Asparagus Rice // Arroz de Espargos

This is a nice fragrant side dish for a pork tenderloin stew. Perfect for the last meal I'm cooking, before heading to the Algarve on holidays tomorrow. I can't wait for a relaxing week of sun, sea and eating out. Ingredients: 100g rice (I recommend Orivárzea Bom Sucesso aromatic rice) 10 thin asparagus spears half an onion 1 garlic clove water olive oil salt  grated mozzarella cheese 2 small basil leaves per person Boil the asparagus spears for about 3 minutes. Reserve them in a bowl with cold water. Pour some olive oil in a saucepan and fry the onion and the garlic clove until it it softens. Add the rice, previously rinsed. Fry it for a couple of minutes, stirring the whole time. When it is almost boiled (if you are using Bom Sucesso, it boils really quickly, so I would say after 7 minutes), add the asparagus. Season with salt. Let it cook for 2 minutes. Place the asparagus rice in each dish. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese. Decorate with 2 basil leaves per person: the fragrance and taste are simply magical in this dish. Enjoy!

Este é um belo e perfumado acompanhamento para um estufado de lombinho de porco. Perfeito para a última refeição que vou cozinhar antes de ir de férias para o Algarve amanhã. Mal posso esperar por uma semana descansada de sol, mar e comer fora. Ingredientes: 100g arroz (recomendo arroz aromático Bom Sucesso Orivárzea) 10 espargos finos meia cebola 1 dente de alho água azeite sal queijo mozzarella ralado 2 folhas pequenas de manjericão por pessoa Cozam os espargos durante cerca de 3 minutos. Reservem-nos numa taça com água fria. Deitem azeite numa caçarola e fritem a cebola e o dente de alho até amolecer. Juntem o arroz, já lavado. Fritem-no durante alguns minutos, mexendo sempre. Quando já estiver quase cozido (se estão a usar Bom Sucesso, coze muito rapidamente, por isso diria depois de 7 minutos), juntem os espargos. Temperem com sal. Deixem cozinhar durante 2 minutos. Coloquem o arroz de espargos em cada prato. Polvilhem com queijo mozzarella ralado. Decorem com 2 folhas pequenas de manjericão por pessoa: a fragrância e o sabor são mágicos neste prato. Bom apetite!

Prunes in a blanket and tropical spicy mix

I love it when a meal offers little explosions of flavour: salty BOOM! spicy BOOM! sweet BOOM! fresh BOOM! soft BOOM! crunchy BOOM!

This was my dinner. I admit it: I needed something like this tonight (if the previous post wasn't a good hint), especially because I only had a sandwich for lunch (Sunday, lazy Sunday).

Here are some of the main ingredients for this meal.

First, prepare the Prunes in a Blanket. Select the prunes you want to use [I recommend 2 per person, since the whole meal will have a wide variety of flavours] and wrap each of them in a thin slice of bacon. Use a toothpick to close the wrap. 

Heat some olive oil in a pan and add half an onion and 2 garlic cloves [chopped]. After 2 minutes, add minced meat [previously seasoned with salt and freshly ground pepper]. Stir a little until it develops a golden colour and finally add 1 dessert spoon of hot sauce and about 100g of tomato sauce. Let it cook in mininum heat until everything is finished [about 12 to 15 minutes].

You can do pretty much everything else at the same time now.

- Cook basmati rice [again, the amount depends on one's taste and the number of people the meal is for] in boiling water seasoned with salt for about 8 to 10 minutes. Just before that, have a taste. When it's no longer hard [but not mushy yet] it's time you take it off the stove. Run it under cold water to stop it from boiling.

- Fry the blankets in a frying-pan - no oil or grease, please! Turn them from time to time.

- Grill asparagus [3 per person] and when they're done sprinkle some salt over them.

Finally, just before plating everything, add a mix of tropical fruit pieces in syrup (papaya, guava, pineapple) to the minced meat. Stir. This will add a sweet extra layer to the spicy and salty meat.

Enjoy!