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

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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!

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.

Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Delicious Creamy Broccoli and Walnut Pasta

Need something that’s quick, healthy and delicious too this week? Then give this Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Delicious Creamy Broccoli and Walnut Pasta a try…great for kids too!

Serves: 2

Cook: 10mins
Prep: Less than 5 minutes

Ingredients: 120g of Pasta of your choice, (I used gluten free spaghetti), half a head of broccoli, handful of walnuts, squeeze of lemon juice, 3 tbps. of soya cream, 1 tbsps of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Method:

1. Cook your pasta as per packet instructions
2. While this is cooking cut your broccoli up into florets and boil for around 6mins
3. Drain the broccoli and add to a food processor with the rest of the sauce ingredients and blend to a thick sauce like consistency, if you prefer more liquid add some more olive oil
4. Drain your pasta and mix in the broccoli and walnut sauce
5. Add more seasoning if you wish and enjoy!

Weekend Treat – Rice Flour Pancakes with your Choice of Toppings

Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Sugar Free

So glad I have created this recipes as pancakes are a real weekend treat in our household, I was a bit dubious at first, thinking that the pancakes wouldn’t be as fluffy as they are when using normal flour, but this recipe worked a treat! It was really good to make the mixture of Friday night too, so that it was ready for a lazy morning breakfast. These pancakes are also gluten free, sugar free and dairy free so feels like an even better start to the weekend!

Ingredients: 3 large eggs eggs, 1 cup of rice flour, 1/2 cup of Oat milk 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tsp of baking powder, pinch of salt, oil of your choice for frying.

Method:

1. Combine all you wet ingredients and mix well
2. Add slowly to the rice flour, baking powder, salt and mix well, so that there aren’t any lumps
3. Leave overnight in the fridge
4. When ready to cook, give the mixture another really good stir
5. Heat some oil in a pan and start to cook your pancakes in batches, using a 1 tbsp. to measure out each pancake
6. Cook on each side for 2 -3 minutes
7. Once cooked top with your favourites pancake topping, chocolate sauce and banana works, blueberries and honey or in my case, poached egg, pancetta, spinach and black pepper yummy!

The Easiest Gluten Free Brownies

Have a go at making the easiest gluten free brownies, using only three ingredients, good for lunch box treats, after school of with a coffee for grown ups.

Ingredients: 400g of Hazlenut chocolate spread, 100g of desiccated coconut, 2 eggs.

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 160F
2. Mix the coconut and chocolate spread together until all combined
3. Add the eggs and mix well
4. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and tip your wet mixture in
5. Pop in the oven for 20mins
6. Allow to cool and then cut into squares and store in an airtight container until ready to eat
7. Enjoy!

 

Check out my other lunch box sweet treat ideas below:

The Lockdown Larder – Chocolate Flapjacks

Easy Oaty, (with a little bit of dark chocolate), and Dried Apple Cookies

Inspired by Madagascar – Vanilla, Banana and Tumeric Muffins with Sea Salt and Vanilla Glaze

Super Easy Gluten Free Nutella Cookies

 

 

Easy Baba Ganoush

Possibly my favourite dip ever…after hummus of course!  Have a go at recreating this recipe at home and let me know what you think.

Serves: 4 as a side dip or more as part of a bigger Mezze Platter, (check out the links below for more ideas).

Cook: 40 mins
Prep: 10 mins

Ingredients: 1 large aubergine, 4 tbsps. of olive oil, juice of one lemon, 2 tbsp. of tahini, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp. of powdered cumin, 1/2 tsp. of salt, your choice of nuts and a little more olive oil to serve.

Method: 

1. Preheat your grill to high
2. Prick the aubergine all over and place under the hot grill for 15 minutes each side, until the aubergine skin becomes sunken
3. Allow to cool slightly and scoop out all the flesh and add to a blender or a bowl if using a hand blender
4. Chop the garlic and add to a pestle and mortar with the cumin and salt and pepper, mix to a smooth paste then add the olive oil
5. Add this mix to the aubergine and add the lemon juice and tahini and mix until smooth
6. Add a little more olive oil if the mixture needs loosening
7. Serve in a bowl with your choice of nuts for a garnish, (I used linseeds, walnuts, pine nuts and black sesame seeds), drizzle over some olive oil and serve with crudités or pitta or both!
8. Enjoy!

Click on the links below to see my other Aubergine, Dips and Mezze Ideas x

Store Cupboard Vegan Green Lentil Hummus…

Hummus…we have a problem!

Inspired by Iraq – Cucumber, Dill and Yogurt Soup

Vegan Oven Roasted Spicy Aubergines with Spicy Green Lentils

Grilled Aubergine, Courgette and Red Pepper Salad with a Tahini, Lemon and Herb Dressing

Inspired by Syria – Garlicky Roasted Courgette and Carrot, Honey, Cumin and Pine Nut Dips

Inspired by Egypt – Courgette and Chickpea Salad with DukkahGrilled Aubergine, Courgette and Red Pepper Salad with a Tahini, Lemon and Herb Dressing

Inspired by the Lebanon – Whole Roast Lebanese Chicken with A Cauliflower, Bulgar Wheat Tabbouleh

Gluten Free Lemon and Almond Summer Meatballs

Love meatballs but looking for a lighter, healthier gluten free option? Then try this delicious lemony almond meatball recipe, with easy peasy tomato sauce!

Makes: 18 meatballs

Prep: 15mins
Cook: 40mins

Ingredients: For the Meatballs – 500g Pork Mince, 1 medium onion, 3 heaped tbsp. of ground almonds, 1 egg, zest of one lemon, 1 heaped tbsp. grated parmesan cheese, 1 heaped tsp. dried oregano, salt and pepper, drizzle of oil.

For the Tomato Sauce – Handful of cherry tomatoes, 400ml of passata, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 tbsp. of olive oil, 2 tsp. of balsamic vinegar.

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 220f
2. Finely dice your onion and add to all of the other ingredients and work well to combine all of the ingredients together
3. Once combined, make into walnut sized balls and pop into a baking dish, drizzle with oil and cook for 30 – 40 minutes until browned
4. While the meatballs are cooking start on your sauce:
5. Finely chopped the garlic cloves and add to a pan with the olive oil
6. Cook for a few minutes on a medium heat then add roughly chopped cherry tomatoes and the balsamic vinegar
7. Cook for 5 – 10 minutes until the tomatoes start to break down, you can break them down a little with a wooden spoon
8. Add the passata and cook on a low simmer for 20mins
9. Serve the meatballs on gluten free pasta and your choice and veg and drizzle over the sauce
10. Enjoy!

Eat Your Greens Super Speedy Stir Fry

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Make sure you eat your greens this week with this super speedy vegan stir fry that you can add to anything, rice, pasta, noodles etc, the sprinkling of brown sugar right at the end really adds something to the greens!

Serves: 2 – 4 depending on what you are serving it with

Prep: 2mins

Cook: 6mins

Ingredients: A bag or bunch of greens such as chard, kale, spinach, watercress, pak choi, (some types of cabbage might work too), 1 garlic clove, 1 red chilli (you can used dried chilli and frozen or pureed garlic), tbsp of oil, sprinkling of brown sugar and sesame seeds.

Method:

1. Chop up your garlic and chilli and heat in the oil for a few minutes

2. Chop or tear your greens and add to the pan, stir well to coat in the oil

3. Stir fry for a minutes more then sprinkle with brown sugar and sesame seeds

4. 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!

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