Thursday 30 April 2009

Potato and Onion Frittata


Recipe Ingredients: (enough for 4)
  • 300grs potato (thinly sliced)
  • 2 large onions (thinly sliced).
  • 3 garlic cloves (thinly sliced).
  • 6 medium beefy tomatoes (sliced)
  • 6 eggs (mixed not beaten).
  • 1 red bell pepper (thinly sliced).
  • 2 red chillies (de-seeded thinly sliced).
  • (optional...Chopped coriander...leftovers of cooked fishes or meats can be added too).
  • 1/2 tea spoon paprica.
  • salt and black pepper.



Is really simple, frittata is like an omelette finished in the oven, only that the eggs are not beaten so making like a firmer omelette rather than fluffy, so when mixing the eggs make sure they're just mixed no froth please. The frittata also normally made in a frying pan than cook the bottom of the omelette and then is finished in the oven or grill, due to the size of mine I done it all in the oven in a large dish.

Stick a frying pan on the stove, with a little olive oil that once hot you add to it the onion, the pepper, the garlic and chilli. Let these cook until golden then add 1 of the tomatoes cut into small pieces (keeping the remaining 5 to place on top of the frittata) also add the seasoning (salt and black pepper, add also the potato and a half glass of water, once boiling reduce to minimum, place a lid on top and let the potato cook through but to the point only that it is still firm, meanwhile place a pirex dish in the oven with a little olive oil at around 150c.

In a bowl place the eggs mix them (no froth remember) and once mixed add the potato mixture, give it a swirl so that the whole mixture is involved with egg, take the tray out of the oven and pour mixture inside, as is very hot this will start the cooking of the bottom of the frittata, cover the top with the sliced tomatoes seasoning them too, and place it back in the oven raising the temp to 200c, should be done within 20 minutes, and that's it serve it with a salad, or any other accompaniment of your choice, or eat it on it's own up to you...is delicious simple and fast to make, excellent when you on the go. "bon apetit" :)


Tuesday 28 April 2009

Sexy Strawberry Mousse

Receita em Português


Recipe Ingredients: (enough for 4)
  • 200mls whipping cream
  • 300grs strawberries (finely chopped)
  • 3 soup spoons of sugar
  • 2 drops of lemon
To make is the simplest thing ever. Place the cream in a bowl and whip it when the fresh cream is nearly whipped add 2 soup spoons of the sugar to it and whip the rest until a very firm consistency, now add the strawberries reserving 6 tea spoons full of the chopped strawberries, involve mixing the strawberries with the cream, once done, place a tea spoon of the chopped strawberries into each of the four wine glasses (or other container) then spread the cream mixture evenly through each container and refrigerate.

The remaining two tea spoons of chopped strawberries are placed in a little pan with a couple of spoons of water the remaining soup spoon of sugar and the 2 drops of lemon, bring it to boil until it makes a runny syrup, let it cool completely and place on top of each refrigerated dessert and refrigerate a little further, add an almond thin just sticking out of it before serving.

Nice and easy and not as fattening as it looks, I reckon a little bar of chocolate is more fattening.
Cheers for reading, this one is simple and is delicious.


Sunday 26 April 2009

Double Baked Potatoes and Rosemary Chipolatas



Recipe Ingredients:(enough for 4)
  • 12 chipolatas sausages
  • 4 large roasting potatoes
  • 1 packet of mixed salad, water cress, spinach, gem lettuce & beetroot
  • 1 soup spoon of butter
  • 1 pinch of nutmeg
  • 2 soup spoons of grated cheddar cheese
  • a little milk
  • 1 tea spoon of fresh rosemary
  • 2 soup spoons of olive oil
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • pinch of cayenne
  • a little balsamic oil
The preparation is simple, wash the potatoes and stab them with a sharp knife around 4 times on each side, then they go in the oven around 200c for around 40-50 minutes.

Five minutes away from the potatoes being ready, put a frying pan on the stove with the olive oil once hot ad the rosemary, seasoning (salt & pepper), chilli and the chipolates, turning these around on each side until golden.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and slice them in half, with a soup spoon remove the pulp completely only leaving the skin, the pulp place it in a bowl and ad, to it a soup spoon of butter, a glug of milk, seasoning, nutmeg and cheese, mix well. Then fill the potato skins half full and insert the chipolates cut in half, fill the rest with the mash and bake the potatoes back in the oven again until golden brown or less if you prefer. I done mine less as I was hungry and couldn't wait. (also instead of cheddar if you want a smoother cheese you can use Gruyère)

Serve this on a plate with the mix salad, with a little seasoning, a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic oil.

