Inspired by Portugal – A Kinda’ Caldo Verde

I tried Caldo Verde recently in Portugal and it, is delicious as it is simple.

Have a look at the recipe below on my own take on this Portuguese comfort food, perfect for autumn.

Serves: 4
Prep: 10mins
Cook: 30mins

Ingredients: 2 pints of chicken stock, 1 large potato, 1 large courgette, 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, 1/2 a ring of chorizo (I used turkey chorizo for this recipe as it’s a little healthier), tin of chickpeas rinsed and drained, good handful of spinach, a little oil and salt and pepper.

Method:

1. Start by gently frying one diced onion and garlic in a little oil to soften
2. Cube both the potato and courgette and add to the onion and garlic
3. Pour over the chicken stock and bring to boil
4. Simmer for around 10-15 minutes until the potato is soft and blitz all in a food processor to make a lovely soup base
5. Cut the chorizo into smallish chunks and dry fry in a pan for a few minutes to brown and remove any fat
6. Place the soup base back on a low heat and add the chopped chorizo, spinach and chickpeas for a further 15 minutes until all flavours have melted into this soup
7. Add seasoning and enjoy!

I also came across this lovely article recently on all things Caldo Verde!

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2021/mar/10/how-to-make-the-perfect-caldo-verde-recipe-felicity-cloake

Advertisement

Date, Chocolate and Peanut Butter Flapjacks

Treat yourself to a yummy tea break this week with these moreish little bites…with just a little hint of that naughty snickers bar taste!

Makes: 12 squares

Prep: 10mins
Cook: 30mins

Ingredients: 300g porridge oats, 150g of butter (or vegan alternative), 150g of golden syrup, 135g of brown sugar, 80g of pitted chopped dates, 2 tbsps. of peanut butter, 50g of dark salted chocolate (or vegan alternative).

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150°C fan
2. Weigh out your butter, sugar and golden syrup and melt gently in a pan until runny and all ingredient combined
3. Pour the wet ingredients over your oats and dates and mix well until the oats are completely coated in the buttery mixture
4. Swirl in your peanut butter and pour into a lined baking tray so that the flapjack mixture lays an inch thick
5. Pop in the oven for 30mins
6. Allow to cool
7. Melt your chocolate and drizzle over the flapjacks, leave to set or cut into 12 squares and eat straight away…
8. Enjoy!

Salada Tres De Legumes

I can’t stop eating this! So fresh tasting and so easy to make…great as part of a salad spread or a BBQ accompaniment.

Serves: 4 as a side dish

Prep: 5mins

Ingredients:
1 cup of cooked chickpeas, 1 cup of cooked bread beans, 1 cup of cooked frozen peas, 1/2 block of feta crumbled, 1/2 red onion thinly sliced, juice of half a lemon, 1 red chilli sliced, 1 tsp. of dried oregano, mil of black pepper…

Method:

Combine all your ingredients, mix well…EAT!

Sausage Rice

Try out this easy recipe for mid-week inspiration! Uses mostly store cupboards and freezer ingredients too.

Serves: 4 (with maybe some leftovers)

Cook: 30mins

Prep: 20mins

Ingredients: 1 cup of cooked white rice (basmati or long grain is fine), 1 can of beans or your choice such as chickpea, pinto etc, 1 cup of frozen peas, 2 – 4 (depending on how many you want), decent sized sausages of your choice these can of course be veggie, decent sized sausages of your choice these can of course be veggie, 4 eggs, small bunch of chives or spring onions (keeping a little back for garnish), 1 clove of garlic, 1 veggie or chicken stock cube, splash of oil.

Method:

1. Cook your rice as per instructions and set aside
2. Meanwhile boil your eggs for 10mins and leave to cool
3. Cut your sausages into slices and fry on a medium heat with a little oil in a large pan with the garlic until browned
4. Mix in the chopped chives or spring onions and stir quickly
5. Crumble over your stock cube and add your frozen peas and beans with a little water and mix well
6. Add your rice and stir, so that the rice is coated in all the lovely flavours
7. Peel and slice your eggs and use to top the rice with the remaining chives or spring onions
8. Dig in!

Japanese Lunch Pancakes

Makes: 12 slices

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 -15 mins

Ingredients: 6 eggs, 4 florets of brocolli thinly sliced, handful of watercress, 1 heaped tbsp. of rice flour, 2 tsps. soya sauce, 1 garlic clove thinly sliced, 1 chopped chilli, 1/2 tsp. of dried ginger, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tbsp. of oil for cooking

Optional Sauce: 2 tbsps. of tomato sauce, 1 tsp. of runny honey, 2 tsps. of Worcestershire sauce mixed together,
salad cream, seasame seeds.

Method

1. Beat your eggs, then add the rice flour and baking powder and mix again
2. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli mix well then stir in all your veg
3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add your egg mixture
4. Cook for 10 minutes or more on a medium heat until the pancake is set
5. Slide off onto a large plate and drizzle over sauce and sesame seeds if using
6. Cut into 12 slices and enjoy!

FYI You can substitue the veg for whatever you have in, peppers, sweetcorn, spinach, cauliflower etc.

