Carrot Soup with Ginger and Coconut Milk

Ingredients

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

1 tbsp powdered ginger

1 tsp curry powder

dash of salt and pepper

4 large carrots, chopped

3 chayotes, chopped

1 can of coconut milk

1 cup water

2 tbsp lemon juice

cilantro and/or mint leaves

Method

Heat coconut oil over low heat. Add onion, cook until translucent and then add garlic, ginger and spices. Stir, cook for a few minutes, add the carrots, chayotes, coconut milk and a cup of water. Bring to a boil. Simmer for at least 15 minutes, until veggies are tender. Mix it with a blender. After well blend, add the lemon juice and garnish with what's left of coconut milk and cilantro and/or mint leaves. Yogurt is also a good idea, in case there is no coconut milk left in the can.

Veredict

Exotic yet Christmassy, that's how I describe its flavour. A very comforting soup, in which I can add some chicken broth - vegetable broth is also a good option. After all, it's a vegan soup and next time I might include sweet potatoes or pumpkin in it. Quite simple and easy to make, simultaneously yummy and healthy... Are you in?

Chicken Curry

Ingredients: 

2 teaspoons oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic (or garlic powder)

1 tablespoon paprika + cumin

2 tablespoons ginger
1 can coconut milk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce and/or teryiaki sauce`
1/2 cup lime juice and zest
1 onion
4 fresh basil leaves
1 can mushrooms

1 red bell pepper
3 chicken breasts

Method:

Marinate the chicken in lime juice, soy sauce and all the spices above. In a wok, sauté the onion in oil, gradually adding ginger, garlic, paprika, cumin, red bell pepper, mushrooms... and let it simmer! Add the coconut milk and the chicken, and also the basil. Place on a high heat. It should be ready within 10 minutes. Remove from heat and serve with rice.

Veredict:

I love how exotic does chicken taste with all those intense spices. My kitchen ended up smelling like an Indian restaurant and I kinda liked it. Coconut milk adds a creamy texture that always turns out delicious. I added coriander and flaked coconut to enhance the flavour - beyond yummy!

Banana Brownies

Ingredients: 

4 eggs 

½ cup of sugar 

¾ cup of butter (150g) 

100g white chocolate, chopped 

1 pinch of salt 

1 ½ cups of wheat flour 

1 cup of semisweet chocolate chopped 

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ripe bananas

Method:

Whisk together the eggs with the sugar until white. In a saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate... I actually did that in the microwave and it was fine. Add to the batter slowly stirring constantly. Add flour, also mixing slowly. Put the chopped chocolate, vanilla extract, salt and cinnamon. Place the batter in the form and place banana slices into the batter. Grease a baking square pan. Bake in preheated oven 180 º C for 20 to 30 minutes - if you want them moist, 20 minutes will do.

Veredict:

These are not very fudgy, compared to the brownies and blondies I usually bake. However, the taste is exquisite: I never thought that chocolate could taste so well mixed with banana and cinnamon. It's a somewhat exotic combination! If you like banana, you're gonna love it. Feel free to add extra ingredients like chunks of chocolate, chocolate cookies, vanilla seeds or coconut flakes.

Baileys Cake

Ingredients:
375g flour
250g butter
250g brown sugar
4 eggs

200ml Baileys
1 tbspn baking powder
1 tbspn vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt

Method:

Break the butter into pieces and soften it in the microwave. Beat butter with sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating constantly. Add the flour, baking bowder and salt to the butter cream and mix well. Add the Baileys. Grease a cake pan with butter and sprinkle with flour. Pour the batter into the pan and bake it at 180º C for approximately 40 minutes. Check if it's ready with the toothpick test.

Veredict:

This cake tastes exactly like Baileys! It's just like having solid Baileys! So, if this is your favourite drink, you are going to love it.
It also pairs nicely with a cup of coffee. Still not sure if it makes you tipsy though.

Honey Glazed Chicken Breasts with Soy Sauce

For those who complain that chicken breasts are not as juicy as the rest of the chicken, this is a great alternative: you just have to marinate the chicken breasts in honey and soy sauce and then fry them - they won't taste dry at all. Add some bay leaves to the rice (or whatever you want, from couscous to pasta, or even a spiced salad) and you'll love it!

Para quem se está sempre a queixar que os peitos de frango não são tão suculentos como o resto do frango, eis uma grande alternativa: basta marinar os peitos de frango em mel e molho de soja e refogá-los - não vão saber a seco coisa nenhuma. Adicionem folhas de louro ao arroz (quem diz arroz diz massa, couscous ou salada condimentada, ao vosso gosto) e vão adorar!

Spiced Vegetable Couscous

I had a healthier dinner today. First time I cook couscous ever! The spices and ingredients are entirely up to you, but mine consisted on mushrooms, peppers, cumin, basil, rosemary, zucchini, cucumber, grated cheese (gorgonzola, gruyere and parmesan), onions, tomato, thyme, red cabbage and clove.

Hoje jantei um cozinhado mais saudável. Foi a primeira vez que me aventurei com o couscous! As especiarias e ingredientes são à vossa escolha, consoante o vosso gosto, mas a minha selecção incluiu cogumelos, pimentos, cominhos, manjericão, alecrim/rosmaninho, courgette, pepino, queijo ralado (gorgonzola, gruyere e parmesão), cebola, tomate, tomilho, couve roxa e cravinho.

