Oven Baked Fresh Cod with Potatoes and Charlottes

Ingredients: (for 4 people)

• 2 fresh cod fillets (about 700grs) skinless and boneless (cut into small pieces)
• 4 Large pealed potatoes cut into very thin slices (about 5mm thick)
• 8 Charlotte's (thinly sliced)
• 8 Spring onions (sliced)
• 2 Broccoli heads (cut into pieces)
• 4 Garlic cloves (finely diced)
• 250mls fresh cream (you can use creme fraiche)
• 1 fish stock cube (knorr or any other brand)
• 1 bunch of parsley (finely chopped)
• 1/2 Glass of white wine (sweet)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• A little olive oil, salt, black pepper and butter.

An uncomplicated recipe, simply cook the potatoes in water until they become translucent, but not completely cooked (cooking for around 7-10 minutes depending on the potatoes quality), at the same time place on a frying pan a little olive oil and as soon as is very hot add the Charlotte's and the garlic with a pinch of both salt and pepper, stir regularly until these become golden, which then you should add the wine and the spring onions, leaving these to cook until soft (about 3-4 minutes.

In a Pyrex tray, cover the bottom with a film of olive oil, then lay out the sliced potatoes until the bottom is covered, on top of these place half of the onions mixture and also crumble half of the stock cube over it, repeat the process potatoes and onion mixture and stock cube, on on top of this final layer place the filleted fish pieces on top, and cover the fish with sliced red (or white onions) and finally to top it all add the fresh cream over it all, cover the tray with foil and place in a 180 degrees Celsius preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Once the 20 minutes are over, remove the aluminium foil from the tray, with care not to burn yourself or for food to be stuck to it, and let it remain in the oven at the same temperature for a further 20 minutes.

During the last 20 minutes place a deep pan on the stove with two fingers deep of water in it adding to it the broccoli put the lid on and once reaches the boil reduce to minimum leaving it to cook for those 20 minutes.

During the last five minutes before the broccoli are ready, place a little bowl in bain-marie and place in it a little butter around two soup spoons, until its melted adding to it at this stage the chopped parsley    and the lemon juice.

Now that all is ready at the same time is just to assemble the dish on the plate and eat it. Bon apettit!!

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.

Pork Loin Steaks with Garlic and Ginger Sauce, carrot and Garlic Mash and Enoki with Spring Onion Stir-fry

This so far has topped all of my meals in taste, how healthy it was and easy to prepare, even though looks complicated, was really easy. But I cannot put into words how nice it was. Bellow is a picture of a cooked Enoki mushroom, it has a fleshy texture and is very shroomy taste.

Recipe Ingredients: (enough for 2)

• 2 large potatoes (pealed and cubed)
  
• 6 medium carrots (pealed, 3 cut into pieces, 3 into halves)
  
• 4 pork loin steaks
  
• 1 piece of fresh ginger (the size of two garlic cloves, minced)
• 2 large garlic cloves "more if small" (1 roughly minced, 1 cut into 3-4 pieces)
• 1/2 packet of fresh Enoki mushrooms
• 1 soup spoon of sesame seeds (I used a mixture of white and black, just white is fine)
• 3 soup spoons of balsamic vinegar
  
• 1 bunch of spring onions (sliced)
• 1/2 cup of single cream
• 1 soup spoon of butter
• a pinch of nutmeg
• a glug of milk
  
• a little olive oil
• some salt and pepper
• and a pinch of saffron
  

Place a pan with boiling water on the stove, and in there put the potato, 1 chopped garlic and all the carrots, as well as a little salt, it will take around 15-20 minutes to be boiled depending on the quality of the potato.

While that is doing lets do the rest quick so that it all ends at the same time. Before all that I marinated the pork with two spoons of balsamic vinegar poured evenly over them, a little salt, the minced garlic and the minced ginger, just on one side of the pork, I let it marinade for around 30 minutes.

