Nega maluca - brazilian chocolate cake

Nega maluca is a difficult name to translate. Maluca means crazy, easy enough. Nega is a tender nickname that we use to black people (now being referred to as african-brazilian). But nega is also used as a nickname for white people...especially between friends and couples. But when it comes to this cake, I'm pretty sure it's about a tender way to refering to this black delicious cake, which is one of the cornerstones of brazilian cakes. Every child in Brazil loves and eats this a lot. I made one last week and my husband was a bit suspicious at first, because this cake takes oil instead of butter, but then he couldn't stop eating.

Here's the recipe, which is easy enough

3 eggs
1 and a 1/2 cups of sugar
2 cups of flour
1 cup of chocolate (children's chocolate to dissolve in milk. If you use cocoa powder (cooking) like I did, use half a cup)
1/2 cup of oil
1 tbspoon of baking powder
1 pinch of salt
1 cup of hot water

To cover the cake:
4 tbspoons of milk
1/2 a cup of children's cocoa (same thing here. If using cooking chocolate, 1/4 of a cup)
1 tbspoon of butter
1 cup of sugar

In a mixer, mix the eggs, sugar, oil, chocolate and flour. Add the hot water and at last the baking powder.
Bake it for 40 min to and hour in a medium heat oven (around 180) - my cakes always take an hour at least!
Remove it from the tray while still hot (but manageable)

Topping

Put all the ingredients in a pan, put in on a hob, mixing it thoroughly until it boils. Pour it hot on top of the cake.

Roast chicken thighs - portuguese style

I cooked this for lunch today and it's soooo easy and delicious we had to repeat. As with most of the posts in this blog, the pic is not mine, I found it on google images, but mine looked just like it. Besides, most times there is no time to take pictures because we just devour it all...And I'm not that good in decorating anyway. There are much more talented people around.

4-6 garden variety potatoes, peeled and in quarters
2 tomatos, in quarters
1/2 lime, divided in 4 pieces (or 1 lime in quarters)
6 garlics WITH their skins (but you can mash them with your hands a bit)
olive oil
rock salt
4-6 chicken thighs (but I used drumsticks too and it's also good)
black olives

Spread the potatoes in an oven proof tray (better if it's a pretty one, for it can be served just like that when done) and do the same to the tomatos. Put each piece of lime in the corners of the tray and spread the garlic around too. Place the chicken pieces in the tray, in a very spread fashion, so that you have chicken...potatoes...chicken...potatoes.
Give it all a good wash with olive oil (remember, portuguese style - the more, the merrier) some pepper if you want and spread rock salt on top of it all.
Roast it all in 180-190 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove it and spread the olives on top of it (I use a handfull and give it another drizzle of olive oil). Roast for another 10-15 minutes.

Serve with some salad

Chicken with Creamed Corn II

My mum came to visit last month and helped with cooking (she does cook very well). She corrected one of my recipes, the creamed corn. I never really got that recipe from her, I just cooked it as I remembered it, using double cream. Apparently she never used cream and all she did was use corn flour. So here's her take on that.

Breast chicken steaks or fillets, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 can of corn or frozen corn (defrosted)
1 can of milk
1-2 tbspoons of cornflour
salt

Blend the corn and the milk for some 15 seconds (more if you don't want little pieces of corn)
Add it to a hob and add the cornflour. Mix it until it boils and then reduce the heat, letting it cook (don't forget to mix it, always) until it reaches the consistency you want (a cream).
Check the salt. Turn off the hob, put the lid on.
Fry the steaks on a hot frying pan. Since I'm pregnant, I'm overcooking them all.

Put the steaks on a plate, the cream on top of them and some parsley (optional) to decorate it all.

Serve it with white rice and broccoli salad

PS: both are delicious, but I think I slightely prefer the double cream one. But it's a close call

Hamburger

Two saturdays ago I woke up late and missed Saturday Live Kitchen, which was kind of a bumer, because I really enjoy that show (the only cooking show that I actually enjoy). Anyway, there was this other guy latter, that stated that recipes are not supposed to be followed absolutely but are more like a basic desing, etc etc...He was quite proud of his own back garden and he did make a soup that looked absolutely delicious (but I was not paying attention).

I was paying attention, however, to the hamburger recipe that I saw him make. It was a chicken hamburger, but I didn´t have chicken mince so I tried with regular mince. It was fabulous!!!

