October Foodie Penpals Reveal

I'm having so much fun with Foodie Penpals! What a great way to brighten this Autumn. Deciding what to send, getting a "present"... It's as if it's our birthday every month, but even better because all gifts are great and filled with positive vibes. 

This month my Foodie Penpal was Lynsey [Thank you Thank you Thank you] - and her boyfriend. ;) When I opened the parcel - really! - I could hardly believe so many treats could fit in there!

I have 50% chances of opening it the right way. I always manage to open it from the bottom side. 

Gingerbread
WHY? WHY ISN'T IT SOLD IN PORTUGAL? WHY? [The honeyish touch reminds me of Madeira's honey cake]

Oatcakes
These have been my company for breakfast. With Keeley's quince jelly, for instance.
I have to find a similar brand here, because I've become quite addicted to them.

Wasabi bean mix
It reminded me of the first time I tried wasabi, not knowing how it would taste like. 2 glasses of water, if you're wondering.

Dark chocolate with chilli
No words needed.

Nick Nairn's All butter Shortbread Rounds
I want the pleasure of having him cooking for me every week. Too much? Ok, every month then.

Parma Violets
I'm madly in love with the fragrance, let alone the taste. I'd definitely buy them and take them with me everywhere if they sold them here. 

Marmite
Had heard so much of it, but had never tasted it. Four words: THANK YOU, LYNSEY'S BOYFRIEND!

Cute.

As last month, ideas started coming over what to do with the treats. I've used quite a few and will be using them over the next weeks, so expect some recipes with these ingredients later!

My feelings while I was taking this photo: "Is this real life?"

Tuna curry snack / Snack de atum e caril

I think you'll all agree with me when I say food is just the perfect motive to bring people together.

This is just a little snack I often make to enjoy while I'm watching TV. But it's also nice when you have your family or friends over, because you can prepare it in advance.

You'll need these (and some parsley).

Boil an egg. Blend the canned tuna, 2 dessert spoons of mustard, 2 dessert spoons of curry mix, the boiled egg and some parsley. Roughly spread the mixture on some pringles. 

Try it with a glass of red wine, or an iced red fruits, orange and chocolate drink. 

---

Julgo que todos irão concordar comigo se disser que a comida é o motivo perfeito para reunir as pessoas.

Este é um pequeno aperitivo que costumo fazer para petiscar enquanto estou a ver TV. Mas também é bom quando recebem a vossa família ou os vossos amigos, porque o podem preparar antecipadamente.

Coze um ovo. Mistura o atum em lata, 2 colheres de sobremesa de mostarda, 2 colheres de sobremesa de mistura de caril, o ovo cozido e alguma salsa. Espalha grosseiramente a mistura em algumas pringles. 

Experimenta com um copo de vinho tinto, ou uma bebida gelada de frutos vermelhos, laranja e chocolate. 

Happy Halloween week! / Boa Semana de Halloween!

Ah... There's nothing quite like coming home at 7pm after being away for 13 hours and having a
Dulsao Nespresso [in a plastic cup; yes; the only way I enjoy it]
with one of the chocolate ghosts I made yesterday.

Pepper crepes / Crepes de pimento

Hello, everyone!

I already started my second job, which meant a lot of initial paperwork, leaving home early and coming back almost straight to bed, and getting used to new people and routines. 

I have to admit: I adapt easily, except to new names. In recent years, I've developed a technique to overcome my little problem: as soon as people aren't watching, I note down the names of the people I've just met or heard about whom I think I will need to talk to later. I know, it sounds silly, but when you have to talk to a lot of people at work all the time, it's awkward when you still don't know their names or their job functions [have you ever talked to someone only to find out later it was your boss's wife? well, I have]. And it gets even worse as time goes by. It's not the first time I've worked in a place for 6 months and am too shy to ask someone their name, when I talk to them every single day...

Anyway, I really needed this weekend break to memorize everything I've been absorbing. 

And today we had to change the clocks. Yes, WINTER IS COMING! So I decided to make a colourful brunch to attract positive vibes for next week. To make these pepper crepes, simply

grill an orange and a yellow pepper. When they're done, wash them, take away their skin, and slice them.

