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Bolo de Arroz – Portuguese Rice Cakes

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Bolo de Arroz recipe

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 supposed to be sticky! Shock horror! As I delved further into the history of the rice cake (all done by physically translating discussions and blogs in Portuguese!) I realised that the little cakes are in fact supposed to be dense with a light crispy top. How can it be I asked?! I am always the advocate for the ‘authentic’ and ‘proper’ way of preparing food, so I was extremely surprised and a little ashamed to admit that I actually preferred the fake supermarket version of the cake.

So with that admittance out in the open, I have with a few adaptations to the traditional Bolo de Arroz recipe manipulated a version that is still a Bolo de Arroz but just a little bit moister. *

(*insert wink here)

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Makes about 12 cakes. ( you will need a ‘tall’ muffin tin to support the cakes as they rise up)

 

90g butter
250 g sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
Zest of 1 lemon (unwaxed organic)
juice of 1/2 a lemon
4 eggs
150 ml milk
2 tbsp olive oil
300g plain flour
60 g of rice flour
1 1/2 tbsp cream cheese


butter for greasing

wax paper, cut into strips 6×12 cm, or to the height so they stick 1cm above your tin, and wrap all the way around the inside measurements over lapping slightly.

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Bolo de Arozz tin

Cream butter and sugar together until light coloured and smooth. Add lemon zest and eggs, one at a time beating in-between. Add half of the milk and oil, then sift in the flour, rice flour and baking powder and fold in gently. Add the remaining milk and cream cheese and stir gently.
Let the batter rest 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4 and grease and line the pans with the precut wax paper.
Spoon batter in to the molds 3/4 full. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 20 minutes until the cakes are still light in colour, or until a skewer comes clean out.
Leave to cool on a wire rack, and eat within 2 days.

Bolo de Arroz on rack

Toasted Honey and Maple Syrup Muesli with Almonds and Walnuts

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muesli finished

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.

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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

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muesli ingrediens

muesli top down

On a hot dry frying pan, lightly toast the nuts for a couple of min, then add the sesame seeds for 30 sec. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and mix with the raisins.

Add the oats to the still hot dry pan and toast lightly for a min. Then add the honey and maple syrup, keep stirring until all the oats are coated and start to hang together. Continue to toast and stir for 5 min.

Take the mixture off the heat and place on a sheet of baking parchment placed on a wire rack, leave to cool.

Once cooled mix with the toasted nuts and raisins, and store in an air tight container.

Hearty Tomato Soup

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tomato soup

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!

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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
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carrots

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 juice and tomatoes.

Wait until the mixture heats up, then taste to see if the soup needs the added tsp sugar. If so, add. Now add salt and pepper, and turn down the heat to a gentle simmer, and cook for 30 min.

Turn of the heat and blend the tomato soup, either with a handheld blender or transfer over to a food processor and blend smooth.

Serve with parmesan shavings, alongside homemade foccacia, see Here for that recipe.

Wholewheat Focaccia with Whole Garlic, Lemon and Balsamic Onions

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focaccia un baked

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!

focaccia ingredients

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.

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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

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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 rosemary

juice of half a lemon

1 tsp rock salt

glug of olive oil

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If you are using your bread machine, follow the machines dough method.

If you are making the dough by hand, start by dissolving the yeast in the water. Add the two flours and salt to a big mixing bowl and make a well in the centre, add the water and oil and gradually incorporate the flour to create a firm dough. Kneed for 5-10 min.

Rest the dough in a warm spot for 35 min in the bowl covered with a clean tea towel.

wholewheat focaccia

Meanwhile make the topping. Chop the onion and soften with olive oil in a frying pan, then add the balsamic vinegar and reduce.

Take the pan off the heat and chop the olives and de-stem the rosemary.
Remove the dough from the bowl or machine and lightly need. Grease a 25 x 25 square baking tin and press the focaccia dough into it. With your index finger, make deep indentations into the dough and add the onions, olives, whole garlic, rosemary, rock salt and pour a generous amount of olive oil over the whole thing.

Cover with a tea towel, and leave to prove for 40 min.

Once risen, add the lemon juice and place the foccacia in a preheated oven at 190, gas mark 5 for 35-45 min, or until golden and crispy round the edges.

Serve warm with friends!

Easy Marble Cake

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marble cake recipe

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)

IMG_7784

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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)

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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 the flour, then add vanilla and milk and stir until smooth. Spoon half the mixture into another bowl and stir in the cocoa powder and 1 tbsp milk. I can recommend Green & Blacks Organic Coco Powder, it is intensely rich and full of flavour.

Grease a 20cm cake tin.

And here is the fun part; spoon alternate batter mixtures (coco and plain) into the cake tin. Then draw a simple pattern in the mixture with a skewer to create a marbled effect. Don’t over do the pattern stage, or the two mixtures will combine too much and the marble effect will be lost.

Bake for 30 minutes, then cover with foil and bake for a further 12-15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Don’t over bake this cake, as it will go very dry. Leave to cool in the tin, once cooled remove from tin, and place on a wire rack.

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Add half of the water and mix, then gradually add the remaining water, until the icing has the desired consistency. Be careful not to add too much water. If the Icing becomes to runny, add more sifted icing sugar.

