Serve 20
Pumpkin, Carrot and Ginger Soup
Ingredients
Onions - 0.5 kg
Olive Oil - q.b.
Fresh Ginger - q.b
Garlic - 100g
Celery - 2 sticks
Potatoes/Zucchini - 1 kg
Pumpkin - 1 kg
Carrots - 1 kg
TO SERVE
Cummins
Cream
Paprika
Pumpkin seeds
Crispy Smoked Ham (optional)
Parsley
Cooking Steps
1. In hot olive oil, saute chopped onions
2. When onions are soft, add chopped garlic.
3. Add chopped carrots, then pumpkin and potatoes.
4. Add water.
5. When vegetables are softly cooked, blend the mix in a blender with fresh grated ginger.
6. Serve with a drizzle of cream, olive oil, paprika, chopped parsley and, seeds or crispy smoked ham to give that crunchiness this soup deserves.
Serve 5
Gaspacho de melão/meloa com crocante de presunto
Ingredients
Melon/melon – 500g
Cucumber – ½ medium
Yogurt – 200g
Olive oil – qb
Ham – 1 to 2 slices
Mint/other aromatic herb – 50g
NOTE: Use just a pinch of onion and garlic. Taste and correct. If you use too much immediately, it's not recoverable.
Cooking Steps
HAM
1. Arrange the slices of ham in a single layer on a rack on the oven tray.
2. Bake for 10 minutes at 160º or until dehydrated and crispy.
GASPACHO
1. In the food processor, mix the melon, cucumber, onion and salt. Beat until smooth. Don't use it all. Save some ingredients for serving.
2. Add the yogurt and beat until smooth and creamy. If it's too thick, add a little water or ice.
3. Set aside in the cold until ready to serve.
4. Cut a little (about 50g) of the melon and cucumber into small cubes.
5. Serve the gazpacho with the chopped aromatic herb, melon cubes and cucumber cubes. If you want, you can add a few drops of olive oil.
Serves 5
Caldo Verde
More than 500 years ago, Caldo Verde was just a lower class soup from the north of Portugal. Today, Caldo Verde is widely recognized as one of the portuguese finest traditional soups, across all social levels. According to CNN, it’s one of the best soups in the world.
Ingredients
onions - 2 medium
garlic cloves - 2
potatoes - 500 g
portuguese cabbage - 200 g
portuguese chouriço - ½
water - 1.5 L
Cooking steps
1. Cut the chorizo in thin slices.
2. Put slices in the oven at 150C for 10 minutes.
3. Slice the onions.
4. In a big pot with HOT olive oil, sauté the sliced onions.
5. When onions are light brown add garlic.
6. Add a bit of water and potatoes peeled and cut in small chunks.
5. Season with salt. Cook over moderate heat for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
6. Grind the soup with a blender until the potatoes are completely pureed.
7. Add finely sliced cabbage.
8. Boil the soup until cabbage is cooked.
9. Serve and add to each bowl a couple of chorizo slices.
Main course (serves 4 to 6)
Bacalhau à Brás
Bacalhau (cod) à Brás comes from Mr. Brás tavern, located in Bairro Alto, the man who led it to stardome. From Lisbon, Bacalhau à Brás conquered the world, reaching Macau, Asia. In Spain, this Portuguese delicacy appears on some menus as “Revuelto de bacalao à la Portuguesa” or as “Bacalao Dorado”. Although the origin is still uncertain, it’s a typical Lisbon dish, easy to make with a surprising taste and texture.
Ingredients
Onions - 3 medium
Garlic - 2 cloves
Shredded soaked cod - 600g
Shoestring potatoes - 400g
Eggs - 4 to 6
Parsley
Olives - 50 g
Cooking steps
1. In a small pan cook the cod, never letting it boil, for 3 to 5 minutes. Use as little water as possible.
2. Strain the cod, reserving part of the water and remove the bones.
3. In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a part of the cooked water (let it cool first).
4. Slice onions and sauté them in a large pan in hot olive oil.
5. When onions are soft and getting brown, add chopped garlic.
6. Let the pot cool a bit to avoid scrambled eggs, add the eggs and mix. We are looking for a creamy savoury custard.
7. Add half of the shoestring potatoes and let the potatoes soften a little.
8. When eggs are almost cooked, had the cod and the rest of the shoestring potatoes and olives.
8. Serve with parsley and a bit of olive oil.
Serves 5
This pear salad rocks
Ingredients
Rock Pear - 1 to ½
Goat cheese - 5 thin slices
Mix of salad greens
Olive oil - q.b.
