Tac'n'cheese

I'm a Mac girl in every sense of the word [Apple and Pasta], but there's one thing I may [no scientif proof yet] like even more: CHEESE.

The other day I was making my version of tacos for dinner but I was craving cheese so much that I had to add it to the equation, so I did a cheese dip for the nachos. Both recipes are so easy it hurts [nobody's doing some for me right now].

Say "CHEESE!"

The tacos:

Roast a green and a red pepper on a grill. When they're done, cool them in water, peel the skin off and cut them in thin slices. Reserve.

Heat some olive oil in a pan, add 2 onions [sliced] and 2 garlic cloves [sliced]. After a couple of minutes, add minced meat [about 150g]. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a dash of cayenne pepper. When it starts to get golden, add 3 dessert spoons of hot sauce, and 150g of tomato sauce [I use one which is previously seasoned with onion and garlic - I find it adds an extra flavour]. Mix everything and lower it to medium heat. Finally, add the sliced peppers and mix.

At the same time, bend the taco wrappers in foil and heat them in the oven [it should take you about 10 minutes]. This time I didn't shape the wrappers though.

The dip:

Melt 2 tablespoons of margarine with 2 tablespoons of flour. Pour 1 mug of milk and stir. Slowly add 30g of parmesan powder and 150g of cheddar cheese and stir. 

Enjoy! 

p.s. I've just received my first Foodie Penpals package. So excited! Can't wait for the reveal day: October 1st. Are you part of the programme, too?

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Sou uma rapariga Mac girl em todos os sentidos [Apple e Massa], mas há algo de que sou capaz de gostar [ainda não há prova científica] ainda mais: QUEIJO.

No outro dia estava a fazer a minha versão de tacos para o jantar mas estava a desejar tanto queijo que o tive de acrescentar à equação, e por isso fiz um molho de queijo para os nachos. Ambas as receitas são tão simples de fazer que dói [ninguém  estar a fazer para mim agora].

Os tacos:

Assa 1 pimento verde e 1 pimento vermelho numa grelha. Quando estiverem prontos, arrefece-os em água, tira a pele e corta-os em fatias finas. Reserva.

Aquece azeite numa frigideira, junta 2 cebolas [fatiadas] e 2 dentes de alho [fatiados]. Depois de alguns minutos, adiciona carne picada [cerca de 150g]. Tempera com sal, pimenta preta preta acabada de moer, e uma pitada de pimenta cayenne. Quando começar a dourar, junta 3 colheres de sobremesa de molho picante, e 150g de molho de tomate [uso já temperado com cebola e alho - acho que dá um sabor extra]. Mexe tudo e baixa o calor do fogão para médio. Finalmente, junta as tiras de pimento e mexe.

Ao mesmo tempo, dobra as bases dos tacos em papel de alumínio e aquece no forno [deve demorar cerca de 10 minutos]. No entanto, desta vez não moldei as bases.

O molho:

Derrete 2 colheres de sopa de margarina com 2 colheres de sopa de farinha. Deita 1 caneca de leite e mexe. Lentamente adiciona 30g de parmesão em pó e 150g de cheddar e mexe. 

Bom apetite! 

p.s. Acabei de receber o meu primeiro pacote Foodie Penpals. Que emocionante! Mal posso esperar pelo dia da revelação: 1 de Outubro. Também fazes parte do programa?

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!