Meat Balls in a Creamy Coriander Sauce and Oven Fries ( better than Ikea's)

Receita em Portugues AQUI

This one was inspired in the Ikea's Swedish Meatballs.



Recipe Ingredients:

• 400grs beef (minced)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 handful of breadcrumbs (you can use old dried brad just grate it)
• 1 whole egg
• half a tumbler glass of cream
• half a tumbler glass of whole milk
• 1 stock cube of chicken (I used Oxo easier to dilute)
• 1 large onion (halved and sliced)
• 1 little bunch of coriander
• 1 little bunch of parsley
• 8 medium potatoes (pealed and chipped)
• some olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 soup spoon of gravy (don't worry if you do not have it as some plain flour and water will do)
  

Throw the chipped potatoes in a pan with water, and par-cook the chips, then place them in a tray and brush them with olive oil and cook them at 200c, occasionally turning them around.

While that is doing, put the minced meat in a bowl, and put there also the parsley finely chopped,, 1 minced garlic clove, a pinch of black pepper and a pinch of salt, the bread crumbs and the egg. With your hands mix it all very well and shape pieces of the meat into balls, and set these aside.

now put a pan on the stove (on high) and pour in a couple of olive oil glugs, once very hot add the sliced onions, and the remaining garlic clove (minced) cook until the onions start to go semitransparent, at this stage add the meat balls and occasionally shake the pan so that the balls turn over and seal.

Once sealed add the gravy and chicken stock cube mixed in a glass of water also adding the cream and the milk, (if still to thick add more milk, if too thin a little more gravy diluted in a little water) + a pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper to taste. And about one minute from finishing cooking add the chopped coriander. Is as easy as that, with the chips now ready is just serve and eat... (notice I didn't say how long the chips take, this is because it varies from oven to oven from potato quality to potato quality and even for how long they've been parboiled) But roughly about 20-25 minutes.

Roasted Pork Loin with Loaded Goats Cheese and Dill Skins

Receita em Portugues clique AQUI

This is definitley a treat for all my followers and visitors.

Ahhh!! Dill and (French) Goats Cheese, as soon as I saw this I had to use it, especially in view that the previous day I had roasted a pork joint to eat today and I still didn't know what to do as an accompaniment so I decided for loaded skins, but I didn't want to do the traditional Bacon and cheese, as everyone normally does that.

So this is really two recipes, one short and longer, the pork joint no recipe is needed. As for that all you need is a pork joint from any main supermarket and you unfold it and rub in and on it a
paste made of: (a bunch) coriander + garlic (2 cloves) + sea salt (1 soup spoon) + ground black pepper (1 tea spoon) + chili powder (1/3 tea spoon) + a little olive oil.

After that is done let it marinate for at least 30 minutes, then stick it in a preheated oven to 130c for about 1 hour, remember should be in a small container as the juices will further help it cook, also slow cooking is imperative as this will leave meat more tender.
After initial cooking I left the meat rest from one day to the other, and then blasted it for 15-20 on a 200c oven the crackling goes very crispy as you want it to be, so prior to cooking diamond scoring is important too. See picture bellow.

The potatoes now they were just outta this world, and I am not one to brag, actually I invited my sister for dinner and she normally eats very little but not this time.



Recipe Ingredients:

• 150-200grs of "French" Goats cheese
• 1/2 glass of cream
• 1/2 glass of milk
• 2 soup spoons of butter
• 1 bunch of dill
• about 1kg of potatoes (red)
• salt and pepper to taste

Roast the potatoes it will take about 1 hours 200c, once done cut the potatoes in halves with a spoon scoop the potato interior from each half into a bowl, leaving virtually just the skin.

Mash the potato with a masher and throw in the goats cheese in bits and the butter also seasoning (salt and black pepper to taste), give it a stir the goats cheese should melt as the potato is hot and will start going very thick now throw in the rest, the dill, the milk and the cream (double is best) and stir it all very well.

Spoon the mixture back into each potato and on the top sprinkle a little more salt and freshly ground black pepper, put it back in the oven for 15 minutes more 200c and it is done.
See, when you put the potatoes in for the 15 minutes it is at this time that you can reheat and cook the crackling of the pork as previously mentioned, as this way both things are ready at the same time. DELICIOUS really is.
You will notice I also cooked some halves, corn-on-the-cob with a little melted butter on top they were great too.

Sirloin Steak w/ Diane Sauce & easy Potato Gratin

Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 good sirloin steak (28 days mature best)
• 6 mushrooms (sliced)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 measure of cognac (I used Courvoisier Cognac) Brandy will do too
• 2 potatoes
• 60grs grated cheese
• 50mls fresh cream + 100mls fresh cream
  
• 50mls fresh milk "whole"
• salt and pepper to taste
• and a glug of olive oil

Just put some salt and pepper on both sides of the steak and rub a little olive oil on each side too, let it absorb the flavour for 20-30minutes, then get a griddle pan on the fire and a frying pan too.
On the griddle once extremely hot, place the steak on the one side for about 2 minutes then on the other for another 2 minutes, then turn around again to another diagonal position 2 minutes and again turn to the other side 2 more minutes (all in all 8-10 minutes should suffice for a medium rare steak). While that is doing place a glug of olive oil in the frying pan and the garlic (minced) as soon as start to sizzle add the mushrooms tossing them regularly, once fully covered in oil pour the cognac (brandy) and tip forward the pan (thus flambéing the mushrooms) and the flame will go out by it self, continue to toss the mushrooms until cooked add then the 100mls cream and in a glass mix a tea spoon of plain flour and water, then add a little at he time to the cream until it gets to the consistency you want. And that's the sauce done, which should finish around the same time as the steak.

The potatoes, these you prepare as the steak marinades as they will take about 20 minutes to grattin. Prior to that peal them and slice them, parboil them till virtually cooked, than you place one layer of potato, mill a little pepper over them and a little salt, pour a little milk and cream over them and half of the grated cheese, another layer repeat the same...and to the oven it goes 200c 20 minutes more or less ...you know when they are ready as to the golden colour on top see picture.

A classic recipe made easy!!! Hope you like it.

This recipe was just for me ...so just to feed one.. multiply to feed more. :)

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.