13 December 2010

Macaroni Salmon Salad

100 grs of macaroni
100 grs of smoked salmon sliced
4/5 sliced radishes
6 plum tomatoes sliced
40 grs of sliced cucumber
1 mozarella thickly sliced
2 green olives thinly sliced
chopped coriander q.b.
a pinch of oregano
herbs salt q.b.
olive oil q.b. (aka plenty!)

12 December 2010

Cajun chicken (my recipe)

1. Ingredients:
- 4/5 chicken breasts
- red palm oil q.b.
- 2 garlic (hand crushed)
- white wine q.b.
- fenugreek seeds crushed with a pestle
- freshly ground black peppercorns q.b.
- 1 big white onion sliced (0,5 mm)
- 1/3 of red pepper sliced
- 1/3 of yellow pepper sliced
- 2 chopped tomatoes
- sea salt

2. Preparing & Cooking:
Throw the crushed garlic into the pan and let it toast in the red palm oil. Before it burns, remove the garlic and throw it away. Add the onion and the peppers, the chopped tomatoes (you can remove the skin and seeds, but I always keep them. I rather use fresh tomatoes instead of canned ones for the freshness) and a bit of white wine.

Season with a bit of salt. Let them simmer for a good 3-4 minutes. Put them aside with the oil before they overcook - leave them a bit crunchy.

Add more red palm oil to the same pan and a tablespoon of Flora spread. Let the spread melt and then throw in the chicken, previously seasoned with sea salt and the cajun. Let the chicken cook for about 15 minutes, turning regularly.

Add the onion and peppers mix to the chicken, and sprinkle with a bit more cajun and some freshly ground black peppercorns.

Throw in a handful of raisins and let it simmer for another 10 minutes, at low temperature. Serve with white Basmati rice.

11 February 2010

Soup from Alentejo (Portugal) - "Sopa Alentejana"

1. Ingredients: 3 or 4 garlic cloves, 1/2 tbsp of salt, a handful of coriander, 4 tbsp of olive oil, 2 litres of water, hardened wheat bread (preferably, bread from Alentejo), 3 eggs.

2. Preparing & Cooking: smash the garlic cloves, the salt and the coriander in a mortar. Put the mixture in a deep basin, pour the olive oil and mix. Add the boiling water and throw in the bread, cut into small square chunks. Meanwhile, cook some poached eggs (throw the raw eggs into boiling water with a bit of white vinegar). Finally, add the poached eggs to the basin and mix gently with a spoon.

Serve. You can also set aside some bits of chopped raw pepper to accompany the soup.