what's all the fuss about ramen? { portuguese style ramen }

 

I have always had a hard time picking favourites. As a kid, I used to feel like I was the only one who couldn't name a single favourite dish. You know, steak and fries were not really on the top of my list. I'ld go for seafood rice, grilled fish, tagliatelli with a bold tomato sauce, loads of salad, lasagna, maybe roasted meat... but no, fries were never on my top, and it felt unfair to me to select a couple favourites when that totally depended on my mood - and I could be attracted to such utterly different things!

As I grew up, I came to the conclusion that I just had very eclectic tastes. You know, you can catch me listening to Bob Dylan or Johnny Cash in a minute, then it can easily shift to Pink Floyd or Guns and Roses, crossing Dire Straits in the way, Ed Sheeran, The Strokes, Lykke Li, Junip, Arctic Monkeys, Lana del Rey, Tina Turner, The Black Keys, Chet Faker, Daft Punk, Imagine Dragons or even some Chopin, and my latest love, Hozier. I don't like them all the same - it's just that at times one just fits me better than the others. I have musical cravings.

I realized that being able to tell your favourites is actually important - at least to a certain degree. You know, I don't like Alt-J the same way I like, for instance, The Black Keys, neither do I like Lana as much as I like Lykke. I realized that picking favourites was about knowing yourself better. For instance, for as good as the music can be, I am the most moved by witty lyrics - they take a good sounding music to a whole other level.

In the end, favourites were not that hard to pick. I kind of just had to admit what I already knew.

Food wise - and currently, - my favourite foreign cuisines are likely the italian and... sushi! I love sushi, and we have a lot of great quality restaurants in Portugal, with delicious fresh fish.

I say sushi because there is a lot more to the japanese cuisine - that I was yet to try.

And here begins the story of this recipe...

tomato stands for summer. { tomato and black olive sauce chicken }

Bringing you a very simple yet delicious meal.

Frango com Tomate e Azeitonas

- 400g de peitos de frango

- 3 dentes de alho, picados

- sal

- pimenta moída na hora

- ervas a gosto

- azeite

- 1 cebola, cortada em gomos

- 4 tomates frescos, cortados em gomos

- 6 tomates secos de frasco, em pedaços

- uma mão cheia de azeitonas

- garam masala

- tempero de pasta arrabiatta

- sal e pimenta

- polpa de tomate

1) Refogar o frango com o alho, sal, ervas e pimenta em azeite; reservar,

2) Refogar a cebola com o tomate seco e os temperos até ficar transparente; juntar o tomate fresco e deixar cozinhar,

3) Juntar um pouco de polpa de tomate e rectificar os temperos.

Tomato and Olive Chicken

- 400g chicken breasts

- 3 garlic cloves, chopped

- salt

- freshly ground pepper

- chopped herbs

- olive oil

- 1 onion, sliced

- 4 fresh tomatoes, sliced

- 6 jar dried tomatoes, chopped

- a handful of olives

- garam masala

- pasta arrabiatta seasoning

- salt e pepper

- tomato paste

1) Sautée chicken in olive oil with garlic, salt, herbs and pepper; set aside,

2) Sautée onion with dried tomato and seasonings until tender, add fresh tomato and let cook,

3) Add a bit of tomato paste and check the seasoning.

Cooking for one { chicken breast, stuffed with cream cheese, mozzarella and herbs }

Back to the basics, or on how much I don't care about cooking for myself only ;)

Mano grande, esta é para ti :)

Peito de Frango recheado com Queijo Fresco, Mozzarella e Ervas
Ingredientes:

- 1 peito de frango, aberto

- meia bola de mozzarella

- 1 colher de sopa de philadelphia com ervas

- sal

- menta seca moída

- mistura de pimentas, moída na hora

- azeite

Preparação:

1) Abrir o peito de frango, temperar com sal, espalhar philadelphia num dos lados, dispor o mozzarella fatiado por cima e polvilhar com menta. Fechar o peito de frango (pode-se utilizar um palito),

2) Aquecer o azeite numa frigideira e cozinhar o peito de frango de ambos os lados em lume brando. Servir com massa com pesto e uma salada. 

Chicken Breast filled with Cream Cheese, Mozzarella and Herbs
Ingredients:

- 1 chicken breast, open

- half ball of mozzarella

- 1 tbsp philadelphia with herbs

- salt

- ground dried mint

- mix of peppers, freshly crushed

- olive oil

Preparation:

1) Open chicken breast, season with salt, spread philadelphia on one side, place mozzarella on top, sprinkle with mint and close (a toothpick may be useful),

2) Heat olive oil in a pan and cook the chicken breast on both sides over medium heat. Serve with pasta with pesto and salad.