Wall nuts - q.b.
Beetroot - 1 small
ORANGE & GINGER Vinaigrette
Dijon Mustard - 1 tbsp
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Vinagre - 1 tbsp
Honey - ½ tbsp
Orange Zest - q.b.
Ginger - 1 or 2 tsp
Salt & pepper - q.b.
Cooking Steps
1. First, add all ingredients of the vinaigrette into a bowl and mix well. Reserve.
2. Slice pear in wedges or cut in cubes and sauté on a preheated skillet with a bit of olive oil, until golden brown.
3. Cut thin slices of the goat cheese and place them in an oven tray.
4. Use the blow torch to braise the cheese slices.
5. Grate the beetroot.
6. Before serving mix all ingredients with vinaigrette.
Serve 12 a 15
Braised Leek with Peas
Ingredients
Leek - 6
Garlic - 3 cloves
Rosemary or thyme - q.b.
Frozen peas - 200g
Olive oil - q.s.
Goat cheese - optional
VEGETABLE Stock
Leek leaves
Onions and Garlic
Peels and leftovers from other recipes
Cooking Steps
1. Discard the outer, darker, tougher leek leaves for the broth.
2. Cut each leek lengthwise and wash well.
3. Place the leeks in a pan, without crowding, and cover with the vegetable broth, in the pan. Cook 15 minutes until cooked through.
4. Remove the leek and add the peas. Cook until the vegetables are cooked.
5. Place the leek on a tray and toast with the torch.
6. Mix the peas, the leek with a little thyme or rosemary and season with olive oil.
BROTH
1. Brown the onion in hot olive oil.
2. Add the garlic.
3. Slice and add the leftover leek leaves.
4. Add leftover vegetables such as carrots, mushrooms, turnips, cabbage, etc.
5. Add boiling water and let it simmer.
6. Filter the broth.
Serves 25
Beetroot Hummus
Ingredients
Roasted/cooked beet - 1 big
Lemon juice - ½ a lemon
Salt and black pepper - q.b.
garlic cloves - 2
Tahini - 50g to 100g (start with 50 and add to taste)
Olive oil - 4 tbsp
Sesame seeds - q.b.
Cumins - q.b.
Cooking Steps
1. In a food processor add all the ingredients.
2. Mix at full speed until smooth.
3. Taste and correct flavours.
Serves 4 - 6
Octopus Risotto
Ingredients
Rice - 400 g
Onion - 1 medium
Garlic - 5 cloves
Octopus - 800 g
Olive oil - q.b.
Octopus stock - 1.5 L
Red wine - q.b.
Aromatic herbs - q.b.
Salt - q.b.
Pepper - q.b.
Dried tomatoes - q.b.
Cooking Steps
1. Heat the octopus stock and grill the octopus legs, in the oven, with olive oil and chopped garlic.
2. Sauté the onion - the onion must be chopped to the size of the grain of rice.
3. When onion has soften, add minced garlic.
4. Add the rice and stir gently for 1 minute.
5. Add red wine and stir.
6. When wine has completely evaporated, add stock little by little and keep stirring.
8. Repeat previous step until rice is creamy and cooked all dente.
9. Correct flavours.
Serves 4 - 6
Duck Risotto
Ingredients
Rice - 400 g
Onion - 1 medium
Garlic - 5 cloves
Duck - 400 g
Olive oil - q.b.
Duck stock - 1.5 L
Red wine - q.b.
Aromatic herbs - q.b.
Salt - q.b.
Pepper - q.b.
