Focaccia with Burrata, Prosciutto and Rocket / Focaccia com queijo Burrata, Presunto e Rúcula.

Beautiful and absolutely delicious Focaccia for Deborah's and her Rainydaybites Cook Book Club.

The chosen book for September is, as I wrote here, Brian Hart Hoffman "Bake from Scratch" and apart from the monthly recipe challenges, I honestly can't decide what to bake because everything looks so good, that I just want to cook my way throughout the book...

One thing is for sure, this Focaccia was the first recipe I marked down to try as soon as I had a flick through the book and my instinct was right because it's the most delicious Focaccia I made until today.

Easy peasy to make, crispy on the outside, fluffy and perfectly structured on the inside and a superb array of ingredients on top...

Just Perfect!!

Salmorejo.

Salmorejo is a Spanish dish from the region of Cordoba.

Similar to Gazpacho but thicker, It is served as a starter or first meal and must be chilled before eating.

It's accompanied with "las guarniciones" and, although the most common garnishes are serrano ham and crumbled hard boiled egg, there are some versions that are served with flaked tuna, chopped onion and/or chopped green pepper.

I confess that I made and tasted my first Salmorejo last week and now I'm almost addicted to it.

I made it twice, in less than two weeks and this second time, I made it with organic tomatoes that I picked from my friend B. garden and green house. Here, on my instagram account, you can see all the lovely organic vegetables that I picked from his garden this week.

This recipe is from our beloved Portuguese "pin up girl", Filipa Gomes and it's featured in a series of 6 recipe booklets that Filipa wrote, Maria Midões styled and photographed and that were recently distributed in Portugal with a well known and popular magazine.

Kind and gentle as she is, I have the booklets because Filipa sent them to me, which of course, was an honour.

While I was making the Salmorejo and being the tomato the main ingredient of this soup, I thought that it would be a shame not to make an effort to publish the recipe in time for Marta and her "ingredient of the month", which is precisely, the tomato.

Saying that, here it is the most delicious, easy and quick, chilled tomato soup... The Salmorejo!

Cheat's pizza with mozzarella, chargrilled nectarine and prosciutto / Pizza fingida com mozzarella, nectarina grelhada e presunto.

The idea to make these "pizzas" was, not just because I had all the ingredients laying around here at home, but also because I wanted to prepare another suggestion for Marta.

As I told you here and here, Marta chose Peaches and/or Nectarines as the ingredient of July. Therefore, here is my last suggestion. A savoury and sweet suggestion for Marta, that is very easy to prepare and makes an absolutely delicious Summer lunch.

Fig, nectarine, mozzarella and prosciutto salad with honey dressing / Salada de figos, nectarinas, mozzarella e presunto, com molho de mel.

Although the weather is not very Springy/Summery this week, I leave you with this fabulous, vibrant, refreshing and colourful salad to start the week in a good and positive mood.

The recipe is from Katie & Giancarlo Caldesi "Around the World in Salads" book.

Simplicity at its best, thats how I describe this salad.

ingredients (serves 6):

6 ripe figs, halved or quartered, depending on the size

2 nectarines, thinly sliced

6 x 125g whole mozzarella or burrata

12 slices prosciutto

200g cherry tomatoes, halved (I used heirloom)

12 large basil leaves

for the dressing:

1 tbsp raw mild honey

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

method:

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing together in a small bowl and season to taste.

Arrange the salad ingredients on a serving platter and pour the dressing over the salad.

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Embora, por aqui, o tempo esta semana esteja uma porcaria, deixo-vos esta saladinha linda, colorida, cheia de sabores de Verão e tão deliciosa e refrescante, que torna felizes e luminosos até os dias mais taciturnos e cinzentos.

A sugestão vem do livro da Katie e do Giancarlo Caldesi "Around the World in Salads".

Mais simples não existe!! Espero que apreciem!

ingredientes (para 6 pessoas):

6  figos maduros, cortados ao meio ou em quartos, dependendo do tamanho

2 nectarinas, cortadas em fatias finas

6 bolas de 125g (cada) de mozzarella ou burrata

12 fatias finas de presunto

200g tomates cereja (cherry), cortados ao meio (eu usei várias cores)

12 large basil leaves

para o molho:

1 colher sopa de mel cru, de sabor não muito forte

2 colheres sopa azeite extra virgem

sal e pimenta preta moída na altura

preparação:

Numa taça, misturar todos os ingredientes do molho. Reservar.

Dispôr os ingredientes da salada numa travessa ou prato de serviço e regar com o molho.