A simple yet delicious meal, and fairly balanced. For a stress free dinner.


Friday 17 April 2009

Courgette Bake (Vegetarian esily changed to Vegan too)

I thought the meal before this one had come top shoulder to shoulder with all the meals I ever made, maybe even above...So I thought I will never be able to surpass it..how wrong was I, and is not even a meat meal...I was really surprised, I DECLARE THIS ONE THE BEST MEAL I EVER HAD.

My wife said the same, so did my kid (who normally a very good meal to him he classes it as aright) they classed this meal as EXCELLENT. Not sure if I should divulge it. :) lol
I can tell you is not a lasagna nor it's a gratin.

Receita em Português








Ok...ok.. I will give out the recipe, as it is very special not to share with my loved followers. Is like a lasagna but has no pasta, I used slithers of courgete instead of pasta, and is like a grattin but it is not a bechamel as it has no cheese appart from the lottle bit you can see sprinkled on top, is a white sauce like the one I made for the previous meal with ginger garlic and saffron, I used milk to make it, but for a vegan use soy milk (which I think will even improve further the flavour, and skip the sprinkling of cheese on top.



Recipe Ingredients: (enough for 5-6)
  • 2 large courgettes (slither them with a potato pealer, very thin slices)
  • 6 large carrots (cut into half and then quartered leght ways)
  • 150grs runner beans (destringed and sliced diagonally)
  • 1kg baby new potatoes (others will do but these are the most tender)
  • 1pkt of asparagus
  • 2 chillis (thinly sliced)
  • 1 large bell pepper (sliced) this has the most nutty taste...one can smell it when cutting it.
  • 4 large garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1 piece of ginger the size of 4 large garlic cloves (minced)
  • 2 glasses of milk (soy if you vegan)
  • 1 large spoon arrow root (or more cheaply corn starch) diluted in a little water.
  • 1 celery heart (sliced)
  • some butter
  • some olive oil
  • a little salt and black pepper
  • a pinch of saffron



Well, put a large pan with boiling water on the stove and cook the new potatoes and the carrots, you want them fully cooked but still firm around 25-30 minutes, should do it but it is dependent on potato quality, so keep and eye on them, I use a pin to prickle them throught if it goes through effortessly then their're done. Once cooked drain them and half them, set them aside temporarily.

Prepare all the veg. Once is all prepared, you need to make the white sauce and the stirfry to go within the courgette slithers.

For the white sauce in a milk pan put alittle olive oil and seasoning (salt and pepper), once hot add half of the ginger and half of the garlic and the pinch of saffron, once golden pour the milk in stirring briskly. While stirring put in the arrow root powder dissolved in a little water (and optionally a large spoon of butter), continue to stirr until is thikens up, once done set it aside.

Now place a large wok on the stove add a little olive oil, once hot add a little seasoning + the remaining garlic, ginger also the bell pepper, chilli, runner beans and celery. Continuously stir-fry these it will take around 10 minutes, then add the potatoes, stirfry a further 3 minutes. Then is ready remove from the fire.

Set a pirex tray (or any other tray to go in the oven) drizzle olive oil on the bottom, then slither by slither carefully layer to cover the whole botom of the dish, then throw in the potato mixture, followed by the carrots, then the white sauce reserving a little for the top, place another layer of courgette slithers to fully cover the top (no gaps) than smeer the remaining sauce on top nad sprinkle a little cheddar cheese (if vegan i would sprinkle a little oregano and sweet paprika) and it goes in the oven 200c for around 20 minutes.

The asparagus blanch them for around 3 minutes then cook them in a generous amount of butter (if vegan after blanching them cook them in peanut oil "not fry" so low temp and toss them)



So there you are, a beautifull meal for all of you beautifull people ou there!!!

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Rico - Tried and Tested Recipes

Hi my name is Rico (short for Ricardo) will regularly add more food content to this blog, all my recipes are tried and tested, as I make them and eat them as well as my family, so I wouldn't give you something that is not good.

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