Author: Anna @ Camera & Clementine

Bolo de Arroz – Portuguese Rice Cakes

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Bolo de Arroz – Portuguese Rice Cakes The first thing I always need to get when I land in Portugal is a Bolo de Arroz – or Portuguese Rice Cake. I love everything about them, I love the taste and sweet lemon butter aroma and I especially love the cute little wax paper wrapper that holds the little cake together. They are a must to have alongside a strong coffee and a good view from a street side cafe or bakery. So, back in the UK I set out to make my own batch in order to recreate my fond Portuguese memories…But they didn’t turn out as expected. They were in some regards, perfect in taste and appearance, but in texture they were all wrong. They were not light and slightly greasy as I remember them, they were instead slightly dense with a crispy top! I immediately blamed the recipe and delved into a lengthy research spree, but as I soon discovered, my beloved Bolo de Arroz I know and love, are not actually traditionally …

Toasted Honey and Maple Syrup Muesli with Almonds and Walnuts

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Toasted Honey and Maple Syrup Muesli with Almonds and Walnuts Toasted homemade muesli is a super recipe to make on a Sunday morning, as it makes enough to last you the rest of the week. I first made my own toasted muesli a few years ago when making a lot of different dishes for a brunch one day. Its really simple to make, and tastes so good topped on yoghurt with a little fresh fruit. The beauty of this recipe is that you can substitute any of the added ingredients, such as hazelnuts instead of almonds or pumpkin seeds in place of sesame seeds. Just as long as you keep the quantities roughly the same, it will work. Have fun experimenting. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Makes enough for 2 peoples breakfast for a few days. 200g oats 50g chopped walnuts 50g chopped almonds 30g raisins 2 tbsp sesame seeds 1 ½ tbsp honey 3 tbsp maple syrup ____________________________________________________________________________________ On a hot dry frying pan, lightly toast the nuts for a couple of min, then add the sesame seeds …

Hearty Tomato Soup

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Hearty Tomato Soup This Hearty Tomato Soup is a family favourite. My mum created it and always receives high praise every time she makes it. Its tangy yet sweet due to the splash of fresh orange juice that is added. When in season, replace the tinned tomatoes with home grown ones! ____________________________________________________________________________________ Serves 4 1 large onion 3 cloves of garlic 4 celery sticks 2 large carrots (or roughly 250g) 2 tins of chopped tomatoes 1 large orange, juice of 1 tsp sugar 2 tsp oregano, fresh or dried 2 sprigs of rosemary pinch of salt and pepper splash olive oil ( or roughly 2 tbsp) Parmesan flakes for serving ____________________________________________________________________________________ Peel the carrots and chop alongside the onion and washed celery. Heat a large pot at medium heat and add the olive oil, then add the carrots, onion and celery and sauté for a couple of minutes. Peel and roughly chop the garlic and add to the pot along with the oregano and de-stemmed rosemary. Sauté for a minute more, then add the orange …

Wholewheat Focaccia with Whole Garlic, Lemon and Balsamic Onions

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Wholewheat Focaccia with Whole Garlic, Lemon and Balsamic Onions I am the very happy owner of a super Panasonic bread machine. I prefer to make and eat homemade bread, made with locally processed organic flours, but I also like to free up some valuable time, so getting a machine to kneed, rise and bake the bread for me is a kitchen revelation! This recipe is a very simple Focaccia recipe that can be made by hand or via your bread machines dough setting. I have made this particular recipe using 50% wholewheat for a little extra nutrient value, but if you prefer the more authentic version, simply make with 100% strong white flour and reduce cooking time by 5 min. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Focaccia dough ½ tsp dry yeast 150g strong white organic flour 150g strong wholewheat organic flour 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing 1tsp salt 170ml water . Focaccia Topping 1 small onion (red or white) 1 tsp balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp olives 6 cloves of garlic, skins left on 2 sprigs of …

Easy Marble Cake

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If you need to make a cake that is easy and fairly fast, but looks impressive this Easy Marble Cake recipe is a good choice. As the actual cake is possibly on the simple side, I like to spruce it up with lots of decorations, this time its gorgeous hydrangea. (do not eat hydrangeas, they are not edible, for a childproof version try nasturtium) ____________________________________________________________________________________ Easy Marble Cake Recipe 225g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 225g Fairtrade caster sugar 3 large free-range eggs (brought to room temperature) 225g self-raising flour 1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract 100ml whole milk, plus 1 tablespoon extra for the icing 3 tbsp cocoa powder For the icing 125g Icing Sugar (sieved) 15ml Water (warm) ____________________________________________________________________________________ Preheat your oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Cream the softened butter together with the sugar until light in colour. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well. (it is a good idea to use eggs that have come to room temperature, this makes for a smoother batter) Sift in …