Turkey Stroganoff with Coconut Milk, Mushrooms and Ginger + Vanilla & Lemon Pie

Today was spent cooking on my pyjamas. I wanted to try an exotic version of stroganoff, keeping the classic mushrooms and cream and adding ginger, pepper, nutmeg, lime and lemon juice, all marinated in coconut milk! I don't usually use coconut milk and I'm not even into Indian food but I've decided to be more open-minded about different spices. Overall, it was such a delicious meal, the ginger+citrus+milky combo was really well done and to die for!

Hoje levei a tarde a cozinhar, em pijama. Quis experimentar uma versão exótica de stroganoff de perú, mantendo os clássicos cogumelos e as típicas natas, acrescentando gengibre (fresco e em pó), pimenta branca e preta, noz-moscada, limão, lima, tudo a marinar em leite de côco! Eu não costumo usar leite de côco com frequência, nem sou fã de comida Indiana, mas decidi tornar-me mais aberta a outras especiarias e ingredientes. O resultado final foi uma refeição deliciosa, a combinação gengibre+citrinos+leite de côco ficou muito bem conseguida e de chorar por mais!

And yes, I achieved to make this scrumptious lemon & vanilla pie! I have no experience whatsoever related to baking cakes or pies... It was all a big risky step for me. But it all ended perfectly fine, this is a nice dessert, also good paired with tea, might as well be the perfect pie to eat for breakfast along with a black coffee.

E sim, consegui confeccionar esta deliciosa tarte de limão e baunilha! Não tenho experiência alguma relacionada com pastelaria ou confecção de bolos, tartes... Foi um passo muito arriscado. Mas correu tudo na perfeição, esta é uma boa sobremesa, também fica bem à hora do chá, e ainda acho que é a tarte perfeita para comer logo pela manhã ao pequeno-almoço, complementando o café.

Lemon-Lime Grilled Salmon with Tri-Pepper Salad

I love salmon as much as a grizzly bear does! I could eat grilled salmon at least twice every week and I bet I would still crave for more. Anyway, today I put some extra lime (love it!) and lemon on it as I've seen in the recipe book I've bought recently... I added some fusilli pasta with yellow, green and red peppers, chopped onions, salt and pepper and a bit of fresh ginger! I loved it! Many of you might think this is a more Summer-related meal so it wouldn't make much sense cooking it in Wintertime, but it's such a healthy, easy, vegetarian-friendly, tasty food, I can assure you that! Besides, it's nice to enjoy a fish that smells like caipirinha.

Eu adoro salmão tanto quanto um urso pardo adora! Por mim, podia comer salmão grelhado pelo menos duas vezes por semana e aposto que ainda me apetecia mais. Então, hoje pus uma quantidade considerável de lima (adoro!) e limão no salmão, como vi no livro de receitas que comprei recentemente... Adicionei massinha fusilli com pimento verde, vermelho e amarelo cortado em cubinhos, cebola picada, sal e pimenta e um bocadinho de gengibre fresco. Adorei! Muitos de vós poderão achar que esta refeição se adequa mais ao Verão e que não faria grande sentido cozinhá-la em pleno Inverno, mas vale a pena por ser tão saudável, fácil, rápida, compatível com vegetarianos e tããão saborosa, garanto-vos! Fora isso, é sempre bom apreciar um peixe com cheirinho a caipirinha.

Breaded Shrimp Chow Mein

Last week, I invited a friend to come over for dinner at my humble abode! I decided to try some asian, vegetarian-friendly, healthy meal. I love Italian food but I was missing some Chinese stuff!

All you need is a bunch of mushrooms, chinese stir-fry vegetables (the same ones you find in any chop suey), noodles, an egg (it just makes the whole mix creamier and yummier), lemon juice, sesame seeds (doesn't really matter how big but I like them tiny and discreet), salt and pepper and of course, breaded shrimps (they don't necessarily have to be breaded, that's up to you!).

For a starter snack, I fried some the breaded camembert cheese with cranberry sauce (the sauce is more like some sort of jam - delicious!), along with some fresh bread and white wine.


Na semana passada convidei uma amiga para vir jantar à minha humilde residência! Decidi-me por uma refeição asiática, saudável e compatível com vegetarianos. Eu adoro comida italiana mas já tinha saudades de comida chinesa, confesso.
Tudo o que é preciso para confeccionar esta obra-prima (not) é uma porção de cogumelos, salada de vegetais chinesa (com bambu, rebentos de soja e tudo o mais o que se possa encontrar, por exemplo, num chop suey), noodles, um ovo (empasta a mistura, ficando tudo mais cremoso e apetecível), sumo de limão (enaltece os sabores, quanto mais não seja o dos panadinhos), sementes de sésamo (não interessa de que tamanho, mas prefiro-as pequeninas), sal e pimenta e claro está, os camarõezinhos panados - claro que vocês só panam, ou só compram panados, se quiserem; não precisam de ser panados.

Para as entradas, fritei uns queijos camembert panados com molho de cranberry, que é como quem diz arandos vermelhos (!), que é uma espécie de compota deliciosa, algum pão fresco e vinho branco.

Shrimp Fettuccine with Creamy Moscatel and Lemon sauce

Pumpkin Soup

This soup is as Christmassy as Halloweenesque, and absolutely delicious.

Esta sopa tem tanto de natalício como de Halloweenesco, e é uma delícia.

Olive oil + pumpkin pulp + onions + garlic + salt + water + black pepper + cream + mint leaves

Azeite + polpa da abóbora + cebolas + alhos +  sal + água + pimenta preta + natas + hortelã

And for dessert...

E para sobremesa...