Fry some thin bacon strips and 3 minutes later add the mushrooms. Fry them for a couple of minutes.

Les ingredients

Mix the ingredients and serve them on crepes.

I LOST myself in sweet tooth heaven. As Locke says, "I've looked into the eye of this island, and what I saw was beautiful."

I'll tell you all about the SECOND part of brunch later this week, after Foodie Penpals October Reveal day, since I used some of the ingredients I got.

---

Olá a todos!

Já comecei no meu segundo emprego, o que implicou uma série de papelada inicial, sair de casa cedo e regressar praticamente direitinha à cama, e habituar-me a pessoas e rotinas novas. 

Tenho de admitir: adapto-me facilmente, excepto a nomes novos. Nos últimos anos, desenvolvi uma técnica para superar este pequeno problema: assim que dou conta que as pessoas não estão a olhar, aponto os nomes das pessoas que acabei de conhecer ou de quem ouvi falar com quem possa vir a precisar de falar mais tarde. Eu sei, parece tonto, mas quando têm de falar com muitas pessoas no trabalho a toda a hora, é estranho quando ainda não sabem os seus nomes ou as suas funções [já falaram com alguém que mais tarde vieram a descobrir tratar-se afinal da mulher do patrão? bem, eu já]. E ainda piora com o tempo. Não é a primeira vez que trabalho num sítio há 6 meses e me sinto demasiado envergonhada para perguntar o nome de alguém, quando falo com ele/ela todos os dias...

De qualquer forma, estava mesmo a precisar do intervalo proporcionado por este fim de semana para memorizar tudo o que tenho vindo a absorver. 

E hoje tivemos de mudar os relógios. Yes!, "WINTER IS COMING!" Por isso decidi fazer um brunch colorido para atrair vibrações positivas para a próxima semana. Para fazeres estes crepes de pimento, simplesmente

grelha um pimento amarelo e outro laranja. Quando estiverem prontos, lava-os, retira-lhes a pele, e corta-os em tiras.
Frita algumas fatias de bacon finas e 3 minutos mais tarde adiciona os cogumelos. Frita-os durante alguns minutos.

Mistura os ingredientes e serve-os em crepes.

Mais no fim da semana conto-vos tudo sobre a SEGUNDA parte do brunch, depois do dia de revelação de Outubro do programa Foodie Penpals, já que usei alguns dos ingredientes que recebi.

Aletria

Great news: I finally got a second job, working part-time in a building opposite the one where my first job is. 

These past few days have been hectic as you might imagine, but in a good way. I didn't even have any time to celebrate, so tonight I did "aletria". Aletria is a really thin type of spaghetti - I've seen it mentioned in some places as vermicelli, in others as capelinni, and in others as angel's hair. The recipe was brought to Portugal by the moors, and is traditionally done during Christmas time.

Boil 100g of "aletria" in water for 5 minutes. Drain it. Then add it to a pot with 400ml of milk, lemon peel and 150g of sugar. 

When it is boiled, add 50g of butter. Take the pot out of the heat and add 3 yolks, previously beaten. Heat the mixture so the yolks will boil slightly.

Serve the aletria in individual bowls, sprinkled with some cinnamon on top. Garnish with hibiscus flower confit: its tangy flavour is the just perfect match to give this dessert some balance.

---

Grandes notícias: arranjei finalmente um segundo emprego, a trabalhar em part-time num edifício em frente ao edifício onde fica o meu primeiro emprego. 

Estes últimos dias têm sido de loucos como podes imaginar, mas no bom sentido. Nem tive tempo para celebrar, por isso hoje fiz "aletria". A receita foi trazida para Portugal pelos mouros e é feita tradicionalmente durante o Natal.

Coze 100g de aletria em água durante 5 minutos. Escorre-a. Junta-a a um tacho com 400ml de leite, casca de limão e 150g de açúcar. Quando estiver cozida, adiciona 50g de manteiga. Tira o tacho do lume e adiciona 3 gemas, batidas previamente. Aquece a mistura de modo a que as gemas cozam ligeiramente.

Serve a aletria em taças individuais, polvilhadas com canela. Decora com flor de hibisco confitada: o seu sabor ácido é o par perfeito para dar equilíbrio a esta sobremesa.