Recipe / Receita:

Asparagus and prosciutto bundles with goat's cheese & hazelnut dip / Espargos enrolados em presunto, com dip de queijo de cabra e avelãs.

A fabulous suggestion for a starter or light lunch to be eaten at home, or to be put inside a sealable container to be transported in a picnic basket and enjoyed outdoors.

The combination of ingredients is one of my favourite ones, as it combines some of my beloved mediterranean flavours.

ingredients (makes 6):

18 asparagus spears, woody ends removed

olive oil, for drizzling

6 slices prosciutto

handful of rocket leaves

12 semi dried tomatoes

method:

Heat a griddle pan.

Drizzle the asparagus with a little olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, rolling around the pan until just tender. Leave to cool.

Lay a slice of prosciutto on your chopping board. Put 3 asparagus spears on top, with the tips pocking out the end.

Top with a few rocket leaves and 2 semi dried tomatoes.

Roll up the prosciutto tightly to enclose the filling.

Repeat as above to make another 5 bundles.

for the dip:

100g cream cheese

100g soft goat's cheese, rindless

1 tbsp milk

6 to 8 hazelnuts, chopped

method:

Mash the cream cheese ands goat's cheese together in a bowl with a fork.

Season and add enough milk in order to have a smooth, dipping consistency.

Spoon the mixture into a jar or serving bowl and sprinkle over the hazelnuts.

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Hoje deixo-vos com esta sugestão deliciosa que, tanto pode ser servida em casa, como entrada ou para um almoço ligeiro, como pode ser posta num recipiente de fecho hermético e transportada num cesto de piquenique e ser degustada à sombra, ou ao sol, sentados numa manta ou não, simplesmente desfrutando do bom tempo e temperaturas convidativas.

A combinação de ingredientes é, para mim, das mais apelativas, pois combina alguns dos sabores mediterrâneos que mais aprecio.

ingredientes (para 6 molhos):

18 espargos, arranjados e base do talo rija, descartada

azeite

6 fatias de presunto

um punhado de folhas de rúcula

12 tomates secos em azeite, escorridos

preparação:

Aquecer um grelhador.

Regar os espargos com um fio de azeite e temperar com sal e pimenta preta moída na altura.

Grelhar os espargos por 3 ou 4 minutos, ou até estarem macios mas al dente, rolando-os no grelhador. Deixar os espargos arrefecer.

Colocar uma fatia de presunto sobre uma tábua de cozinha. Colocar 3 espargos em cima do presunto, por forma a que as pontas dos espargos fiquem um bocadinho saídas.

Em cima dos espargos colocar folhas de rúcula a gosto e cobrir com 2 tomates secos.

Enrolar o presunto à volta desta combinação e repetir o processo até ter enrolado os 6 molhos de espargos.

Colocar num contentor de fecho hermético para levar para um piquenique, ou dividir por pratos e servir com o dip.

para o dip:

100g queijo creme (tipo Philadelphia)

100g queijo de cabra fresco, sem casca

1 colher sopa de leite

6 a 8 avelãs, picadas

preparação:

Numa taça e com a ajuda de um garfo, esmagar o queijo creme, juntamente com o queijo de cabra.

Temperar com sal e pimenta preta moída na altura e adicionar leite suficiente, por forma a obter uma mistura cremosa e com consistência de dip.

Colocar a mistura num frasco de fecho hermético, ou numa taça e polvilhar com as avelãs picadas.

Recipe / Receita: BBC Good Food magazine (May 2015).

Baked mushrooms with goat's cheese, prosciutto and spinach / Cogumelos no forno com queijo de cabra, presunto e espinafres.

I love mushrooms and I am always keen to cook with them either mixed in stews and other dishes, or on their own, like these ones, just baked and topped with whatever you fancy.

This is a very easy and delicious light meal or starter and the work you have to put it together, is nothing compared with the amount of pleasure you'll have afterwards.

ingredients (serves 2 as a light meal, or 4 as a starter):

4 big portobello mushrooms, cleaned with kitchen paper

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

100g log goat's cheese, cut into 4 round slices

4 thin slices Parma ham

2 tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tbsp for the spinach

1 garlic clove, finely sliced

200g baby spinach leaves

method:

Preheat the oven to 200ºC.

Place the mushrooms, gills facing up, on a baking tray.

Scatter the minced garlic over the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and put 1 round of the cheese on top of each.

Drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil, cover with foil and cook for 10 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for a further 5 minutes.

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and the sliced garlic in a pan and as soon as the garlic starts to sizzle, add the spinach and wilt for 1 to 2 minutes.

