Chilli feta cheese

As I saw Nigel Slater cooking a feta cheese in one of his latest shows for BBC- Simple Suppers, I knew I would just love this recipe! I run to grab a paper and a pen and wrote it down, as Nigel started cooking it. That was also an interesting program itself, where he showed different types of chillies, from the point of production to the selling. This is also a great starter for a lazy dinner with friends or a naughty snack! Even though I am not a fan of extra spicy food, here the thyme goes incredible well with coriander and the chillies, and also the saltiness of the feta. Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 medium hot chillies
Bunch of coriander
Bunch of lemon thyme
5-6 spring onions
Olive oil
200g feta cheese
Naan bread to serve

Preparation:

Cut the chillies, remove their seeds and finely chop it. Slice the spring onions as well as coriander, very finely. In a shallow pan, put the olive oil and when its hot, add the chillies and spring onions and leave to soften over a gentle heat, stirring from time to time. Add the thyme leaves, up to your taste. When the spices are tender, put the whole feta in the pan and leave to cook for few minutes (without melting). Cover with chillies and serve the bits with Naan bread, seasoned with the sauce.

Coconut and white chocolate chip cookies

As I saw these cookies in Donna Hay's website, I immediately knew I would love them! They are so chewy and deliciously soft inside. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

125g butter, chopped
1 cup (220g) white sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup (150g) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 cup (150g) self-raising (self-rising) flour
1 cup (80g) desiccated coconut
100g white chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 180ºC (355ºF). Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add the egg and beat well. Add the plain and self-raising flours and coconut and mix with a butter knife until a soft dough forms. Add the chocolate. Using your hands, mould 2 tablespoons of cookie mixture into a flat round. Place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, leaving room to spread. Repeat with remaining mixture. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden. Allow to cool on trays.

Almond and coconut truffles

I had found a little note with this recipe lost in the middle of my recipe book, and so I couldn't remember where exactly it was from! These little almond and coconut truffles are delicious anyway, and quite easy to make.

Ingredients:

160 gr. almonds peeled and crushed
90 gr. sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tsp. cream
100 gr. shredded desiccated coconut

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until you get a dough which is firm. If you find it dry, add another tablespoon of cream. Pour some sugar onto a plate and with your hands mold small balls and then roll them in the sugar. Place them in paper liners and chill until ready to serve.

Caldo verde

Caldo verde is a very Portuguese soup and probably one of the most traditional dishes, which can be found in any typical or small restaurant in the country. It is best served in winter, and its gentle taste is delicious with a slice of chourizo.


Ingredients:
 
2.2 lbs potatoes
4 onions
Salt to taste
1/2 pound (250 gr.) kale
Thin slices of chorizo ​​to taste
1 heaped tablespoon of olive oil

Remove the skin of potatoes and onions and place them in a large pan, cut into halves and covered with water. Let them boil and cook till tender. When ready, blend them into puree. Wash and cut the kale to very tiny and fine strips. Add them to soup and stir wells. Season with salt and olive oil and cook until they are soft for 10-15 minutes. Serve them in little bowls and garnish with a slice of chourizo in each bowl. Serve hot.

Chocolate mousse

This is a classic and I am sure everybody has the best recipe of it. It has always been a must do in all parties at my home as everybody loves it, despite its simplicity. This is a gentle one, fluffy, creamy and very addicting! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 chocolate bar
7 oz (200 gr.) sugar
8 eggs
3,50 oz (100 gr.) unsalted butter

Beat well the egg yolks with sugar until fluffy and creamy. Melt the chocolate broken into small pieces and when melted add the above mixture, alternating with the butter. Beat the egg whites until very firm and carefully wrap into the chocolate cream. Place in a bowl and chill until ready to serve.

Pumpkin jam with almonds

This jam is one of my time favorites, and this is a recipe I used to make very often when we had pumpkins in the country house. It is really long- lasting when preserved well, perfect with some light cheeses, crackers or biscuits.

Ingredients:

2,2 pounds pumpkin/ squash
1 pound sugar
Rind of half a lemon
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup (200 gr.) ground almonds
1 / 2 tsp cinnamon

Place a saucepan on the stove with the pumpkin, cut into cubes, previously cleaned and stripped of bark. Boil until tender and then drain it well, saving a bit of that water. Reduce it into puree and set aside. In the water saved from cooking mix the sugar, lemon and cinnamon stick and let it boil up in slow heat for few minutes until foamy. Pour the puree and beginning to thicken add the coarsely chopped almonds and cinnamon. Keep stirring until it thickens again. Remove the cinnamon stick and lemon and let cool. At this point add the 1/2 tsp of cinammon. Put in jars and keep them closed preserved in the fridge.

Farofinha

I have always loved to eat this dish as a side, with rice, black beans and a good steak. It is a very typical one in Brazil, and these days it has been expanding to my country too.

Ingredients:

Cassava flour to taste
1 tsp. tablespoons olive oil
Diced bacon to taste
1 egg

Fry the bacon in a pan with the olive oil and when it's golden, crack the egg, beat it well, add it to the bacon and stir quickly. Enter the cassava flour and mix slightly until it has a sandy texture. Place in a bowl and serve with black beans.