Wholemeal Banana Muffins

DF, Low Sugar

Whipped up a batch of these yesterday, great for lunch on the go, lunch box treats or after school snack. This recipe is dairy free and low sugar, making these a great addition to your weekend baking, as well as using up those overripe bananas!

Makes: 12 Muffins

Ingredients: 200g wholemeal flour, 4 overripe bananas, 2 eggs, 100ml of oat milk, 50g of brown sugar, 1 tbsp. of olive oil, 2 tbsp. of oats, 1 tsp. of baking powder, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1 tsp. of honey.

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180F
2. Combine all of your wet ingredients except the honey and mix well,
3. Add to all of the other dry ingredients
4. Mix well until smooth
5. Mash your bananas in a separate bowl and then add to the muffin mix
6. Mix well and then finish off by stirring in the honey
7. Fill a 12 hole muffin tray with muffin cases and fill equally with the muffin mixture
8. Pop in the oven and bake for 15 -20 minutes until the muffins have risen and are golden brown
9. Allow to cool and keep in an airtight container until ready to eat
10. Enjoy!

The Lockdown Larder Homemade Tinned Tomato Soup

Remember the taste of the very popular branded canned soup from your childhood…well this is a close second!

Serves: 4

Prep: 5mins

Cook: 25mins

Ingredients: 2 cans of chopped tomatoes (drained weight 240g), 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, vegetable stock made with 300ml of boiling water, 2 tbsps of cream cheese, 1 tbsp of tomato puree and a little oil for frying.

Method:

1. Chop the onion and garlic and soften in a little oil for a few minutes

2. Add the tomatoes and stock, bring to the boil and then keep on a low simmer for 20mins

3. After 20mins add the cream cheese and puree and cook for a few minutes more until melted

4. Blitz in a food processor

5. Slurp and enjoy!

 

The Lockdown Larder – Friday Night Freezer Rice with Cheeky Chorizo

Want a tasty treat this evening without having to make an unnecessary visit to the supermarket? Then try this…my Friday Night Freezer Rice with Cheeky Chorizo, something that can be enjoyed by all the family! 

Please note that this dish can easily be made to suit a vegan or veggie diet by omitting the chorizo and using veggie stock. 

Serves: 4

Prep: 10mins
Cook: 20mins

Ingredients: Thumb sized piece of chorizo, 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 cup of rice (long grain, basmati or risotto will work), three cups of frozen veg of your choice, I used sweetcorn, peas and butternut squash, 1 stock cube like chicken or vegetable, 2 tsp of harissa paste if you have, if not 1 tsp of tomato puree and 1 tsp of paprika, 1 tsp of dried oregano or dried thyme, a little oil for frying, jarred black olives and lemon slices to serve if you have.

Method:

1. Cut the chorizo, onion and garlic into small pieces and fry in a lidded pan with a little oil for a few minutes, until the onion is softened and has taken on some of the colour from the chorizo
2. Add your rice and give it a good stir, so that it is coated in all of the juices from the onion mix
3. Make up 1 stock cube with two cups of boiling water, (same cup you used to measure the rice)
4. Pour the stock into the pan and give it a good stir
5. Add you frozen veg and tomato puree or harissa paste with the dried herbs
6. Give another good stir, bring to the boil and then simmer lid on for 10mins
7. After 10mins the rice should be al dente, but if you prefer it softer, add 1/2 a cup of water and cook for a further 5mins lid on
8. Serve with a few olives and fresh lemon slices if you have
9. Dig in!

.

 

The Lockdown Larder – Chocolate Flapjacks

Fancy making a batch of these yummy treats with what you already have in? Then try these chocolate flapjacks as porridge oats aren’t just for breakfast and also uses up any bits of chocolate you have left at home! 

Makes: 12

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15mins plus cooling time.

Ingredients: 225g of oats, 125g butter, 125g of brown or white sugar, 2 – 3 tbsps. of honey, on any type of syrup that you have, 40g/50g of any left over chocolate you have in the house white, dark or milk!

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 180F
2. Put the sugar and butter into a pan and melt over a medium heat
3. Turn off the heat and stir in the oats and honey or syrup
4. Pour into a lined baking tray (roughly 18×28 cms)
5. Cook in the oven for 15 mins
6.  Allow to completely cool, then melt your chocolate on the hob or in the microwave for about a minute and drizzle all over your flapjack
7. Allow the chocolate to cool then cut into 12 pieces
8.  Enjoy!

The Lockdown Larder – Vegan Chickpea and Coconut Curry with Pea Raita

Friday nights can still be curry night with a few store cupboard ingredients!

Serves: 4

Prep: 10mins
Cook: 20mins

Ingredients: 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 large can of chickpeas (drained weight around 500g), 100ml of passata, can of coconut milk, 1 – 2 tsp of curry paste, depending on how hot you like it, a little oil for frying.

For Pea Raita which uses frozen peas, please click here Inspired by India – Potato and Sweetcorn Samosas with Pea Raita

Method:

1. Chop your garlic and onion and gently fry in a pan with the oil until softened
2.  Add your curry paste and mix well
3.  Pour in the coconut milk and passata, give it all a good stir
4. Add your chickpeas and bring to a simmer and cook for 20mins or until the chickpeas have softened slightly and taken on all of the curry flavour
5. And that’s it…serve with rice and the pea raita if you wish
6. Enjoy!