Prawn Egg Tortilla (also known as spanish omelet)

Recipe Ingredients (for the omelet):

• 1 large red potato (thinly sliced and part-boiled)
• 6 baby plum tomatoes (other tomatoes with do sliced)
• 1 onion (sliced)
• 1 small green pepper (sliced thinly)
  
• 5 eggs (mixed)
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• 250grs king prawns (cooked and pealed)
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 3 soup spoons of olive oil (maybe a little extra)
• 1 tea spoon sweet paprika
• salt and pepper to taste

This one is very straight forward to do, really easy. Place a non-stick frying pan on the stove, gas on high, once really hot place the par boiled potato slices in the oil with a little salt and pepper, until golden brown on both sides (so you need to turn them occasionally).

Once this is done set them aside, add a little extra oil to the pan, and once again hot, add the onion, pepper, garlic and paprika cook until the onion is semitransparent (about 5 minutes) now add the tomatoes and the prawns cook until the tomatoes are partially cooked and the prawns are very hot (about 3 minutes), empty the pan contents and also the potatoes that you had set aside + the parsley into the bowl that contains the five mixed eggs, give it a stir, and pour back into the non stick pan that is still on the fire, reduce fire to medium-high, start folding gently until the egg is not longer liquid but still moist, once this is achieved stop folding and let it cook on one side till golden brown.

Then flip it to the other side, if you good do it like a pancake if not use a plate to aid you turn the omelet over. Once cooked on both sides serve it with some wedges and mixed leaf salad (or anything you like). I believe I already have posted how to do potato wedges, just look through my blog.. Any questions ask...please enjoy.

Chicken Curry Risotto

Fantastic risotto I wanted to combine two different types of foods and managed to successfully do just that with this dish.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 400grs chicken thighs (de-boned and skinned, diced)
• 1 cup of frozen peas (you can use fresh ones too)
• 1 red pepper (other colours will do like orange or yellow, not green though| diced)
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• 1 onion (diced)
• 1 large carrot (thinly sliced)
  
• 400grs basmati rice (long grain will also do, but be aware is likely to cook faster)
• 1 bunch of coriander
• 1 soup spoon of premixed curry powder medium hot (choose your preference, so mild or hot or very hot will do too)
• 1 soup spoon of turmeric
• 1 tea spoon of cumin powder
• 1 pint of vegetable stock or chicken stock
• 1 tomato can (chopped)
• 1 soup spoon of tomato paste
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• 3 soup spoons of olive oil
  

You start by putting the onion; garlic; pepper; cumin; turmeric; curry powder and salt & pepper, in a pan where you heated till very hot the olive oil. Cook all of his until the onion is semitransparent, at this stage add the carrot and the chicken (you can add a little more olive oil if to dry and a few drops of water) cook until the chicken is sealed.

At this stage add the rice always stirring cook for a further 2 minutes at this stage add the tomato tin, peas and the tomato paste, keep cooking and stirring occasionally so it doesn't get stuck, as it get dry add a little stock, keep cooking and stirring and repeat the process until all stock is gone the whole thing should last about 15-18 minutes never let the mixture get to dry as risotto is supposed to be slightly sloppy, also remember if not enough the stock to keep all with the right consistency add water (the reason why I say this, is because there are many varieties of rice even within the basmati range, some rices soak more liquid that others, never do this with precooked rice as this is rubbery).

Once all is cooked add the coriander (chopped) give it a stirr, turn the cooker off, put a cloth over the top of the pan and the lid over the cloth and let it rest for about 3 minutes, then serve.

Fettuccine al Fungi - spinach and egg fettuccine with mushrooms and cream

Receita em PORTUGUES Clique AQUI

Please check this out a simple fantastic spinach and egg fettuccine al fungi.

Recipe Ingredients (feeds 4) :

• 400grs fettuccine "verdi & Uovo" mix green and egg
• 250grs mushrooms (I prefer brown organic, sliced)
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 soup spoons of brandy
  
• a soup spoon full of parmisiano (parmesan) cheese (or similar)
• 2 heaped soup spoons of grated cheddar cheese.
• 1 soup spoon of chopped parsley
• 1 half onion (chopped finely)
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• 1 tea spoon sweet paprika
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 3 soup spoons of olive oil
• 1 garlic clove (crunched)
• 250mls fresh cream
  

Very simply put some water boiling and ad one glug of normal oil to the water + some salt and the crushed garlic clove, add then the fettuccine, and cook it for 7-10 minutes you want it "al dente" I mean cooked but still semi hard the pasta.

While that is doing, on a wok or large frying pan put in the olive oil, the garlic and the onion, cook these until very golden. Now add the paprika and cook for one minute more, then add the sliced mushrooms, once they are cooked which will take approx 3-4 minute add the brandy and leaning the pan at a 30-45 degree angle ignite the brandy (flanbéing it), this will give it a smoky flavour and also brandy although will contain no alcohol as it has been consumed by the flames, so is a safe food for kids too.

After that add the cream and let this heat up again until nearly boiling, dissolve the egg yolks with a little milk about 3-4 soup spoons full in a glass, pour this mixture into the cream always stirring this will start to thicken up the sauce then add the parmesan and the cheddar which will thicken up even more, both the sauce and the pasta will be done roughly at the same time.

So drain the pasta drizzle a little olive oil over it and toss it then serve (preheat the plates if need be if you ant it to stay hotter) and pour over the pasta a couple of servings spoons. To decorate it you can do either of these three: sprinkle some sweet paprika on top of the sauce or sprinkle a little chopped parsley on top and drizle in a circle a little extra virgin olive oil around the parsley but still on the sauce or sprinkle a little more parmesan cheese and freshly grind some black pepper over it too... they will all look quite impressive and add to the taste too.

Spinach and Carrot Soup

This is a great winter starter as is so easy to make yet, so satisfying. I had some mix from the croquettes, left from yesterday, just to remind you they were boiled and mashed potato, carrots and onion. But obviously I don't expect you to have left overs, so you can use fresh ingredients, and here they are:

• 4 large potatoes (cut into quarters)
  
• 1 large onion (minced)
  
• 3 large carrots (2 cut into chunks one very thinly sliced)
  
• 300grs spinach leaves (washed)
  
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 glugs of olive oil
  

in a pan put the oil and put it on the stove let it get very hot, then add the garlic, two carrots in chunks and the minced onion, let them cook stirring occasionally until the onion is golden at this stage add the potato and about 2 litres of water + the salt and pepper to taste. Let this cook until the potatoes are cooked through you can check this by stabbing the potato with a fork or sharp knife, and the potatoes should offer virtually no resistance to penetration, if so get your hand blender out and blitz it until you achieve a thick sauce if you want the soup more liquid add a little more water, but make sure you retest for salt.

Let it get to the boil point again and now add the remaining carrot thinly sliced + the spinach you may add a little more olive oil if you like the stuff. turn the fire down and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes and it's done, plate it and if you like it posh you can toast some bread cut it into cubes put a hand full in the centre of the bowl of soup and drizzle a little circle of oil around the cruttons.

I was too hungry and didn't bother with that lol :)