Decorate with the icing, and/or maybe not flowers. Pretty sugared flowers also look lovely.

marble cake

Doce de Abóbora – Sweet Portugese Pumpkin Jam

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Portugese Breakfast

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, just like the Doce de Abóbora in Portugal.
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1.5 kg pumpkin. Peeled, de-seeded and finely chopped
4 large lemons, juice and zest of
1 litre of water
2 Cinnamon sticks
2 tsp vanilla sugar or one whole vanilla pod
800g white granulated sugar
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pumpkin jam

De-seed your pumpkin, then, using a sharp knife remove the tough outer skin of the pumpkin. Then finally chop into small dice.

Next place the pumpkin, cinnamon sticks, lemon juice and zest in a heavy bottomed jam pan. Deseed the vanilla pod and add the pod and the seeds to the pan. Or add the vanilla sugar if used instead.
Bring to a rolling boil for 4-5 min stirring continuously, then simmer gently until the pumpkin has softened, roughly 10-15 min. Now add the sugar and stir constantly until it has dissolved completely.
Bring to the boil once more and simmer, stirring periodically for 35-40 min. The jam will start to thicken.
The jam is ready when you can draw a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan, and see the bottom before the jam covers it again. Remove the sticks and pod.

I find it helps if you transfer the jam into a jug, then pour the mixture into clean sterilized jam jars. Wipe the rims clean with a clean damp cloth, and seal immediately so that the lids create a vacuum and preserve the jam.

Store in a cool dark place.

Se here for more Portuguese photographs

Wholemeal Waffles with Apple and Chestnut Crème

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waffles

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 the real world of photography. And I still carry his advice with me on how best to care for your precious irreplaceable negatives.

But the memory best relating to this post was the wholemeal waffles the wife of the house cooked for me every morning. They were truly perfect in every way – chewy, warm and wholesome.

So I have experimented with the basic plain flour recipe that was included with my waffle maker and added wholemeal in an attempt to recreate the most perfect waffles I have ever tasted.

These ones are close, but not quite like the ones from the guesthouse, they were magical.

For a helping of seasonal luxury I have made these waffles with my new favorite Chestnut Crème. If you have not yet tried this perfect sweet, you must! Here is a link to the 130 year old French company that is its maker http://www.clementfaugier.fr/fr/v4/v4_boutique_gamme.aspx?FAMILLE=5

Apples where added for texture and to balance out the sweet chestnuts.

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For 4 -5 waffles you will need

125g plain flour

125g wholemeal

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs

400ml milk

2 tbsp melted butter

Topping:

1 tin of chestnut crème

1 not to sweet apple ( if possible buy apples from your home country, or close neighbor, to cut back on food miles)

small squirt of lemon juice

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In a large bowl mix the two flours and baking powder together with the salt and sugar.

Next, mix the wet ingredients together alongside the melted butter and add this to the dry ingredients. Beat well until smooth and free of flour lumps.

Heat your waffle maker, electric or the hand held version and brush the surface with butter. When heated fully, pour enough batter to cover the pattern of the waffle maker but don’t over fill it as the batter will expand and go all over the table/cooker. Bake the waffles until golden 3-4 min.

Whilst the waffle is cooking, chop up the apple and squirt a little lemon juice on them, this is for added flavour, but also to keep them from browning.

When finished cooking, throw the apples on the waffle and scoop some delicious Chestnut Crème on top.

Enjoy, and a Happy New Year to you all!

Porridge Scones with Medjool Dates and Lemon

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Porridge Scones with Dates and lemon

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.

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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

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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 into a flat circle, roughly 20 cm across.

Cut the dough into 8 wedges, place on a buttered backing tray and bake at 220 degrees for 15-17 min or until lightly golden.

Serve warm with butter, homemade blackcurrant jam and a big pot of tea.

The scones are baked in a hot oven, so they are finished very fast, so don’t let them burn!

Doves Organic Flour Porridge Scone dough 8B0A4173

Homemade Egyptian Hummus

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homemade hummusI 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.

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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

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Rinse the chick peas in a colander and leave to soak in a bowl of fresh water overnight, or 8-10 hours.

Next day, rinse and put the chick peas in a large saucepan, cover with fresh water and simmer for 2 hours. Check if they are tender, then drain. Let the chick peas cool, then tip them and garlic in a food processor and blend together. Slowly pour the olive oil in whilst the blender is still spinning. I like a very smooth humus, so I whizz for quite a while (2-3 min) and sometimes have to add extra oil, or leftover cooking water. Add the tahini, lemon juice, and a good pinch of salt and blend again.

To serve, place in a pretty dish and flatten out the middle of the humus, pour in a little extra olive oil and sprinkle with the toasted cumin and chilli.

You will find that every batch of humus made, needs tweaking. Taste along the way, to ensure you are adding enough salt, tahini and lemon juice, and blend it until it has the consistency you like.

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Italian Kale & Tuscan Soup

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Italian KaleI 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.

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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 tin black beans

And Italian Kale, 1 bunch

Home made crusty bread parmesan to serve

Heat the oil and butter in a large pan and sauté the onion, carrots, celery and Dinosaur Kale over a low heat for 10 minutes until softened but not coloured. Add the garlic and chopped herbs and stir for 1 min. Add the tomatoes, and stock. Season to taste with salt, pepper and paprika. 


Mash half of your beans with a fork and add to the dish along side the non mashed.

Bring to the boil, 
then simmer for a further 30 minutes. 


Serve with flakes of parmesan on top and crusty bead