So, here´s the recipe:

mince
bread crums "to increase the amount of hamburgers"
bacon (better if streaked, chopped)
parmesan (rather than eggs to keep it all together) (about 1\3 to 1\2 a cup)
herb mayo - now, here he did his own but I'm pregnant and raw eggs are a no no. Therefore, I used my helmann's mayo which I seasoned with lime, parsley, chives, pepper and a bit of rosemary.


Mix it up in a big bowl, add some salt and pepper to taste and fry it.

He served it wrapped in lettuce, but I served it in cut to measure (poligonal) bread, covered with mix of lettuce, the hamburger, mayo and some shavings of cheese (I use medium to mature chedar).Everything looked beautifully arranged and I decorated the plate with ketchup.

I'll post the pic soon

Pork with chestnuts

If you speak portuguese, I found this recipe here.

In Portugal, the 11th of November is S. Martinho day (Saint Martin's). The legend tells us that a roman knight was on patrol when he saw an old beggar, hungry and cold for he was almost naked. It was a rainny and cold day and the old man was soaking wet.

The knight, called Martinho (Martin) was kind and liked to help the poor. When he saw that beggar, he pitied him and cut his own thick cape in half, with his sword and giving one to the old man, leaving him. After his kind act, the rain stopped and a beautiful sunny day replaced it.

In Portugal they say that around Sao Martinhos day there is a veranico ("small summer) when autumn is not as harsh and the weather gets warmer. Around this time of the year they also celebrate the Magusto.

The Magusto is a popular party that changes from region to region. Generally people gather around a bonfire where they roast chestnuts and drink new wine. People paint each other with the ashes and sing old traditional songs. Apparently some people consider the Magusto as the remains of an old pagan sacrifice to the dead (just like other popular traditions happening the around the same time all over Europe), since it was tradition to prepare some chestnuts to the family's deads and serve them at midnight (and no one would eat them).

All that is an introduction to one of the best recipes to try this time of year (this and the punpkin risotto!)


Pork (shoulder, legs, whatever)

Chestnuts
Salt and pepper
Red/gree pepper, mashed together
white wine
chopped bacon or loddon
piri-piri
garlic
laurel
onion
olive oil
Start by seasoning the pork (preferably on the previous day) with a cream made of salt, garlic, mashed pepper, pepper and piri-piri.
Cut the meat in cubes (If its not already in steaks, then its ok) and put the wine to make kind of a broth.
Cover  with a tin foil and roast/cook it in a hot (180-200'C) oven).

Meanwhile prepare the chestnuts: Boil water in a pan and add the chestnuts. Let them boil for 5 min, remove and peel them.

On a pan, heat up olive oil and the bacon cubes/loddon. Fry 1 onion chopped finnely, garlic and laurel and add the peeled chestnuts, Add sal and pepper, put the lid on  and let it cook in low heat (if necesary add a bit of water or wine).

When the meat is almost done (30-40 min), depending on the oven and the meat, add the chestnuts to it and let it all golden a bit for 10 min (withouth the tin foil).

Serve it hot with migas de broa (soon I'll post the recipe), cowpea and grelos or an apple mash.

Pumpkin and parmesan risotto

time of preparation: 30 min

570ml/1 pint vegetable or chicken stock
1 small onion, chopped
12 fresh sage leaves, chopped finely
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup of arborio (risotto) rice
250g pumpkin or butternut squash, diced small
50g butter
1/2 cup of grated parmesan
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the crispy sage
12-16 fresh sage leaves
2 tbsp sunflower oil
For serving
piece fresh parmesan, or vegetarian parmesan-style grating cheese

Method
1. Heat the stock until almost boiling and then keep over a very low heat. In a separate heavy-based saucepan sweat the onion in the oil until soft but not browned. Add the chopped sage and cook for a couple more minutes.
2. Add the rice and mix well for a few seconds to coat the grains with oil, then pour in one-third of the stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until almost all the stock is absorbed. Add the pumpkin or squash and a little more stock, and continue to simmer gently until the stock is absorbed.
3. From then on add more stock a little at a time, until the pumpkin is soft and the rice nicely al dente. You may not need all the stock, but the texture should be loose and creamy.
4. When the risotto is almost ready, heat the sunflower oil in a small pan and quickly fry the sage leaves until crispy - it takes a matter of seconds.
5. Stir the butter into the risotto, and season well with salt and pepper. Add the parmesan and stirr until it melted. Divide into four servings and throw a few crispy sage leaves over each portion. Bring the cheese and a grater to the table for your guests to serve themselves.

Not much cooking happening

Sorry about the lack of posts...not much cooking happening, at least of new and adventurous food. I've been a bit nauseous with morning sickness and I guess there won't be anything very new for a while.

XoXo