It's World Food Day, so this time I've brought you food for thought. / É o Dia Mundial da Alimentação, por isso desta vez dou-vos o que pensar.

In my opinion, one of Margaret Atwood's most touching texts:
Na minha opinião, um dos textos mais tocantes de Margaret Atwood [em versão original. "Bread" = Pão]:

BREAD

Imagine a piece of bread. You don’t have to imagine it, it’s right here in the kitchen, on the breadboard, in its plastic bag, lying beside the bread knife. The bread knife is an old one you picked up at an auction; it has the word BREAD carved into the wooden handle. You open the bag, pull back the wrapper, cut yourself a slice. You put butter on it, then peanut butter, then honey, and you fold it over. Some of the honey runs out onto your fingers and you lick it off. It takes you about a minute to eat the bread. This bread happens to be brown, but there is also white bread, in the refrigerator, and a heel of rye you got last week, round as a full stomach then, now going moldy.Occasionally you make bread. You think of it as something relaxing to do with your hands.

Imagine a famine. Now imagine a piece of bread. Both of these things are real but you happen to be in the same room with only one of them. Put yourself into a different room, that’s what the mind is for. You are now lying on a thin mattress in a hot room. The walls are made of dried earth, and your sister, who is younger than you, is in the room with you. She is starving, her belly is bloated, flies land on her eyes; you brush them off with your hand. You have a cloth too, filthy but damp, and you press it to her lips and forehead. The piece of bread is the bread you’ve been saving, for days it seems. You are as hungry as she is, but not yet as weak. How long does this take? When will someone come with more bread? You think of going out to see if you might find something that could be eaten, but outside the streets are infested with scavengers and the stink of corpses is everywhere.
Should you share the bread or give the whole piece to your sister? Should you eat the piece of bread yourself? After all, you have a better chance of living, you’re stronger.How long does it take to decide?

Imagine a prison. There is something you know that you have not yet told. Those in control of the prison know that you know. So do those not in control. If you tell, thirty or forty or a hundred of your friends, your comrades, will be caught and will die. If you refuse to tell, tonight will be like last night. They always choose the night. You don’t think about the night however, but about the piece of bread they offered you. How long does it take? The piece of bread was brown and fresh and reminded you of sunlight falling across a wooden floor. It reminded you of a bowl, a yellow bowl that was once in your home. It held apples and pears; it stood on a table you can also remember. It’s not the hunger or the pain that is killing you but the absence of the yellow bowl. If you could only hold the bowl in your hands, right here, you could withstand anything, you tell yourself. The bread they offered you is subversive, it’s treacherous, it does not mean life.

There were once two sisters. One was rich and had no children, the other had five children and was a widow, so poor that she no longer had any food left. She went to her sister and asked her for a mouthful of bread. “My children are dying,” she said. The rich sister said, “I do not have enough for myself,” and drove her away from the door.Then the husband of the rich sister came home and wanted to cut himself a piece of bread, but when he made the first cut, out flowed red blood.
Everyone knew what that meant.
This is a traditional German fairy tale.

The loaf of bread I have conjured for you floats about a foot above your kitchen table.The table is normal, there are no trap doors in it. A blue tea towel floats beneath the bread, and there are no strings attaching the cloth to the bread or the bread to the ceiling or the table to the cloth, you’ve proved it by passing your hand above and below. You didn’t touch the bread though. What stopped you? You don’t want to know whether the bread is real or whether it’s just a hallucination I’ve somehow duped you into seeing. There’s no doubt that you can see the bread, you can even smell it, it smells like yeast, and it looks solid enough, solid as your own arm. But can you trust it?Can you eat it? You don’t want to know, imagine that.

Migas

Golden leaves all over my street, the temperature dropping, and the rain with just a few sunny breaks don't fool anyone: Autumn has finally settled. 

I'm more of a Summer girl myself, but there's something about this period, the walnuts, the chestnuts, the first long sleeves, the prospect of a crackling fireplace in the next couple of weeks, that makes me forget the annoying weather, replacing it with a comforting romantic feeling. And giving me time to think about happy days.