I used two frying pans one for the steak and sauce making the other for roasting the sesame seeds and making the spring onion and Enoki stir-fry. So put both frying pans on the stove, the larger one with olive oil the smaller one just dry. On the dry one place the sesame seeds inside, and as it heats keep shaking it to brown the sesame evenly on both sides, this also releases the most amazing nutty taste and smell of the sesame, once blonde place it in a container, awaiting to be cooked with the stir-fry, while on the larger pan with olive oil, once hot place the pork steaks with the garlic and ginger facing down, as this will make them stick to that side of the steak, let them cook for around 2-3 minutes and then turn them around for another 2-3 minutes which should be sufficiente to be totally cooked through, at this stage remove them from the pan scraping the garlic and ginger so that it stays in the pan, put the steaks on a plate and put them in the oven just to keep warm and to warm the plate at around 30-50c, while you do the rest.

Now both pans are off the fire, put back on the fire the little pan put a little olive oil in it and once hot add the spring onion, and as soon as it darkens (about 1 minute) add the Enoki, and a little seasoning (salt and pepper) + one spoon of balsamic vinegar and sesame seeds, stir fry for around 3 minutes and it's done, put the other frying pan on the fire and pour the fresh cream into it + the pinch of saffron, bring it to gently boil and this will thicken substantially, as soon as is thick remove from fire.

By now the potatoes and carrots should be done, drain and remove the halved carrots, the rest just mash it up, then add a spoon of butter, a glug of milk, a pinch of nutmeg and seasoning (salt and pepper). And that is done too, finally arrange it all on the plate and get ready for an explosion of flavours, like I said is unbelievable, how nice it all was.

The nutty flavours mixing in with the mild onion and the earthy mushrooms and the fabulous textures, then the mash with a hint of sweetness from the carrot and a little garlic and nutmeg coming through, and the "piece de resistance" the moist pork with a saffron ginger and garlic , well make it and you'll see.

Left Over Beef Stew

Well I made a small mistake on this one, not to be repeated, so I am owning up as to prove that everyone makes mistakes from time to time. I made this stew with red skin potatoes with the skin, thinking more flavour and more roughage but I ended up with quite rough red skins well noticeable in my velvety stew, I now know not to use skin on potatoes in stew unless using new potatoes where the skin is so thin that is bearably noticeable (especially when I used old potatoes).
Everything apart from the beef in this stew was old and nearly going off, but it turned out one of the best stews I made so far, I can only assume this being due to the vast variety of veg that went in, the beef was braising steak cut into pieces.

Recipe Ingredients: (enough for 4)

• 400grs braising steak (diced)
• 50grs pancetta (or smoked bacon)
  
• 500grs red skin potatoes (cubed) please remove skin unless they are new potatoes
• 1pkt mushrooms brown cap (halved and quartered depending on size)
  
• 1 onion (diced)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced) + a pinch of garlic powder
• 6 spring onions (sliced)
• 1 celery heart (sliced)
• 3 carrots (sliced)
• 1pkt mangetout (cut into three parts)
  
• 1 pepper (diced)
• 1 chilli (chopped) 1 a pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 tin plum tomatoes (chopped)
• 2 spoons of tomato paste (diluted in half glass of water)
• a pinch of paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil to taste

Very simple to make so is short and sweet. Put a pan on the stove with a little olive oil, once hot add the garlic, onion, chillies, (both) pancetta, salt and black pepper. Let these cook until the onions and pancetta are starting to go golden add the beef and stirring it occasionally until is sealed (you know this as should go brown all around), then add chopped tomatoes, put a lid on and let it cook for around 40 minutes on lowest of heat, then add the tomato paste and all the rest of the stuff you have left celery, potato, carrots, pepper , spring onion, mangetout, mushroom and paprika. Put the lid back on and let this now cook for around 25 minutes. Optionally at the end you may add some flat leave parsley. And that is it ready to eat.

The mushrooms were crinkly, the celery limp, potatoes were starting to grow roots, carrots had whiskers, garlic little sprouts, mangetout limp and so on this was the state of my veg as if I didn't use it would go to be compost, I am glad I did use it as it made one of the best tasting meals I ever ate (well made by me) I am in no way suggesting you use veg like these you can use fresh veg I am sure the result will be the same or better, I am only asking that you think before you throw anything away...As there are millions of people in the world starving that would eat those thing that you, me would throw away, lets not then. Thanks for reading. hope you enjoy this post.

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

Herbed Pancakes and Mini Spring Burgers with a tuft of Salad (Pancake day Gastro Feast)

Pancake day gastro feast... Only had a small dinner as had some more sweet pancakes to come after as desert...this was really enjoyable.

