Traditional and Healthy Recipes at Home

Traditional Portuguese cuisine is quite varied, and there are many fish and meat based dishes for one to enjoy. Sardines, cod, açorda (broken pieces of bread in a flavoured water broth with herbs and olive oil) and míscaros (edible mushrooms like the saffron milk cap or the red pine mushroom) are a few examples of the country’s gastronomy, cooked in a myriad of ways depending on the region. Modern times also gave these dishes a twist, as a way of adapting to new and different palates, to a healthier lifestyle and the concerns that derive from it.

In a time where the need to eat more often at home increases, All About Portugal shares with you some recipes from the book Saudáveis à Portuguesa, from the Nutriciência Project and edited by Bertrand Editora.

 
CORNMEAL PORRIDGE WITH STEWED SARDINES

Servings: 4 | Cooking time: 45 minutes


Ingredients

Corn porridge:

300g of cornmeal for the porridge (coarsely ground)

1 onion

3 cloves of garlic

1 tbsp. of olive oil

water q.s.

0.5g (about ¼ of a tsp.) of salt (optional)

Stewed sardines:

1 onion

1 clove of garlic

4 ripe tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp. of olive oil

500g of sardines

1 green pepper

 

Preparation

1. Soak the flour for about 30 minutes.

2. Sauté the chopped onion and garlic in the oil with a little water. Add the cornmeal and the soaking water to the stew, stirring frequently. As soon as it boils, add the salt, if used, and leave it to cook until the porridge is tender.

3. To prepare the sardines, chop the onion, garlic and tomato. Sauté the onion, garlic and bay leaves in olive oil with a little water and add the tomatoes. When the tomato is reduced to sauce, add the sardines and the pepper cut into strips and let the mix simmer.

4. Serve the corn porridge with the stewed sardines.


COD WITH MIGAS

Servings: 6 | Cooking time: 50 minutes

 

Ingredients

4 small pieces of cod

1 onion

4 cloves of garlic

500g of potatoes to roast

2 tbsp. of olive oil

2 cups of finely chopped kale

½ corn bread (250 g)

400 g of cooked black-eyed beans

pepper q.s.

 

Preparation

1. Scald the cod and reserve the water.

2. Place the onion and 2 garlic cloves cut into thin slices on the bottom of an oven tray and overlap the cod slices and potatoes. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a little cooking water and let it bake.

3. Meanwhile, cook the cabbage for just 1 to 2 minutes to soften.

4. Crumble the cornbread.

5. In a saucepan, place the remaining chopped garlic, the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, the bread, the cabbage, and the beans, and mix well. Season with pepper and sauté for a few minutes, until the bread is lightly browned.

6. Serve the baked cod with the migas (the resulting mixture of cabbage, beans and bread) as a side dish.

 

AÇORDA DE POEJOS

Servings: 4 | Cooking time: 20 minutes

 

Ingredients

4 eggs

2 cloves of garlic

4 tbsp. olive oil

1 sauce of pennyroyal (40 g)

1.5l of water

4 slices of crusty bread

Optional:

0.5 g (about ¼ of a tsp.) of salt

 

Preparation

1. Cook the eggs for 10 minutes; peel them and set aside.

2. In a mortar, crush the garlic with the oil, the pennyroyal and the salt, if used.

3. Place the previous mixture in a large bowl, add the previously boiled water and mix well.

4. In a soup dish, add the slices of bread, eggs and the aromatic broth.

 

CHICKEN WITH MÍSCAROS

Servings: 8 | Cooking time: 1 hour and 40 minutes

 

Ingredients

1 chicken cut into pieces, clean of skins and visible fats

4 cloves of garlic

200ml of white wine

2 tbsp. of olive oil

1 large onion

2 bay leaves

1 peeled tomato

400g of fresh míscaros (or other variety of fresh mushrooms)

1 medium carrot

parsley q.s.

white pepper q.s.

Optional:

0.5 g (about ¼ of a tsp) of salt

 

Preparation

1. Season the chicken with garlic, white wine and white pepper. Let it marinate for 2 hours.

2. In a saucepan, pour the olive oil, the sliced onion, the bay leaf, the diced tomato, the mushroom pieces and the seasoned chicken cuts. Bring to low heat for about 1 hour; if necessary, add a little water. While cooking, rectify the seasoning and add the sliced carrots and parsley to taste.

3. Serve with boiled potatoes and salad.

 

The book on which this article is based contains 30 authentically Portuguese family recipes, and it was made possible by the Nutricience Project and the many Portuguese families that shared their secrets. In a light approach, it talks about nutrition and healthy eating, with the suggestion of dishes that everyone can prepare. Know more