China Nights { chinese style chicken }

Ontem o jantar foi assim. O corte a cargo dos meninos e a dona da cozinha no controlo do fogão. E houve crepes chineses e gelado de manga...




Chinês de Frango

Ingredientes:
- 400g de bifes de frango, cortados em tirinhas
- ½ cebola, laminada
- 3 dentes de alho, picados
- 2 cenouras, laminadas bem fino
- 1 couve flor, cortada em pedacinho
s- 1 tomate, picado
- 4 colheres de sopa de polpa de tomate
- molho de soja q.b.
- piri-piri líquido q.b.
- pimenta
- 1/2 chávena de vinho branco
- ½ colher de sobremesa de farinha maizena
- óleo de girassol
- 1 caldo de galinha seco
- sal

Preparação:
1) Num wok, refogar a cebola e o alho com o sal e o caldo de galinha em óleo,
2) Juntar a cenoura e a couve-flor, deixar refogar,
3) Juntar o tomate, algum molho de soja e piri-piri e deixar cozinhar bem,
4) Reservar numa taça,
5) No mesmo wok, com um pouco mais de óleo, refogar a carne temperada com sal e pimenta,
6) Quando o frango estiver praticamente cozinhado, juntar os legumes e a polpa de tomate e misturar,
7) Misturar bem o vinho branco com a maizena e mais um pouco de molho de soja,
8) Incorporar na mistura de frango e legumes e deixar cozinhar bem até perder o sabor a álcool e a farinha (se necessário juntar um pouco de água).

Another random healthy lunch

Mais um almoço rápido, na onda do post anterior ;) Para além de rápido, não precisa de utilização de fogão ou forno nem de tachos e panelas! Perfeito para dias de preguiça ou de pressa!

Another quick lunch, following the last post ;) More than quick, doesn't need oven, stove, pots or pans! Perfect for lazy days or when you're in a rush.

Frango com Cogumelos, Mostarda e Sementes de Sésamo
(para 1 pessoa)
Ingredientes:
- carne de frango já cozinhada (cozida, assada ou grelhada) sem sabores fortes, partida ou desfiada
- 1/2 lata de cogumelos inteiros
- 1 a 2 colheres de chá de mostarda
- 1 colher de chá de sementes de sésamo
- 1 colher de café de massa de alho
- 1 pitada de mistura de pimentas
- manjericão q.b.
- azeite q.b.
- 1 colher de chá de água

Preparação:
1) Misturar bem todos os ingredientes e levar ao microondas em potência alta durante cerca de 3 minutos,
2) Servir.


Chicken with Mushrooms, Mustard and Sesame Seeds
(for 1)
Ingredients:
- leftover chicken meat with no strong condiments, chopped
- 1/2 can mushrooms
- 1 to 2 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1/2 tsp garlic paste
- pinch of pepper
- basil q.b.
- olive oil q.b.
- 1 tsp water

Preparação:
1) Mix everything and heat in the microwave at high potency for 3 minutes,
2) Serve.

A Random Healthy Lunch

(este post tinha desaparecido não sei porquê! this post was missing, I don't know why!)

Hoje vou deixar duas sugestões de receitas leves e rápidas, de utilização de carne de frango já preparada, que no meu caso foi a que restou do jantar de kebabs.

Today I'm posting two light and quick meal ideas, using leftover chicken, which in my case came from the kebabs.

Galinha com Amêndoas
(versão light e rápida)
Ingredientes:

- carne de frango já cozinhada (assada, cozida, grelhada) sem sabores fortes

- azeite q.b.

- 2 dentes de alho, picados

- ½ cebola, picada

- 1 tomate maduro, picado

- 25g de amêndoas com pele

- piri-piri

- vinagre balsâmico

- molho de soja

- sal e pimenta

Preparação:

1) Demolhar as amêndoas em água fervida no microondas e pelar,

2) Saltear a cebola em azeite,

3) Juntar o alho, o tomate, os molhos e temperos e cozinhar levemente,

4) Juntar a carne e as amêndoas e deixar aquecer,

5) Servir com uma salada fresca ou couve salteada em alho e azeite.

Chicken with Almonds
(light and quick)
Ingredients:

- leftover chicken (grilled, roasted, boiled...) with no strong seasoning

- olive oil q.b.

- 2 garlic cloves, chopped

- ½ onion, chopped

- 1 ripe tomato, chopped

- 25g almonds

- tobasco sauce

- balsamic vinegar

- soy sauce

- salt and pepper

Preparation:

1) Soak the almonds into hot water, peel,

2) Saltear a cebola em azeite,

3) Juntar o alho, o tomate, os molhos e temperos e cozinhar levemente,

4) Juntar a carne e as amêndoas e deixar aquecer,

5) Servir com uma salada fresca ou couve salteada em alho e azeite.