Recipe Ingredients: (good for 3-4 people)

• 1small glass of self raising flour
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 tea spoon of baking powder
• 2/3 of a glass with milk
• 3 soup spoons of olive oil
• 1 bunch of parsley (chopped)
• 1/4 tea spoon of garlic granules
• 400grs lean beef mince
• 3 spring onions (thinly sliced)
  
• 1 small onion (sliced)
• one bag of mixed salad
• 1 hand full of bread crumbs
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1/3 tea spoon paprika
• 1 soup spoon of smoked barbecue sauce
• also some barbecue and ketchup sauce to top burgers
• salt and pepper to taste
  

With so many ingredients sounds difficult...No? Well it is not.
Dead easy, pour the flour in a bowl and the baking powder, whisk well together, then make a well and in the middle put 1 egg, oil, garlic granules, salt and pepper and start to mix, as it gets thicker add the milk a little a the time and continue mixing it in until all the milk is used up (it should be the consistency of thick bechamel, so add more milk if needed). Lastly add the parsley and set it aside to rest.

In another bowl place the mince, and add: bread crumbs, 1 egg, barbecue sauce, spring onions (save a little for decorating), garlic "minced", paprika and salt + pepper (to taste). Mix it all in with your hands, and after make balls the size of golf balls, which then you squash to make the mini burgers, these are grilled in a hot griddle pan, and the pancake mix is made in a non stick frying pan (no oil needed as these already contain oil) two soup spoons per pancake should be the right size, make sure they are cooked on both sides.

Serve the burgers over the savoury pancakes, squeeze a dollop of BBQ sauce and Ketchup over each burger and add a little spring onions to decorate as well as normal sliced onions (you can also use mini tomato slices, cucumber etc. " i didn't have any in" lol) put also a tuft of mixed leaves salad in each plate and drizzle some olive oil balsamic vinegar and refined salt. there you are a nice little healthy pancake meal for your pancake day.!!!

Spring Onion and Parsley Macaroni Cheese

Receita em Português AQUI

Recipe Ingredients: (enough for 4 people)

• 400grs Macaroni pasta
• 3 spring onions (chopped fine slices)
• 3 garlic cloves (2 minced, 1 crushed)
  
• 1 glass of milk
• 50grs butter
• 50grs cheddar cheese (grated)
• 1 bunch parsley (chopped coarsely)
  
• salt and black pepper (to taste)
• 1/3 spoon of nutmeg (powder, or grate it yourself)
• 1/3 of a glass with water and a heaped tea spoon of plain flour diluted in it
• 1 glug of vegetable oil
  

This is an easy and delicious winter recipe, that I make all the time when I haven't got much time. not very healthy but is comforting and is definitely a filler.

Put a pan with some boiling water a glug of oil, 1 crushed garlic and a little salt, put the macaroni inside let it boil for 7-10 minutes, once cooked drain and pass through it some boiling water, and drain it again and put it in the sauce.

The sauce is made as follows, put the milk butter a little salt and pepper and the nutmeg in a little saucepan, take to the stove on a medium heat once it starts boiling add the spring onions, and the flour diluted in water, stir it and let it thicken, once it reaches that stage which will take around 2 minutes add the grated cheese and the parley, stir it again for another 1 minute, that will thicken some more. Now place the sauce in the large empty pan where you previously boiled the pasta, add the drained pasta to it, put a little on and let it rest about 2 minutes and serve. If you like a better effect and some crispiness, you may put it in a little pirex tray add a little grated cheese on top and dust also some oregano and goes in the oven 200c for around 10 minutes or under the grill till golden brown on top around 3-5 minutes, you decide...I couldn't wait so I ate it like that.