Doce de Abóbora – Sweet Portugese Pumpkin Jam

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For two years in a row now, I’ve spent time during the summer in Portugal. I love it there. Its warm and colourful and the air is fragrant and inviting with aromas of barbecued sardines and pine needles. The apartment we stay in is nestled into rough cliffs that look directly out over the Atlantic Ocean and at night I used to sit and gaze at the fishermen fishing for squid using giant floodlights whilst balancing in tiny boats. In the early morning watching the colours reappear onto the coast, we would enjoy a simple breakfast of chewy Portuguese bread and Doce de Abóbora –  Sweet Pumpkin Jam. In the UK, pumpkins aren’t widely used, so I was keen to start using this highly cultivatable fruit in the kitchen and when I returned home, I found a Pumpkin Jam recipe here http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/pumpkin-jam-recipe-7050/ on a sweet smallholder blog that is very inspiring to anyone going down the self-sufficient route. I have adapted the recipe to suite my pallet by using Cinnamon and Vanilla instead of Ginger, …

Wholemeal Waffles with Apple and Chestnut Crème

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As it was the 1st day of the year today, it felt right to make breakfast a little more special than usual. I decided to, or more to the point, was requested to make a batch of waffles on my new Waffle Maker. The waffle maker was a Christmas present, and for me, the perfect gift! Included in the gift box was a small ‘how to use your new waffle maker’ pamphlet, with a few basic waffle recipes. But none came close to the waffle memory I have from a trip taken to the U.S with my dad as a 12 year old. We were staying in a lovely 3 story wooden guesthouse, and as the B&B’s only guests we were very well looked after. The husband was a photographer, and I remember him showing me his vast collection of professionally archived negatives, stored in large temperature controlled vaults. That was for a 12 year old me, who already had decided to become a photographer when grown up, a real treat and an insight into …

Porridge Scones with Medjool Dates and Lemon

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I first came across a porridge oat scone recipe on the back of a Scots Porridge box years ago. And the results were splendid. Mixing oats into the dough gives the scones an extra bite, something that I had been craving in my other non-oaty scones, but didn’t know how to achieve. I have since discovering the secret to chewy-yet crumbly scones made various adaptations removing the sugar altogether and replacing it with delicious dates and tangy lemon zest. I hope you like them as much as me. _______________________________________________________________________________ 175 g self raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 50g butter 50g or 3-4 large Medjool Dates zest of half a lemon 125g porridge oats 150g yoghurt 1 egg beaten milk or egg to brush on top _______________________________________________________________________________ Sift flour and baking powder in a large bowl, rub the butter with the flour to resemble breadcrumbs. Stir in the oats, dates and lemon zest. Beat the egg together with the yoghurt and combine in the bowl. Tip the dough onto a cold flowered surface and form …

Homemade Egyptian Hummus

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I eat humus all year round in large quantities. And nothing can beat a homemade version, especially made during the summer, when you can serve it outdoors on a hot day. Alongside carrot sticks, I like to serve homegrown beetroot sticks, they are fresh and crunchy and often much sweeter than carrots.  The best humus I ever tasted was lovingly prepared by my good friend Marie, who has spent a lot of time in Egypt and has come back with some great authentic recipes. She explained the importance of serving the humus correctly, flattened out on the serving dish then drizzled with olive oil and accompanied by big shiny olives. ________________________________________________________________________________ 150g dried organic chickpeas or one 400g tin of organic ready made 2 tbsp tahini paste 2 large cloves of garlic ½ tsp cumin seeds, lightly toasted ½ tsp chilli powder half a lemon, squeezed 2 tbsp olive oil A good pinch of salt ___________________________________________________________________________________ Rinse the chick peas in a colander and leave to soak in a bowl of fresh water overnight, or …

Italian Kale & Tuscan Soup

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  I recently received what I believed to be a Kale variety or at leased a dear cousin in my organic veg box delivery. I did my research and found that this dark green alien was indeed a kale, to be precise – Italian Kale, or as I discovered Dinosaur Kale! And you can see why. It is tough as old leather and bumpy like an alligators neck! And my first attempt at cooking it like regular kale did not prove delicious.. So I looked to its place of birth for divine intervention, and decided what better to pair it up with than Tuscan Bean Soup. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ A big glug of olive oil 1 knob of butter 2 large onions, chopped 4 celery sticks, chopped 3 large carrots, chopped 3 garlic cloves, you guessed it – Chopped! Small bunch (4-5 sprigs) of thyme Small bunch of rosemary 1 tsp smoked paprika or sweet hungarian is nice to! 2 tins chopped tomatoes 1 litre organic vegetable stock 1 tin cannellini beans 1 tin flageolet beans 1 …