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This tart was originally made with 350 grs of sugar no nuts or honey and plain yoghurt, also was made in individual small tart containers rather than a large one, result was a more moist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)