I was sitting on my balcony yesterday, thinking about these past Summer holidays: we spent some days travelling through Alentejo, a southern region in Portugal, visiting historical and cultural landmarks and having a taste of some regional dishes here and there. One of the best experiences we had, gastronomically speaking, was trying different versions of one of Alentejo's most famous side dishes: migas. They are made out of softened bread, cooked in fat (usually lard) and some of the juices from the meat that has been cooked to be served with the migas. There are some variations - with potatoes, for example. 

I made my own version yesterday - a bit lighter, adding greens and taking out some of the fat.

Main ingredients of my version of migas: bread, garlic, spinach, bacon, margarine. 

In a frying-pan, fry about 90g of bacon, cut in very little pieces. When it's golden, lower the temperature to medium heat and add the margarine [about 40g]. While it starts melting, add 3 garlic cloves with their skin. Toss it a couple of times so the flavours start blending. Add about 300g of frozen spinach "esparregado" [it is a sort of paste made of puréed spinach and flour, seasoned with garlic, olive oil and vinegar], and let it melt, mixing with a wooden spoon. 

I was going to serve it with a chuck roast, so I took it out of the oven for a bit and removed some of the liquid that formed from the seasoning and the meat [about 80ml], put the meat back in the oven and poured the warm liquid in the frying pan. 

Then you can take the garlic cloves out and slowly start adding the bread. I only used 3 slices, which I cut in smaller pieces. Migas are traditionally done with regional bread from Alentejo, usually at least one day old, but I didn't have any at home, so I used what I had. But you'll notice the flavour will be really enhanced depending on the quality of the bread. So mash the bread with the back of a spoon, and blend it with the liquid so a paste starts forming. Let it cook for a couple more minutes - I love that light toasted taste - and start tossing it up and down, moving your arm back and forth, so the paste starts rolling itself. You don't need to be a Tossing Master: the ingredients will do most of the work for you - they just need a little push.

To plate it, simply turn the frying-pan over the plate and smoothly toss it so it slides onto the plate. It will stay in shape, just like mine [or better]:

Shake, rattle and roll

Migas go really well with grilled meat or roasts, and a glass of Paulo Laureano Premium red wine. Just perfect to reproduce the feeling I got during my glorious meals in Alentejo this Summer.

And you? Do you prepare certain meals specifically because they remind you of times well spent, or is it just me?

***

As folhas douradas por toda a minha rua, a temperatura a descer, e a chuva com alguns intervalos de sol não enganam ninguém: o outono instalou-se finalmente. 

Sou mais uma rapariga de verão, mas há algo sobre este período, as nozes, as castanhas, as primeiras mangas compridas, o prospecto de uma lareira a crepitar nas próximas semanas, que me faz esquecer o tempo aborrecido, substituindo-o por um sentimento romântico e aconchegante. E que me dá tempo para pensar em dias felizes.

Estava ontem sentada na minha varanda, a pensar nas férias de verão passadas: passámos alguns dias a viajar pelo Alentejo, uma região do sul de Portugal, a visitar marcos históricos e culturais e a provar pratos regionais aqui e ali. Uma das melhores experiências, em termos gastronómicos, foi provarmos diferentes versões de um dos acompanhamentos mais famosos do Alentejo: migas. São feitas com pão amolecido, cozinhado em gordura (normalmente banha) e alguns dos sumos da carne que foi cozinhada para ser servida com as migas. Há algumas variações - com batatas, por exemplo. 

Fiz a minha própria versão ontem - um pouco mais leve, juntando verdes e tirando alguma da gordura.

Numa frigideira, frita cerca de 90g de bacon, cortado em pedaços muito pequenos. Quando estiver dourado, reduz a temperatura para lume médio e adiciona a margarina [cerca de 40g]. Quando começar a derreter, junta 3 dentes de alho com casca. Sacode algumas vezes a frigideira para que os sabores se comecem a misturar. Adiciona cerca de 300g de esparregado de espinafres congelado, e deixa derreter, mexendo com uma colher de pau. 

Ia servir com um assado, por isso tirei-o do forno por uns momentos e retirei algum do líquido que se formou a partir do tempero e da carne [cerca de 80ml], voltei a pôr a carne no forno e verti o líquido quente na frigideira. 

