Broccoli Spears and King Prawn Quinoa

A delicious and healthy recipe, that is light and well suited to this time of year (summer). Also long awaited by you my followers, with my apologies for the wait.

Recipe Ingredients: (for 4 people)

• 350grs Quinoa
• 250 Pealed Prawn (raw) cut in halves
  
• 1 white onion, chopped
  
• 1 medium carrot, diced
  
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
  
• 200grs broccoli spears, (branches sliced)
  
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
  
• 4 mild chillies, chopped
  
• 1 piece of ginger (size of a garlic clove) minced
  
• 1 fish stock cube (like knorr or Oxo)
• 1/2 can plum tomatoes pealed and chopped
  
• 1 soup spoon of turmeric
  
• 1/2 soup spoon of paprika
  
• 2 soup spoons of chopped coriander
  
• olive oil, salt and black pepper to taste (+ 1/4 glass of wine "red or white)

Preparation:

Put In a pan about three to four tablespoons of olive oil ,a pinch of salt and a little pepper. Place this one on the heat and let it heat, once hot add the onion, garlic, ginger, carrot, chilli, chopped branches of broccoli, chives, paprika and turmeric. Cook a little for about 1 to 2 minutes stirring occasionally, when it starts to get a little stuck to the pan, de-glacé it with 1 / 4 cup of white or red wine, and it will form a thick sauce, to which you add a glass of water, the tomatoes, broccoli, the fish stock and the Quinoa .

Once boiling reduce the heat to minimum and put a lid on the pan, watching it from time to time to see if a little more water is needed, let cook for about ten minutes, then add the prawns and let it cook three to four minutes more stirring occasionally, adding last coriander cover the pan again with the lid and let stand about two to three minutes which will make it ready to serve .... bon appetit.

Holidays, and apologies!!!

Me and my pearly whites (hair too) :)
and you can see I just been on hols as I am unshaven.

Quarteira Beach

I have been on holidays, all went well and I had a whale of a time, as I ate fresh fish nearly everyday ... which was planed so as here in the UK is difficult to get fish of that same quality and as fresh, unless you live by the seaside. But mainly I went to to Portugal to have an implant done, and to whiten my teeth, which I done both....was totally painless and at a fraction of the price here in the UK (I will put details bellow) The total cost of an implant including bitumen and crown (zicornea porcelain) is around 1200 Euros, while the starting price for a lower quality implant in the UK is £2000. The clinic is in Faro, a few minutes in a car from the airport, Dentist Nuno Jorge, Dental Clinic Ria Faro (picture Bellow) well worth the trip a holiday and super cheap cosmetic dental treatments as well as normal ones too.

Now MY APOLOGIES, for not having communicated that I went on holidays and not posting here, leaving you to guess. I am so sorry but the trip was sudden. Hope I am forgiven.
Will soon post pics of the holidays. Thanks for following me and supporting me...appreciated.

Fruit Salad with Port Wine

Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 Round Melon (cut into two halves, flesh removed and cut into pieces)
  
• 3 Fleshy Oranges (segments removed without skin, pip's or membranes)
  
• 1 bunch of grapes seedless (cut in halves)
  
• 1 banana (cut in slices)
  
• 1 Red apple (cut in quarters and then slice with the skin)
  
• 1 tin of pineapple (or half of fresh pineapple) (cubed)
  
• 1 Ripe peach (cut into little pieces)
  
• 1/2 fresh orange juice
  
• 1/2 pineapple juice
  
• juice of a whole lemon
  
• 2 shots of Port wine
  
• pinch of cinnamon
  
• a couple of scrapes of nutmeg
  
• 1 soup spoon full of denmerra sugar
  

The preparation is simple, just mix all the chopped up fruit in a ceramic bowl, the melon skins should be immediately refrigerated after the flesh is scooped out. Then mix into the fruit all the liquids and condiments. and leave these to mature and ferment for a minimum of two hours (I prefer leaving them overnight) in the fridge.

Then you present the salad in the chilled melon halves, or in small ramekins etc, you you'd like to indulge you can also place a spoon of clotted cream on each serving on top and a mint leave.

Beetroot Linguine with Courgette and Mushrooms

Recipe Ingredients: (enough for 4)

• 400grs linguine pasta
  
• 3 small cooked beetroot (finely chopped)
• 1 courgette (finely chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 12 mushrooms (cut in halves)
• 2 soup spoons of fresh cream
  
• 1 glass of semi skinned milk
  
• 1 teaspoon of corn starch diluted in a little water
  
• 2 soup spoons of grated cheddar cheese
  
• some, salt black pepper and olive oil.
  

Place some water in a pan with a little salt and a drizzle of olive oil, once boiling insert the linguine there, letting this one cook for 12-14 minutes, once done (should be al dente), drain it and while draining pass through it some more fresh boiling water, to remove excess starch. Continue to drain it.

Meanwhile put a little olive olive oil in a wok (about 3 soup spoons full). once hot add the onion and garlic, once these start going blond, add the remaining vegetables (the beetroot, courgette, and mushrooms) let these cook well for around 7-10 minutes, adding a little water every time it feels a little dry and stirring occasionally.

After they are cooked, add the fresh cream at this stage and the milk, bring it to the boil, and as soon as it starts to boil add the corn starch diluted in the water, the cheese, and stir regularly allowing it to thicken, once thickened place the linguine inside and stir come more as to mix well the sauce with the pasta, serve it now while very hot, it is delicious.

The beetroot is lovely in this dish as it does not just add colour it adds flavour and texture, and creates a varied different levels of textures and flavours, the beetroot should remain slightly crunchy the mushrooms meaty and juicy and the courgettes soft and creamy. Also bothe the beetroot and the mushrooms give this dish an excellent earthy flavour which is mellowe by the silky cream of the fresh cream, milk and cheese. Bon Apetit!!

** this is a valentines day inspired dish, for the colours and textures within**