Chorizo - ½
Cooking Steps
EXTRAS
1. Peel and slice ½ chorizo.
2. Place chorizo slices in a oven tray and place it in the oven at 120 C for 20 minutes or until roasted.
RISOTTO
1. Put the duck stock to boil.
2. Separate duck meat from bones and reserve.
2. Sauté the chopped onions.
3. When onion has soften, add minced garlic.
3. Add the rice and stir gently for 1 minute.
4. Add red wine and stir.
5. When wine has completely evaporated, add stock little by little and keep stirring.
6. Repeat previous step until rice is creamy and cooked all dente.
7. Correct flavours.
8. Add duck meat and serve with roasted chorizo and balsamic vinegar.
Serve 5
"Spaghetti Nero di Sepia" with Prawn Bisque
Ingredients
Spaghetti with cuttlefish ink - 500g
Olive oil - qb
Cherry tomatoes - 200g
Garlic - 5 or more cloves
Lemon juice and zest - q.b.
Shrimp - 500g
Basil/Parsley - chopped qb
Tomato paste - qb
Cooking Steps
BISQUE
1. Remove the shells and heads from the prawns, reserving the meat. Leave the tails on and remove the intestines.
2. In the thermomix, speed 5, 2 seconds grind the shrimp heads.
3. In a large pan with very hot olive oil, add the heads little by little to caramelize well.
4. Add the shells, add a little water until it covers the shells and let it boil for 30 minutes (the longer the better). Add more water if necessary if it reduces too much.
5. Remove from heat and pass through a fine sieve.
6. Bring the bisque back to the boil and stir until reduced.
SHRIMPS
1. Heat the oil in a frying pan with the unpeeled garlic cloves.
2. When the oil is very hot, add the raw prawns and cook until the prawns are pink but still rare.
NOTE: This step should be done as close to serving as possible.
TOMATOES
1. Place the tomatoes, generously greased with olive oil (you can use the stems if you have them) on a baking tray,
2. Season with coarse salt, chopped garlic and thyme, or another herb, and bake at 180 ºC for 15 minutes or so until blistered and cooked through.
PASTE
1. Bring boiling water to a pan, add salt and add the pasta. Stir to separate so it doesn't stick.
2. With the pasta still ⅔ ready, drain well and reserve the water.
3. Mix the bisque sauce with the paste and cook until it is "al dente". If necessary, add a little of the cooking water and a little tomato paste.
4. Serve immediately with the tomatoes, basil and shrimp.
Serve
Pumpkin Risotto
Ingredients
Arborio rice - 400gg
1 onion, finely chopped
Roasted pumpkin puree - 250g
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Vegetable broth
White wine q.b.
Parmesan - q.b.
Thyme leaves q.b.
Salt q.b.
Butter - 30g
white pepper q.b.
GARMENTS
Balsamic reduction
Toasted hazelnuts
Pumpkin seeds
Cooking Steps
1. Heat the vegetable broth.
2. Chop the onion to the size of the rice grains and sauté in hot olive oil until brown.
3. Add the garlic and, 1 minute after, add the rice and saute for a couple of minutes.
4. Add white wine and stir until completely evaporated.
5. Add two cups of vegetable broth to the pan and stir well until dry.
6. Place two more cups and repeat the procedure until the rice is cooked and "al dente".
7. Add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin cubes, butter and parmesan cheese and stir gently.
8. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
9. Serve immediately and top with toasted hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds and balsamic reduction.
Serves 4 - 6
Pork Tender Loins
Ingredients
Pork tenderloin -1
Salt and black pepper - q.b.
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Butter - 50g
Garlic minced - 4 cloves
Balsamic vinegar (optional) - 3 tbsp
Aromatic herbs like basil, rosemary or thyme
White wine - q.b.
Cooking Steps
1. Remove the silver skin from pork loins
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on high heat. Add the tenderloin pieces and a rosemary sprig.
3. Mix all the herbs, spices, vinegar, butter and garlic in a small inox bowl.
4. Sear on all sides for about 5 minutes, turning the meat regularly using tongs.
5. When pork is roasted refresh with a bit of white wine and reduce heat. (cover the skillet for faster cooking process).
