King Prawn Bean Stew with Garlic Basmati

Recipe Ingredients: (enough for 4)

• 400 grs basmati rice
  
• 3 cans (400grs each) borlotti or butter beans
  
• 350 grs skinless king prawns (uncooked)
• 50 grs of chourizo thinly sliced
  
• 1 carrot minced
  
• 1 onion minced
  
• 3 garlic cloves minced
  
• 150 mls tomato pulp (or passata)
  
• 1 pinch of cayenne
  
• 1 soup spoon of paprika
  
• 1 bunch of coriander finely chopped
  
• 2 large bayleafs
  
• a little olive oil, salt and black pepper (to taste)
  

One of the tastier things I have ever eaten in the restaurant MetrisPlanet in Faro Portugal. I loved it so much that I had to recreate it, also must confess that I went back and back to that restaurant to eat that meal over and over again during my holidays. Of course they didn't give me the recipe so I had to create my own version based on taste and look s alone, and if I may say turned out quite excellent.

I used butter beans which were nice however whenever I will do this again I will use either borlotti or white beans, as the butter beans were a little floury in texture and I prefer a smother texture almost creamy. At Metris Planet restaurant a portion for two was €16 which means only €8 per person, which is a great price, but think the portion given in quantity was really enough for over 4 people excellent value, if ever in Portugal in the Algarve I would recommend you to visit this restaurant.

Well... To make this dish, place a wok pan on the heat and add to it a little olive oil once well hot ad to it: garlic, onion, carrot, bay-leafs, chourizo, cayenne pepper and the paprika. Let these cook up until the onion starts to caramelize, which then you add the: drained beans and tomato pulp, and once is back to boiling put the lid on reduce heat to minimum and let it simmer for around 40 minutes, mixing occasionally so that it doesn't stick to the bottom. Twenty minutes into the cooking add the salt and black pepper.

Lastly ad the prawns and the chopped coriander (reserving a little coriander for the decoration of the dish), cooking these for 3-4 minutes the prawn will change from a greyish colour to the nice orange colour when cooked, must not overcook them as instead of soft they will turn hard and rubbery.

As to the rice cook this one in water and salt with a little of oil and a couple of crushed garlic cloves for the garlic flavour cook it for 10-12 minutes (check pack for cooking times). Once fully cooked I drained the rice and while draining passed boiling water through it to remove excess starch as this is no good for your health.

Then is just a matter of dishing it and eating it....Bon Appetite xxxxxxx

Adzuki Bean and Cabage Stew (Vegetarian/Vegan)

Receita em Português

Recipes Ingredients:(enough for 6)

• 1 Small Savoy cabbage (leaves separated and cut into pieces)
• 500grs Adzuki beans (soaked in water for 1.5 days)
• 4 large carrots (cut into pieces)
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 1/3 tea spoon of cayenne
  
• 300grms of Quorn (or soya pieces)
• 1/5 tomato pulp
  
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 soup spoon of smoky paprika
  
• salt and black pepper
  
• a little olive oil
  

This is a delicious and easy recipe to make, a Vegetarian/vegan option of the Portuguese bean stew known as "Feijoada".

The dried Adzuki beans were soaked for 1.5 days to get them ready for cooking, changed the soaking water once in the middle of the soaking. Than simply put the beans in a pan covered with water and a little salt and cooked them for 1hour and 10 minutes (more or less, so test beans near that time). Meanwhile I started the stew, by putting another pan on the stove with a little olive oil, garlic, onion, carrots, cayenne pepper and paprika, and let these cook until the carrot is cooked through, stirring occasionally.

While that was doing, I boiled a kettle of water, placed the cabbage in a bowl and poured the boiling water over it, leaving it submerged in the boiling water for about 3-5 minutes. Coming back to the stewing carrots, once these were cooked I added seasoning (sat and black pepper) as well as a tea spoon of sugar (to cut the stew acidity), then I added the tomato pulp the Quorn (or soya) the cabbage and the beans as well as a glass of water, placed a lid on the pan and once to the boil reduce to minimum and allowed it to cook for a good 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. I've done this type of food in the past and added to it a little pasta, it is a little more fattening but it does change from a spring food to a winter one fairly easily, obviously a little more water is required when doing that. This is a lovely and healthy meal, as the roughage helps with bowls problems, and is full of vitamins and minerals, from the greens etc.

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.

Eggs with Peas "My Way" (portuguese traditional)

This is a very well known traditional Portuguese recipe, at least I remember eating this since I was a little boy, there are some differences like, it used to take also chorizo slices (cooked in at the same time as the bacon, you can do this if you want).

Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 Onion (finely sliced)
• 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• 1 red chilli (finely chopped)
  
• 4 soup spoons of olive oil
• 300grs potatoes (thick sliced)
  
• 300grs peas (or Petit Pois)
• 2 large carrots (thinly sliced)
  
• 2 eggs per person (as each egg is equivalent to 100grs of beef)
• 2 tins of chopped tomatoes (good quality don't skimp on this)
• 2 soup spoons of tomato paste
• salt and pepper to taste
• Paprika

Again another very easy to prepare and very healthy meal. Put a large pan on the stove high heat, put the oil the garlic and the onion inside + the salt and pepper to taste and the chilli. Let these cook until the onion is nearly caramelized, at this stage add the carrot, let it cook stirring frequently for about 5 minutes adding little bits of water when needed, then add the peas and let it cook for a further 5 minutes, again stirring and adding little bits of water when needed.

Now add the potato and the tomato + one glass of water and the paprika let it cook until the potatoes are done about 15 minutes (with the pan lid on, and on a med heat) take the lid of the pan and add the eggs gently on the top of the veg so that they poach. leave it for another 3 minutes with the lid on....and it is done serve this with a side of fresh bread to dip in the sauce, it is lovely full of protein and vitamins and virtually fat free apart from the oil and being olive oil , very good for you.

I submitted this recipe to be shared on the foodie virtual tour ran by Joan of Foodalogue in February the stop is in Portugal my place of birth, and this dish reminds me of when I was a kid around 9 years old and my mum used to call me from playing outside to come in for dinner at winter time, and this dish always brought me comfort, my mum used to make it with chorico too, but currently I opt not to make it like that as my wife is vegetarian, and she loves this dish too. The Culinary Tour Around the World event is design to raise awareness with regards World Food Hunger, and see what you can contribute to prevent it. Please visit BloggerAid for more details.