When ready to serve, divide the spinach between 2 or 4 plates, top with the baked mushroom and decorate each mushroom with 1 slice of the Parma ham.

Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and serve straight away.

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Eu confesso que sou apaixonada por cogumelos e sempre que tenho oportunidade, e são muitas, adoro cozinhar com cogumelos, quer misturados em guisados e afins, quer por si só, como estes, simplesmente assados no forno e acompanhados por outros ingredientes simples, mas deliciosos.

Eu servi esta receita como entrada, mas pode ser servida como uma refeição ligeira.

ingredientes (para 2 como refeição ligeira, ou para 4 como entrada):

4 cogumelos portobello grandes, bem limpos com papel de cozinha

2 dentes de alho, bem picadinhos

100g de queijo de cabra de cilindro, cortado em 4 rodelas

4 fatias finíssimas de presunto de Parma, ou outro

2 colheres sopa de azeite + 1 colher sopa de azeite para os espinafres

1 dente de alho, finamente fatiado

200g folhas de espinafre bebé

preparação:

Aquecer o forno a 200ºC.

Colocar os cogumelos num tabuleiro de ir ao forno, com a parte das "guelras" virada para cima.

Salpicar os cogumelos com o alho picado, temperar de sal e pimenta e colocar uma rodela de queijo em cima de cada um.

Regar com 2 colheres de sopa de azeite, cobrir com folha de alumínio e levar ao forno por 10 minutos.

Retirar a folha de alumínio e levar ao forno por mais 5 minutos.

Entretanto, aquecer 1 colher sopa de azeite e o alho fatiado num tacho.

Assim que o alho começar a ganhar um nadinha de cor, adicionar os espinafres e saltear por 1 minuto ou 2, ou até que as folhas de espinafre murchem.

No momento de servir, dividir os espinafres por 2 ou 4 pratos.

Colocar um cogumelo em cada prato e decorar cada cogumelo com 1 fatia de presunto.

Polvilhar com pimenta preta moída na altura e servir de imediato.

Recipe / Receita: Lia - Lemon & Vanilla.

Turkey, cranberry and prosciutto sausage rolls and lemon squash / Folhados de peru, arandos e presunto e squash de limão.

Rute from "Cozinha Fresh" blog, invited me for a guest post and to prepare an easy recipe to be enjoyed and eaten outdoors.

It came immediately to my mind these rolls and lemon squash that I saw at Donna Hay magazine and I decided straight away that it would be the recipe to prepare for Rute's guest post and I was right as this combination of flavours is absolutely outstanding and a great recipe to be eaten outdoors.

ingredients for the rolls (makes 8):

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbsp sage, finely chopped

500g turkey mince

80g cranberry sauce (I made my own - recipe here)

2 tsp Dijon mustard

salt and black pepper

2 sheets puff pastry

16 slices prosciutto

1 egg, lightly beaten

pistachios, chopped, for sprinkling

mustard, to serve

method:

Preheat the oven to 200ºC.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat.

Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft.

Place the onion mixture in a large bowl and set aside to cool.

Add the sage, turkey , cranberry sauce, mustard, salt and pepper and mix to combine. Set aside.

Line each pastry sheet with prosciutto, slightly overlapping each slice.

Cut the pastry sheets in half crossways.

Divide the turkey combination in 4 equal portions and roll into sausage shapes.

Place the sausage shaped meat at one end of each piece of pastry.

Brush the edges of the pastry with egg and roll to enclose.

Place the rolls, seam side down, on 2 lightly greased baking trays lined with baking paper.

Use scissors to cut slits in the tops of the rolls, brush with egg and sprinkle with the pistachios.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden.

Cut each roll in half and serve with mustard.

ingredients for the lemon squash:

3 lemons, washed and roughly chopped

1 1/2 cups caster sugar (I used just 1 cup)

250ml water

750ml chilled soda water

method:

Place the lemons, sugar and water in the jug of a blender and blend until smooth.

Pass the mixture through a sieve into a bottle and stir through the soda water.

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A Rute do blog Cozinha Fresh convidou-me para um guest post e desafiou-me a preparar uma receita fácil e - tendo em conta o Verão e o calor - ideal para ser degustada ao ar livre.

Não só aceitei o simpático convite da Rute, como me lembrei imediatamente desta receita que tinha visto na revista da Donna Hay.

Daí a prepará-la foi um piscar de olhos e quem estiver interessado na versão da receita em português, terá de ir vê-la ao blogue da Rute, onde também estão as respostas a uma pequena entrevista que a Rute me fez.

Obrigada pelo desafio e convite Rute. Adorei!

Recipe / receita: Donna Hay magazine - January 2014.