"Valentino Hot" Chicken with chickpeas Wedges and Salad

Receita em Português AQUI

I call this chicken Valentino chicken as it has two discerning characteristics that live up to the name, is spicy hot and very red in colour..you'll see below why. :D

Recipe Ingredients: (enough for 3-4 people)

• 400-500grs chicken thighs (skinless and boneless)
  
• 2 cooked beetroot's
  
• 1 medium onion
  
• 2 garlic cloves
  
• 1 large chilli (chopped "including seeds and veins")
  
• 1 chopped plum tomato tin
  
• 2 soup spoons of tomato concentrate
  
• 1/2 red pepper
  
• 1/2 chickpeas tin
  
• 1/3 glass of light red wine or rosé
  
• 4 spring onions (chopped finely)
  
• some olive oil
  
• salt and black pepper (to taste)

Place a pan on the stove at high temp, put enough olive oil in to cover the bottom of the pan, and once it is hot add: the onion, beetroot and red pepper, let these cook for a little while (about 3 minutes) and then piece by piece add the chicken and as soon as it seal on one side turn the chicken around to seal the other side too as this helps to keep the juices in keeping the chicken moist and tender. Chicken which you previously marinated in the (garlic, chilli and wine " see photo") for around 30 mins to 1 hr.

After the chicken is completely sealed ad the marinating liquid including the chillies and garlic into the pan, and together with that ad also the two, tomato paste and chopped plum tomatoes. Reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer for a good 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Now temporarily remove the chicken, put the sauce in a jug and blitz it with the blender, back into the pan with the sauce and add the chickpeas and put the chicken back there too, and now cook for a further 5 minutes so that the chickpeas heat up properly (as is already cooked in the tin), then arrange it on the plate with the wedges and a little salad or do it your own way. Cheers!!

Recipe Ingredients: (for the wedges, enough for 3-4 people)

• 400grs potatoes (cut lengthways in six, to form wedges)
  
• 1 soup spoon plain flour
  
• 1 pinch of fresh ground black pepper
  
• 1 pinch of fresh ground sea salt
  
• 1/2 tea spoon of chilli powder
  
• 3 spoons of olive oil

Place a pan with boiling water on the stove at high temp with a little salt, place the potato wedges inside and part-cook them (about 4-5 minutes) remove and drain the potatoes, and place them in a bowl, placing all the remaining ingredients in the bowl with the potatoes, toss them in the bowl not using any utensils, just toss them until they are fully covered by the ingredients.

Now scatter them in a tray and place them in the oven at 200c for about 15-20 until golden brown, and at this point they are ready to serve. Now these potato wedges are easy to make and very versatile, as you can pick and choose what aromatic herbs you put in if any you can put dry herbs or fresh, or even different powders...one of my favourite is paprika and garlic powder. Anyway have fun...that is what cooking is all about having fun and experimenting.

Bellow was another meal I made using some left overs from the above meal, I had a little sauce and chickpeas left as well as a couple of chicken pieces, so I cut the chicken in small bits, got the sauce (after heating it) and chickpeas in a blender added a couple of glugs of olive oil (extra virgin) blitz it to a smooth paste (to pesto consistency) . Cooked some pasta and and added the sauce with the chicken bits mixed in into the pasta (in this case spaghetti) also chopped up finely some spring onions and scattered over the top of the dish for added décor and taste. et voila...bon apetit...

Liver and Onions "classic" with Fresh cream and Spring Onion Mash

Receita em Português AQUI

Recipe Ingredients: (enough for 2)

• 1 large onion (thinly sliced)
  
• 2 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
• 2 bay leaves (cut in half)
• 1 glass of white wine
• 300grs ox liver
• 4 large potatoes (pealed and quartered)
  
• 4 spring onions (thinly chopped)
  
• 100mls single cream
• 1 soup spoon of butter
• a pinch of nutmeg powder (or grate a little)
• salt and pepper to taste (also a little milk if you find mash too thick)
• a glug of olive oil

I am aware you all may know this recipe already as is a classic, but I am sure some people do not.
Peal and quarter the four large potatoes, put them in a pan with water, place it on the stove on high, once reaches boil reduce it to min, and let it boil gently, should take about 15-20 minutes till fully cooked. Once cooked drain the potatoes, place them in a bowl and mash them, once that is done add the butter, fold it in till it melts and mixes well, then add the fresh cream (salt and pepper to taste) nutmeg and spring onions, fold it in again and the mash is done ...simple hey!!!

As to the liver you should start cooking this after you put the potatoes boiling so all comes out at the same time, but about an hour prior to cooking the liver you should have it marinading in a bowl with the wine garlic and a little salt. Put a pan on the stove on high with a good glug of olive oil.