6. Let it cook for 8-10 minutes or until the required internal temperature of 65ºC.
NOTE: Pork is considered safe to eat when it has an internal temperature 65ºC. At this point, it will be medium-rare and quite pink. Don’t overcook the pork out of fear it might not be safely cooked.
7. Take the loins from the skillet, rub them with the aromatic mix and cover them with aluminium foil. Let them rest for 4 to 5 minutes.
8. Cut and serve.
Serves 5
Mushroom Risotto with São Jorge Cheese Crunchy Cracker
Ingredients
Stock - 1.5L to 2L
Onions or shallots - 1 small
Garlic - 2 cloves
Mushrooms - 500g
Rice - 400g
Wine - q.b.
olive oil - q.b.
parsley - q.b.
salt - q.b.
São Jorge Island Cheese - 100g
Cooking Steps
1. Heat the vegetable or mushroom stock.
2. In another pan, sauté the finely chopped onion with olive oil.
3. When onion is caramelised, add minced garlic.
4. Add rice and give it some stirs
5. Pour over wine and stir till the alcohol evaporates.
6. Keep the pan over a medium heat and pour in one or two cups of mushroom stock stirring often, until the rice has absorbed all the liquid.
7. Continue adding stock and stirring until the rice is cooked.
8. Take the pan off the heat and add half a handful of chopped parsley leaves or other aromatic herb.
GREEN OLIVE OIL
1. Place olive oil and parsley stems in thermomix
2. Blitz at maximum speed for 2 minutes.
3. Pass through a sieve to remove excess fibber.
MUSHROOMS
NOTE: When the rice is 5 minutes from finishing start this process
1. Heat a frying pan.
2. When pan is hot, add mushrooms cut into desired shape.
3. Give them a few stirs to cook evenly
4. After 2 or 3 minutes add some olive oil, minced garlic and let it cook.
5. Add some herbs.
CHEESE CRACKERS
1. Place vegetable paper in a oven tray.
2. Grate cheese.
3. Use a disk to place cheese until you cover the paper - just to cover, no more.
4. Gently press down.
5. Place in a pre-heated oven at 180ºC until golden brown.
6. Remove and let them cool down.
Serves 4
Spaghetti Nero di Sepia with Prawn Bisque
Ingredients
Black squid ink spaghetti - 250g
Olive oil - q.b.
Cherry tomatoes - 200g halved
Garlic - 5 or more cloves
Lemon juice and zest - 1 lemon
Shrimp or prawns - 250g
Basil/ Parsley - q.b. chopped
Carrots - 2 medium sliced
Celery - 1 stick
Onions - ½ chopped
Cooking steps
BISQUE
1. Remove shells and heads from prawns, reserving meat. Leave tails on.
2. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add shells and heads and cook for 10 minutes until deep red brown.
3. Add chopped onions, garlic cloves with skin, chopped carrots, sliced leek, celery and bay leaves. Saute for 5 minutes or until brown, then pour rose wine to refresh the pan.
4. Add 0.75L of water and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Add more water if needed.
3. Remove from heat and strain through a fine sieve. Discard prawn shells and vegetables.
4. Bring sauce back to the boil, stir and simmer for 5 minutes until is reduced, creamer and flavours are good.
5. When the pasta is almost cooked, add raw prawns and cook until the shrimp are pink but still slightly rare.
TOMATOES
1. Slice the tomatoes in half and place them in an oven tray covered with vegetable paper. Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil, minced and thyme, or other herb, and put them in the oven at 200 ºC for 15 minutes or more until blistered and roasted.
PASTA
1. Boil water in a pan, add salt and cook the pasta.
2. With pasta still uncooked, very "al dente" drain (reserve 1 cup of cooked water), drizzle over olive oil, and set aside.