Entretanto podes tirar os dentes de alho e lentamente começar a adicionar o pão. Usei apenas 3 fatias, que cortei em pedaços mais pequenos. As migas são tradicionalmente feitas com pão regional alentejano, normalmente já pelo menos de um dia, mas não tinha em casa, por isso usei o que tinha. Mas irás notar que o sabor fica muito melhor, dependendo da qualidade do pão. Assim, esmaga o pão com a parte de trás de uma colher, e mistura-o com o líquido para que se comece a formar uma pasta. Deixa cozinhar por mais alguns minutos - adoro aquele ligeiro sabor a tostado - e começa a lançar a pasta para cima e para baixo, mexendo o teu braço para a frente e para trás, para que a pasta se comece a enrolar. Não precisas de ser um Mestre do Lançamento: os ingredientes vão fazer maior parte do trabalho - só precisam de um empurrãozinho.

Para empratar as migas, vira a frigideira para o prato e gentilmente lança o rolo de forma a deslizar para o prato. Não vai perder a forma, tal como o meu [ou melhor]:


As migas combinam mesmo bem com carne grelhada ou assados, e com um copo de vinho tinto Paulo Laureano Premium. Simplesmente perfeito para reproduzir a sensação que obtive durante as minhas gloriosas refeições no Alentejo este verão.

E tu? Preparas determinadas refeições especificamente porque te fazem lembrar de tempos bem passados, ou sou só eu?

Chocolate salami / Salame de chocolate

First, thank you all for your kind words in my last post. Happy thoughts, right? So, let's think... something SWEET!

If you are Portuguese, you just know this will win you a special place in the heart of your kids' friends. You wouldn't believe how many times my friends asked me "will your mother make her chocolate salami? will she? please..." [along with the famous almond pie, of course]. When a birthday was coming up, when there was a pic-nic, when there was an event at school, during the holidays, you name it. So here is a version of her chocolate salami.

Break 250g of Marie biscuits in small pieces into a bowl. Don't bother to be precise: the bigger bits the better, to contrast with the buttery chocolate, and with the rest of the ingredients the parts which are too big will eventually dissolve.

Mix the biscuits with 250g of sugar and 4 yolks with the help of a spoon.

Melt 200g of margarine and 200g of chocolate in a water bath, stirring until both ingredients are fully blended. [If you want to, you can use cocoa powder instead of a chocolate bar, but the butter in the bar will give it the extra sweetness I love].

Pour the mixture into the bowl and use a wooden [or plastic] spoon to mix everything.

Peekaboo!

Spread a sheet of aluminum foil on a board, and place the amount you want on the aluminum foil. Roll over the foil into a cylindrical shape. Press it with your hands. I usually do separate rolls if I intend to use them at home - it's easier to store. But when I'm doing it for a party, I use it all in a larger roll.

Store in the fridge and serve it in slices when it's solid. 

It's not strawberry season, but I still managed to pick these up from my parents' garden and brought them this weekend.

***

Primeiro, obrigada a todos pelas vossas palavras simpáticas no meu último post. Pensamentos felizes, certo? Portanto, pensemos em... algo DOCE!

Se és português, sabes que isto te vai ajudar a ganhar um lugar especial no coração dos amigos dos teus filhos. Não irias acreditar na quantidade de vezes que os meus amigos me perguntaram "a tua mãe vai fazer o salame de chocolate dela? vai? vá lá..." [juntamente com a famosa tarte de amêndoa, claro]. Quando um aniversário estava a chegar, quando havia um pic-nic, quando havia uma festa na escola, durante as férias,... Por isso aqui fica uma versão do salame de chocolate dela.

Parte 250g de bolacha Maria em pedaços pequenos numa taça. Não te preocupes em ser preciso: quanto maiores forem os pedaços melhor, para contrastar com o chocolate amanteigado, e com o resto dos ingredientes as partes que são demasiado grandes vão eventualmente dissolver-se.

Mistura as bolachas com 250g de açúcar e 4 gemas com a ajuda de uma colher.

Derrete 200g de margarina e 200g de chocolate em banho-maria, mexendo até ambos os ingredientes se envolverem completamente. [Se quiseres, podes usar pó de cacau em vez de uma barra de chocolate, mas a manteiga da barra vai dar a doçura extra que adoro].

