All posts tagged: portugal

Portuguese Chickpea Salad

Published by

For the first two night of our Portuguese Honeymoon we stayed in Caldas de Monchique, a mountain spa town, nestled into a lush green subtropical jungle – a perfect get-away for a newly wed couple. It’s a little rough round the edges, but it is full of charm and amazing flora and fauna. We took the time there, to just decompress after a very busy 3 months of wedding arrangements. We loungeing by the pool, had massages and romantic dinners in the 16th century courtyard. We also sampled a delicious Cod & Chickpea Salad in their tapas bar, which is a traditional Portuguese summer dish, served with crusty bread and lots of wine! After our stay in the mountains, we travelled to the south coast of Portugal where my criteria for accommodation included a kitchen. I can’t not cook on holiday..!       And the first thing I whipped up was a vegetarian/vegan version of that delightful Chickpea Salad we sampled in Monchique. Everywhere you go in Portugal you’ll see orange sellers, and often they will also be …

Fig and Honey Yoghurt with Poppy Seeds and a Taste of Portugal

Published by

  I am back from a most wonderful time in Portugal. The weather was magnificent, gifting us with pleasant warm breezes and cloud free skys. It wasn’t easy adjusting back to the autumn weather up here in the more northern latitudes of Scotland, but I can comfort myself with the knowledge, that under this thick fisherman’s sweater, I do indeed have a tan! The best thing about taking a trip away, for me, is forgetting all the everyday tasks of home life and work, and allowing yourself to fall into a new more relaxed routine. Our routine whilst away, was to be woken up at dawn by the local cockerel, make our sleepy way to the balcony and watch the sunrise over freshly made coffee. When I’m on holiday, breakfasts are my favorite meal, they are a chance to sample the county’s freshest produce, usually in a way which requires little preparation or cooking, and usually in its most simple of forms. I spent lost of time traipsing through local vegetable markets, and filling my …

Doce de Abóbora – Sweet Portugese Pumpkin Jam

Published by

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, …