn the fish over as soon as it is sealed, letting it cook on both sides until is golden brown, I had to do the fish into two go's as it didn't all fit in the first batch in the frying pan. Once the fish is cooked place it on a plate with a couple of paper towels to absorb the excess oil. And you done, it is delicious and the fish just flakes off when you eat it.

I use the above accompaniment in the winter and in the summer (also a more traditional Portuguese way) I do it with tomato rice and a mix salad of tomato, onion and lettuce (with a little vinaigrette, making this meal lighter and more refreshing. Have fun..