Verte a mistura na taça e usa uma colher de pau [ou plástico] para mexer tudo.

Espalha uma folha de papel de alumínio numa tábua, e coloca a quantidade que queres na folha de alumínio. Enrola a folha numa forma cilíndrica. Pressiona-a com as tuas mãos. Normalmente faço rolos separados se quero usá-los em casa - é mais fácil de guardar. Mas quando estou a fazer para uma festa, uso tudo num rolo maior.

Guarda no frigorífico e serve em fatias quando estiver sólido. 

Garlic bread supreme: nham nham style / Pão de alho supremo: nham nham style

What. a. busy. week! 

Between the usual work and finding out the job offer I was also about to accept [as a part time job, to get some extra cash] was for a company which apparently has a long history of not paying its employees, I seriously don't know how I've managed to keep up a smile. 

Looking on the brighter side, it was really lucky of me to google it while I was returning their call and come across a page filled with dozens and dozens of complaints from people with plenty of salaries due, denouncing the scheme: the person opens a company, advertises jobs, doesn't pay, closes the company, and opens a new one.

How crazy is that, really? How can someone hire people across the country and then not pay them, be taken to court by many of those people, open a company in a new name, and still keep hiring people and not paying them? 

Needless to say, my appetite got a bit ruined today, so I did something really simple to lift my humour: garlic bread, Pizza Hut style.

Crush 3 garlic cloves and fry them in a frying pan with some salted butter. Put the bread slices on a tray covered with greaseproof paper. Use a brush to spread the butter on the bread. Sprinkle the slices with mozzarella and oregano. 

Bake in the oven until the cheese melts and becomes golden.

One does not simply ... enjoy Pizza Hut's garlic bread without trying to do it at home.

Serve immediately, have a bite, and forget the world's injustices.

***

Que.semana.movimentada! 

Entre o trabalho habitual e descobrir que a oferta de trabalho que também estava para aceitar [a tempo parcial, para receber uns trocos extra] era para uma empresa que aparentemente tem uma longa história de não pagar aos seus colaboradores, sinceramente não sei como tenho conseguido manter um sorriso. 

Vendo o lado positivo, tive muita sorte em pesquisá-la no Google enquanto estava a responder à chamada deles e dei de caras com uma página cheia de dezenas e dezenas de reclamações de pessoas com bastantes salários em dívida, a denunciar o esquema: a pessoa abre uma empresa, publicita vagas, não paga, fecha a empresa, e abre uma nova.

De loucos, não? Como é que alguém pode contratar pessoas pelo país todo e depois não lhes pagar, ser levado a tribunal por muitas dessas pessoas, abrir uma empresa num novo nome, e continuar a contratar pessoas e a não lhes pagar? 

É desnecessário dizer que o meu apetite ficou um bocadinho estragado hoje, por isso fiz uma coisa simples para levantar o meu humor: pão de alho, Pizza Hut style.

Esmaga 3 dentes de alho e frita-os numa frigideira com alguma manteiga com sal. Coloca as fatias de pão num tabuleiro com uma folha de papel vegetal. Usa um pincel para espalhar a manteiga no pão. Cobre as fatias com mozzarella e oregãos.

Leva ao forno até o queijo derreter e dourar.

Serve imediatamente, dá uma trinca, e esquece as injustiças do mundo.

Petit Gateau with fudge eggs / Petit Gateu com ovos de fudge

This is another Autumn dessert inspired by two of the delicious ingredients Keeley sent me: the jelly and the fudge. 

We're in walnuts season, and I think the fudge really goes well with them to complement the chocolate of the petit gateau. I decided to add another fruit to the set, by serving it with a couple of sweet juicy quince drops.

I think I would describe this dessert as creamy, fruity and nutty. I hope you enjoy it. I know I did, with a warm cup of lemon thyme tea.

In a chopper, place 5 walnuts and 1 butter cookie and chop lightly. Add 1 nut of fudge and a pinch of salt and chop. Finally, add 2 dessert spoons of butter and blend. 

Take 1 petit gateau out of the freezer and bake for 1 minute and a half in the microwave. Take it out and move the gateau to a serving plate. 