3. Toss bisque sauce with prawns through pasta. If mixture is too thick, add a little of the cooking water to loosen.
4. Serve immediately along with tomatoes and basil.
Serve 8 a 10
Petit gateau
Ingredients
Flour - 20g
Sugar - 90g
Butter - 115g
Dark chocolate - 115g
Cornstarch - 40g
Eggs - 2
Yolks - 1
CRUMBLE
Yellow sugar - 110g
Cold butter - 110g
Flour - 220g
COULLIS
Red fruits - 125g
Sugar - 60g
Lemon juice - qb
HAZELNUTS
Sugar - 100g
Water - 20g
Hazelnuts - 100g
Cooking Steps
1. Melt the chocolate with the butter in a bain-marie.
2. Add the beaten eggs so they cook.
3. Mix the sugar into the still hot chocolate to dissolve.
4. Add the flour.
5. Grease the molds.
6. Place in the oven at 220ºC for 6 to 8 minutes.
COULLIS
1. Place all the ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil.
2. Pass the mixture through a sieve to eliminate the seeds. Reserve
CRUMBLE
1. Crush sugar and flour with cold butter until you get wet sand.
2. Bake at 180º until golden, stirring every 5 minutes.
CARAMELIZED HAZELNUTS
1. Add sugar and water until it reaches the caramel point
2. Add the chopped hazelnuts.
3. Pour the mixture onto a silicone mat and wait for it to cool.
Serves 12
PEAR MERINGUE FINANCIER
Ingredients
FINANCIER
almond - 150g
sugar - 300g
T55 flour - 125g
egg whites - 240g
butter - 250g
pinch of salt
PEARS
pears - 6
brown sugar - 100g
juice of half a lemon
MERINGUE
egg whites - 3 (110g)
sugar - 110g
lemon juice - 1 tsp
Cooking Steps
PEARS
1. Peel the pears into cubes or slices.
2. Generously grease a tray with butter and place the pears.
3. Sprinkle some sugar over the pears.
4. Bake at 180ºC until golden on top.
FINANCIER
1. Melt the butter over medium heat until the butter boils and turns golden brown and smells like hazelnuts.
2. Pour into a bowl and let cool.
4. In a large bowl, mix the sugar, almond flour, wheat flour and salt. Add the egg whites and mix. Finally add the cooled butter and mix.
5. Place half of the dough on a tray, on top of the pears and finally the other half of the dough.
OR Place the caramelized and cooked pears on the base and place the entire dough on top.
6. Place in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Leave to cool.
MERINGUE
1. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt and lemon juice.
2. Add sugar
3. Set aside
Serves 25
Pasteis de Nata
Puff pastry and sugar syrup
Ingredients
SUGAR SYRUP:
sugar - 300g
Water - 150g
lemon peel - 4 slices
Cinnamon stick - 2
Cooking Steps
1. In a pan mix all the ingredients and let it boil WITHOUT stirring. Let the syrup reach 107C.
2. After reaching 107C put the syrup aside and let it cool.
CUSTARD TARTS:
- Open the puff pastry into the mold and fill it with ¾ of cream
- Put in the oven for 8 to 12 minutes at 250C or more if your oven reaches even higher temperatures!
Egg custard
Ingredients
Corn starch - 30 g
Flour - 30 g
Milk - 500 ml
Egg yolks - 6
Egg - 1
Cooking Steps
1. Dissolve the flour and starch with a bit of cold milk until you reach a cream without lumps. Mix the remaining milk and bring to boil (stirring ALWAYS).
2. After it starts boiling, let the cream boil for 2 minutes, ALWAYS stirring until thicken.
3. Add the sugar syrup to the cream slowly, mixing with the whisk to avoid lumps.
4. Let the cream cool for 10 minutes.
5. In a bowl mix the egg yolks and the egg.
6. After the 10 minutes have passed, add the mixed “eggs” into the cream and whisk (really well) with the whisker to incorporate everything.
Serves 24
Brownies
Ingredients
Flour - 120g
Sugar - 270g
Brown sugar - 270g
Butter - 510g
Dark chocolate - 270g
Cocoa powder - 30g
Eggs - 9
Cooking Steps
1. Heat the oven to 160ºC.
2. Melt the butter and mix the the chocolate.
3. Separately beat the eggs and sugar.
4. Add the butter and chocolate mixture, mixing slowly so as not to incorporate air into the mixture.
5. Sieve the flour and cocoa powder while adding to the mixture. Mix in slowly and do not over mix.
6. Cook about 20 minutes. The center should still wobble slightly when removed from the oven.
7. Allow to cool completely before cutting.