Once it gets very hot add the onions and a little salt and pepper, keep stirring and allow the onions to caramelize a little, once that happens shift them to one side and add the liver slices one by one, and as soon as it seals turn them over, as soon as it seals on that side too, add the marinade liquid to the pan mix it all in with the livers, once it starts boiling the livers will release a little blood which will help to thicken the lovely sauce, be sure not to cook them for too long about 3-4 minutes after sealed should be sufficient as they should be pink in the middle (that is quite safe) and this way they will remain soft and tender.

If you prefer well cooked, so be it but be aware that the livers will be a lot harder consistency, the secret to softness is to me medium cooked, still pink in the middle, arrange it on the plate with plenty of sauce and some onions on top as well as some mash, which you can dip into the sauce and have fun...

Pan Fried Chicken Fillets w/ Butter Sauce and Spring Onions

Recipe Ingredients:

• 400grs chicken boneless and skinless mini fillets
• the juice of 1/2 lemon
  
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/3 glass white wine
• 400grs spaghetti (100% durum wheat)
• 3 spring onions sliced
• 1/3 glass milk
• 2 soup spoons of butter
• salt and black pepper to taste
• a little olive oil
• 1 heaped tea spoon of plain flour dissolve in water
  

Way easy and quick, and very...very cheap. Boil the spaghetti as normal it will take about 12 minutes to be cooked.

While that is doing, put a large frying pan on the stove on high temp, add a couple of glugs of oil, and once hot add the chicken fillets (previously seasoned with garlic, the lemon juice, salt and pepper and left to marinade for 1/2 hour).

They'll immediately start to sizzle, and therefore require turning around fairly quickly to seal the meat (the reason why is important to seal is that the meat becomes this way more juicy and moist as if the outside is sealed the moisture and juices inside will escape at a much slower pace), once sealed cook well on both sides until it goes a golden colour (see photo) once that happens on both sides it is done remove them and let them rest only time enough to make the sauce.

For which you deglaze the pan, which means you pull out the stuck to the pan chicken stock by pouring the wine in and rubbing it around with a wooden spoon, which will make the wine go a brownish colour, at this stage add the butter and as soon as it all melts add the milk and the dissolved flour, this will thicken the butter cream, ready to pour over the edges of the pasta and chicken (see photo) finally you put the sliced spring onions over the edges of the pasta and chicken, this is not only a good garnish it also provides an excellent flavour and texture once mixed in with the sauce, pasta and meat while eating. bon apetit...

Prawns and Cod - Fisherman Rico Style

Receita em Português AQUI

This wasn't a very cheap diner overall, however if you do the account per person it is very cheap as you'd never eat this quality at the price per person. Total cost was around £10.00 and serves 4 people so is about £2.50 per person ... see.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 4 medium tomatoes (de seeded and skinless, roughly chopped)
• 200grs button mushrooms
• 5 spring onions (chopped)
  
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 red pepper (finely but roughly chopped)
• 500grs Cod (de boned and skinless, chopped into small cubes)
  
• 250grs King Prawns fresh
• 400grs rice (basmati)
• 1 bunch parsley (chopped)
• 3 bay leafs
• 1/3 tea spoon of chilli powder
• 4 soup spoons of olive oil + 2 of vegetable oil
• a measure of Poitín (or Cognac) + 1 measure of Port wine
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Another easy recipe to make, as always and very healthy. Put a pan on the stove and boil the rice, once the rice is boiled place it in a colander draining. While the rice is cooking you can start making the sauce, which is also very simple.

Place another pan on the stove (high) place the oils inside until very hot add then the onion, garlic, bay leafs, red pepper and the salt pepper. Let these ones cook until the onion is caramelized, at this point you add the chilli, tomatoes and button mushrooms, let these cook for another 5 minutes, and now add the tomatoes, fish, spring onions, Port and Poitín. Continuing to cook for a further 3 minutes now add the prawns cook for a further 2 minutes until they cooked through and finally the parsley (saving a little to decorate the dish). And you basically done.

Get the rice and pour boiling water over it, letting it drain again this will make it very loose and fluffy, create a bed of rice in each plate and put some sauce over it and decorate it (see picture).

Also alternatively you can add instead of Poitín and port just a full glass of red wine, that will work too.