Shape the fudge&nut mixture into little eggs with the help of two dessert spoons. Place only 2 eggs per plate [maximum 3]. 

Finally, add some drops of quince jelly.

***

Esta é outra sobremesa de Outono inspirada por dois dos deliciosos ingredientes que a Keeley me enviou: a geleia e o fudge. 

Estamos na época das nozes, e julgo que o fudge combina muito bem com elas para complementar o chocolate do petit gateau. Decidi acrescentar outro fruto ao conjunto, servindo-o com algumas gotas sumarentas e doces de geleia de marmelo.

Acho que descreveria esta sobremesa como cremosa, frutada e com sabor a nozes. Espero que gostes. Eu sei que eu gostei, com uma chávena quente de chá de tomilho limão.

Numa picadora, coloca 5 nozes e 1 bolacha de manteiga e pica levemente. Adiciona 1 noz de fudge e uma pitada de sal e pica. Finalmente, adiciona 2 colheres de sobremesa de manteiga e mistura. 

Tira 1 petit gateau do congelador e cozinha durante 1 minuto e meio no microondas. Retira-o e coloca o gateau num prato de servir. 

Molda a mistura de fudge e nozes em pequenos ovos com a ajuda de duas colheres de sobremesa. Coloca apenas 2 ovos por prato [máximo 3]. 

Finalmente, adiciona algumas gotas de geleia de marmelo.

Indian soup / Sopa indiana

A quick phone call to my parents saying we've arrived safely, followed by some me-time in the kitchen, two bowls of this spicy soup on the table, and some peaceful couch-time is just the perfect way to finish the weekend. And prepare myself for the next week: it's going to be loong.

I used the soup mix I got from Keeley through the Foodie Penpals September exchange, but made a few changes to the recipe that came at the back of the package:

Indian soup

Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 4 crushed cloves of garlic and 1 sliced onion and fry until they're soft.

Stir in the spices and fry for about 1 minute.

Add about 400ml of water, 2 potatoes (peeled and diced) and 4 carrots (peeled and sliced) and bring to boil.

Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Then add 1/3 of a can of pre-boiled butter beans and boil for another 10 minutes.

Take the saucepan from the heat and use a blender - I like to leave some chunks, specially carrots; I love finding them while I have my bowl of soup. That's also why I only add the rest of the butter beans then.

Add more water, if you prefer it more liquid (I prefer it creamier). Finally, season it with salt and heat for another 10 minutes.

Serve garnished with chopped chive. 

And have some nice slices of bread ready - even if you do enjoy the heat.

Soups without borders: British made, Indian inspired, Portuguese.style cooked.

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Um telefonema rápido aos meus pais só para lhes dizer que chegámos bem, seguido de um tempo só meu na cozinha, dois pratos desta sopa condimentada na mesa, e um bocadinho calmo de sofá é a forma perfeita de terminar o fim de semana. E de me preparar para a próxima semana: vai ser loonga.

Usei a mistura para sopa que recebi da Keeley através do programa Foodie Penpals de Setembro, mas fiz algumas alterações à receita que vinha na parte de trás do pacote:

Sopa indiana

Aquece 4 colheres de sopa de azeite num tacho grande em lume médio. Junta 4 dentes de alho esmagados e 1 cebola às rodelas e frita até amolecerem.
Junta as especiarias e mexe, durante 1 minuto.
Junta cerca de 400ml de água, 2 batatas (descascadas e cortadas às rodelas) e 4 cenouras (descascadas e às rodelas) e leva a ferver.
Cobre o tacho e deixa a ferver durante 15 minutos. Depois adiciona 1/3 de uma lata de feijão manteiga pré-cozido e deixa cozer por mais 10 minutos.
Tira o tacho do lume e usa o liquidificador - gosto de deixar alguns pedaços, especialmente de cenoura; adoro encontrá-los enquanto estou a comer o meu prato de sopa. É por isso que só junto o resto do feijão manteiga nessa altura.
Junta mais água, se preferires uma sopa mais líquida (eu prefiro-a mais cremosa). Finalmente, tempera-a com sal e aquece durante mais 10 minutos.
Serve decorado com cebolinho picado. 
E põe à mão algumas fatias de pão - mesmo que gostes do tempero picante.

Sardines on a bed of green beans / Sardinhas em cama de feijão verde

It's October 5th and a national holiday. It celebrates the end of the monarchy and the beginning of the republic in Portugal. It's the last time we'll be celebrating the date as a holiday, due to the recent austerity imposed on us: next year, it will be like any other regular working day.

You haven't known the true Portuguese flavour until you've tried grilled sardines on cornbread or with boiled potatoes and a pepper salad. 

People often say sardines caught in Portugal in months with an "r" aren't as good as the ones caught during late Spring and Summer. During the other months, I guess canned sardines are an option. I'm not really into canned fish [except for tuna], but I had this can from a Christmas basket I got last year and I finally decided what to do with it. 

This can of sardines in tomato sauce with olive oil is from "Propeixe", an association of producers located in Matosinhos, near Porto. You can really feel the strong taste of the tomato and the olive oil, and it can be overwhelming on a dish, so I would recommend you to use a can for 2 people and then work on the side dish.

I just boiled green beans in salted water, plated them, and added half of the can on top. I also served some slices of cornbread, to remind me of the feeling of sardines in the summer. And, what's more, it has the red and green of the Portuguese flag.

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É 5 de Outubro e é feriado nacional. Celebra-se a implantação da República em Portugal. É a última vez que vamos celebrar a data como um feriado, devido às recentes medidas de austeridade que nos foram impostas: no próximo ano, vai ser como qualquer outro dia de trabalho.

Não conheceste o verdadeiro sabor português até teres provado sardinhas assadas com pão de milho ou com batatas cozidas e salada de pimento. 

Costuma dizer-se que as sardinhas apanhadas em Portugal em meses com "r" não são tão boas como as apanhadas durante o fim da Primavera e durante o Verão. Durante os outros meses, julgo que as sardinhas em lata são uma opção. Não gosto muito de peixe em lata [à excepção de atum], mas tinha esta lata de um cabaz de Natal que recebi no ano passado e decidi finalmente o que fazer com ela. 

Esta lata de sardinhas em molho de tomate com azeite é da "Propeixe", uma organização de produtores sediada em Matosinhos, perto do Porto. Consegue-se sentir o sabor forte do tomate e do azeite o que pode ser esmagador num prato, por isso recomendaria que uses uma lata para 2 pessoas e depois que te dediques ao acompanhamento.

Simplesmente cozi feijão verde em água temperada com sal, empratei-o, e por cima coloquei metade da lata. Também servi algumas fatias de pão de milho, para me lembrar da sensação de sardinhas no verão. E, ainda para mais, tem o vermelho e o verde da bandeira portuguesa.

Spinach with sultanas and pine nuts / Espinafres com sultanas e pinhão

Middle of the week and no time to think of a side dish? Not me: it's a national holiday here in Portugal tomorrow (it celebrates the proclamation of the Portuguese Republic) - though following the austerity measures imposed on us we'll be no longer celebrating it from next year onwards.  Funny, hey? Oh, well... Repeat after me: Spinach, Sultanas, Pine nuts.

Since I'm not much of a "needle in a haystack" player, I tend to appreciate a generous amount of both sultanas and pine nuts. Just saying.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and add the amount of spinach, sultanas and pine nuts you want. [Remember spinach leaves will shrink, so those of you who aren't used to cooking them, be prepared to use more than you expect.] Toss a couple of times. It's done in about 5 minutes. Before plating it, add a couple of drops of vinegar.

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Meio da semana e sem tempo para pensar num acompanhamento? Eu não: é feriado nacional cá em Portugal (celebra-se a implantação da república portuguesa) - embora seguindo as medidas de austeridade que nos foram impostas não iremos celebrá-lo a partir do próximo ano. Engraçado, não? Bem... Repitam comigo: Espinafres, Sultanas, Pinhões.

Aquece 1 colher de sopa de azeite numa frigideira e adiciona a quantidade de espinafres, sultanas, e pinhões que queres. [Lembra-te que as folhas de espinafre encolhem, por isso quem não está habituado a cozinhá-las é melhor preparar-se para usar mais do que está à espera.] Mistura algumas vezes. Está pronto em cerca de 5 minutos. Antes de empratar, adiciona algumas gotas de vinagre.